- Paperback: 280 pages
- Publisher: North Atlantic Books; 1 edition (Aug 7 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1556436572
- ISBN-13: 978-1556436574
- Product Dimensions: 14.8 x 1.8 x 21 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #571,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
As a well-known scholar and meditation master—His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama called him “extremely modest, a true spiritual practitioner of deep and broad learning”—Sheng Yen is uniquely qualified to guide Western seekers into the world of contemporary Chinese Buddhism. Written while the author was secluded in solitary retreat in southern Taiwan, Orthodox Chinese Buddhism provides a wealth of theory and simple, clear guidelines for practicing this increasingly popular form of spirituality. One of the most influential Buddhist books in the Chinese language, the book explores a wide range of subjects, from distinguishing core teachings from outdated cultural norms to bridging the gap between Western and Chinese traditions. In the process, it addresses such questions as “To what extent should Buddhism be Westernized to fit new cultural conditions?” and “Does Westernization necessarily lead to ‘a dumbing down’ of Buddhism?” In addition to the translation of the complete original text, this edition includes new annotations, appendixes, and a glossary designed for the Western reader.
About the Author
Master Sheng Yen was appointed one of the chairs of the World Council of Religious Leaders in 2002. His Dharma Drum Buddhist Association has 21 centers throughout North America. He lives in Elmhurst, NY. Otto Chang, Ph.D. lives in Los Angeles, CA, and Singapore. Douglas Gildow lives in Berkeley, CA.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Reading for New and, Mar 23 2008
By Imperial Book Man - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism: A Contemporary Chan Master's Answers to Common Questions (Paperback)
This book is essential reading for anyone new to Buddhism or even an accomplished Buddhist practitioner.In "Orthodox Chinese Buddhism," Chan (i.e. Zen) Master Sheng Yen answers many fundamental questions such as:
What are Orthodox Buddhist Beliefs and Practices?
Do Buddhists Believe in the Existence of God?
Do Buddhist Worship Idols?
Is Buddhism Against Birth Control?
And many others...
Regardless of your level of practice, you may find that some of the answers to these and other questions surprise you.
Whereas the purpose of book is not only to answer fundamental questions, but to re-emphasize "orthodox" Buddhist beliefs and practices, readers may find that some misconceptions about their own religion have creeped into their thoughts and actions.
Taiwanese Buddhist practitioners will also find this book particularly helpful to distinguish between the traditional Daoist (Taoist) rituals and practices with which they were raised, and what are, in fact, the quite different beliefs and practices of Buddhism. Western visitors to Taiwan will also quickly learn there is a huge difference between Daoism and Buddhism. For example, just because a temple has a Guanyin or a Buddha image does not mean that activities therein represent "orthodox" Buddhist practices. (This reviewer speaks from first-hand experience, as he has visited Taiwan on numerous occasions, and recently visited Dharma Drum Mountain, an impressive embodiment of Sheng Yen's teaching.)
[...] The title of Master Sheng Yen's book is not `Orthodox Chan,' therefore, it should be no surprise that it did not focus on that subject. It was also complained that this book "does not seem to offer much to anyone already familiar with Buddhism in any form, particularly Mahayana Buddhism." In fact, Master Sheng Yen discusses in this book the fundamentals of Mahayana Buddhism, its history, and differences with the many other schools. Those discussions are short and to the point, and notations are provided for those who wish to learn more.
This book is consistent with its title, "Orthodox Chinese Buddhism." It provides great insight for Taiwanese Buddhist practitioners and Western practitioners alike. Even for those who have a greatly developed practice, this book is a useful tool to compare one's own developed practice to tried and true practices of a Master. As Master Sheng-yen has often said, we should always consider ourselves beginners in the Dharma.
5 of 9 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not much about Chan Buddhism, Dec 25 2007
By calmly - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism: A Contemporary Chan Master's Answers to Common Questions (Paperback)
Although Sheng Yen is a Chan Master and has many excellent books teaching Chan meditation, this book, as the name suggests, is not focused on Chan. It also does not seem to offer much to anyone already familiar with Buddhism in any form, particularly Mahayana Buddhism. The questions that Sheng Yen answers seem to me to be ones that might occur to anyone reasonably familiar with popular Buddhism, as might the gist of the answers: although Sheng Yen's answers are more elaborate they too often veer into the speculative or the supernatural.If you are not familiar with any form of Buddhism, I'd recommend skipping this book and looking for a primer on Buddhism: Sheng Yen's own There Is No Suffering: A Commentary on the Heart Sutra would be a good place to start. If you know something about Buddhism but want to begin learning about Chinese Buddhism, Tom Lowenstein's The Vision of the Buddha (Living Wisdom) does have a section on Chinese Buddhism, including Chan, and provides an excellent overview of Buddhism.
For Sheng Yen's own works, I would recommend for a thorough teaching on Chan meditation Hoofprint of the Ox: Principles of the Chan Buddhist Path as Taught by a Modern Chinese Master and for a less thorough but, practically speaking, probably sufficient and perhaps better focused teaching Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism, especially the chapter by Sheng Yen himself.
0 of 6 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Understanding Why Chinese Buddhism Will Not Survive in Redland, Feb 20 2010
By E. Hernandez - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Orthodox Chinese Buddhism: A Contemporary Chan Master's Answers to Common Questions (Paperback)
This is as competent a guide as you'll ever find of Chinese Ts'ao-t'ung Chan Buddhism. It is not high-flown, and should be easy for Americans to use as a guide. The question/answer format is perfect for a subject like this.Yet it also shows the orthodox staleness of most Chinese clerics' minds.
This book, if one reads deeply enough, will amply show why Buddhism was dying in China even before the commies killed it off...and even though I cannot recommend against this book, I'd say buy a nice Japanese Zen book instead. Maybe Nichiren the old rogue was onto something when he said Zen was hell on earth, and this book deals with orthodox original Zen, which in Chinese is "Chan".
Somehow the book lacks virtue, is pompous and stale. Ben Franklin said religion is finished when it puts orthodoxy ahead of virture.
As a general guide, read perhaps as if it were a glossary, it's really quite thorough...but do not expect any actual Chinese terminology, custom or description of practice. Here, the master was many wonderful things, but he just doesn't translate into print as well as, say, Thich Nhat Hanh. Then again, the master didn't write 'his own' book at all: this is a book of transcripts, duly edited and presented for the average American Dopey-type.
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