- Hardcover: 145 pages
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co; First American Edition edition (May 1975)
- ISBN-10: 0395182824
- ISBN-13: 978-0395182826
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 13.7 x 1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 227 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,607,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Nearly 30 years ago, van de Wetering, who would later achieve fame as a mystery novelist, published The Empty Mirror, about his experiences at a Zen monastery in Japan in the mid-60s. In 1975, he published a sequel, A Glimpse of Nothingness, about his stint at the Moon Springs Hermitage in Maine. Now the author has written a follow-up, AfterZen, told from the perspective of an aging soul who dropped most formal Zen practice years ago but still carries an abiding respect for the gut truths of the teaching and for at least some of its teachers. Much of the book has the air of the classic Zen saying, "If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him": with humor and occasional crankiness, van de Wetering knocks koans, meditation and some of the trappings of the monastic Zen life. There are many flashbacks, to Japan, to his American experiences, to meetings with fellow ex-students, and the book has a somewhat chaotic feel, rather more like life than art. Throughout, van de Wetering's voice is sincere, if iconoclastic. Those looking for composed wisdom should read Basho; those looking for an honest memoir by a perhaps wise man will find this to their taste. One Spirit alternate. (June) FYI: Also in June, van de Wetering's two earlier books, which have been out of print, are being reissued by St. Martin's/Dunne; Empty Mirror: $10.95 paper 160p ISBN 0-312-20774-3; Glimpse: $11.95 paper 192p ISBN -20945-2).
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Review
"This small and memorable memoir records the experiences of a young Dutch student who spent a year and a half as a novice monk in a Japanese Zen Buddhist monastery . . . What makes this account extraordinary is that the book contains none of the convert's irritating certitude."--Time Magazine
"What is accessible is the day-to-day description of life, of the monks themselves and of the others he met, of the jokes they played and the food they ate, of the moments of satori, the explosive moment of an understanding surpassing understanding."--Los Angeles Times
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
"What is accessible is the day-to-day description of life, of the monks themselves and of the others he met, of the jokes they played and the food they ate, of the moments of satori, the explosive moment of an understanding surpassing understanding."--Los Angeles Times
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First Sentence
The gate of a monastery in Kyoto, the mystical capital of Japan. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The gate of a monastery in Kyoto, the mystical capital of Japan. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crazy Zen Wisdom,
By "drew@rmta.org" (Detroit) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery (Paperback)
I hadn't realized when I picked up this book that it was written in 1973 about experiences in the 1950's. Although it remains relevant in this time, it is rather surprising to think of a time when Eastern philosophy was difficult for Westerners to find. (Mind you, I say this as a resident of a Zen Buddhist abbey in Detroit.) At the time van de Wetering traveled to Japan, one wouldn't find Zen teachers in America or Europe, much less Zen communities. In this way, van de Wetering's journey paved the way for us, and for that I thank him deeply.In some ways, the book provides a basic introduction to the Zen precepts and the monastic way of life. After all, when he was writing it, there were very few books on Westerners practicing Zen. So in some ways, this book covers ground that many more recent, more popular books have covered. However, this book is full of surprises for people who might have a one-dimensional view of monastic life. There is peaceful meditation, but there are also arguments among the monks. Van de Wetering apparently expected to transcend human life in the monastery, but inside, he found the same problems as outside. He also found his own need to escape, to occasionally go out for a beer. It's a central paradox most readers who practice Zen will sympathize with; we want tranquility, but suffering is so darn interesting. Sometimes this paradox, as van de Wetering presents it, is hilarious. Traditional Zen stories can be vulgar, and so can contemporary Zen stories. We, like the author, must reflect on our expectations and assumptions to see what is really there
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The lighter side of Zen,
By Richard Peel (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery (Paperback)
The first of two books from his experience in a Zen monastery, it is entertaining above all. Offers a glimpse of the nature of Zen philosophy as well, but most fun is seeing how this Westerner deals with life in a foreign culture-within-a-culture. A good book for thinkers who need a vacation.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
the empty mirror,
By david prosser (NSW AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Empty Mirror: Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery (Paperback)
I read this book at a time when there was a great deal of turmoil going on in my life. I spoke to a friend who thourght that reading this book might give me back balance to what you could call a personal catastrophie. The Empty Mirror gave me that and more. I found Mr. Janwillem's experience in the monastery outstanding in the sense that it is something I've wanted to do all my life. Maybe in the next one, life that is, I'll be more serious and take a leaf out of Mr Janwillem van dan wetering's book(s). For a lasting nice warm and fuzzy felling that gives you some insight about life, I can only recommend this to you all with peace compassion and happiness. May all beings be happy.
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