Advanced Zen philosophy

This is an advanced course on the philosophy of Zen. If you already know the fundamentals of Buddhism then you'll get a lot from this as it really makes you think deeply about its concepts.

If you're new to Zen then I'd recommend listening to an 'Introduction to' type book first. (I don't mean that to sound pompous, just that this course would have overwhelmed me if it was my first taste of Zen.) For each topic this course dives very quickly into a dense discussion, it goes much deeper than any other Buddhism book I've read.

One minor quibble I have is that it was designed for American Christians. In the first few lectures I was thinking that the professor's position must be at a Christian university and he confirmed this a few lectures later. It must be a requirement of the university that all teachings adher to Christian beliefs, and this causes some mental gymnatics (eg making 'no-self' conform with having a soul). I'd have preferred a neutral course with a single lecture comparing Zen to Christianity, rather than all lectures coming from a Christian point of view. You get used to it though and it's worth this minor irritation for all the benefits provided by the course.

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Fantastic course...highly practical.

This is a cracker, super easy to listen to and highly pragmatic. A joy for the beginner and the seasoned Zen student.

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2 people found this helpful

A thorough course covering all aspects of Zen

This course was very enjoyable, with some parts being easy to understand, and some that will certainly require another listen, perhaps several listens. The material is superbly narrated by the professor, whose experience, and aspiration for the listener to understand, and ultimately achieve enlightenment- shines through. I recommend this course for anyone seeking to know themselves.

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A Great Course

An excellent introduction to Zen. The lecturer is very clear and the content is well explained. I highly recommend this course.

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Great. With some noticeable BUTS.

This lecturer is obviously not a fool: he is a tried and tested philosopher, he wrote books about Heidegger, and his personal story is interesting, basically a Western philosopher who lived in Japan to learn Eastern philosophy first hand. Hats off.

However, I feel that sometimes he washes down philosophy with platitudes such as "we are all interconnected ". I don't believe that for one second, and now more than ever before I am convinced that "in the end, each of us must stand alone.", as Schopenhauer wrote.

Also, elsewhere he takes the most extravagant leap by stating that "nihilism is a mistaken view" (don't remember exact words, but it was a similar statement). Well, I wish I could agree! Unless people can be resurrected and I am missing something, and unless I am delusional, which I am not, there is indeed nothing. Yes there's something now, but it will be gone soon, one must read Marcus Aurelius multiple times to understand that (I recommend the Oxford Classics edition).

I am no Buddhism expert as the lecturer is, but I have dabbled with it when I trained briefly in martial arts. The notion that "we are interconnected" is alien to me. If by that we mean that when I go to the supermarket someone roasted some chicken legs that I then buy, well, duh.

But interconnection has never truly existed between people. Maybe the lecturer means people SHOULD be interconnected. Anyways, these are but fantasies. All I can do is try to strengthen my own mind and stare at this desert around me.

Frankly, I don't care anymore. Complete isolation doesn't scare me, and I am glad of this. As Schopenhauer wrote: "Your ability to be alone is directly proportional to whether you have a rich inner life, or a poor one. Most people are like children: they cannot bear to be left alone. But anyone who has any inner worth will gladly do without other people.". and "Great minds are like eagles: they are found only on the highest peaks of solitude.". Isn't that true? Of course it is. Why else the Buddha himself, the Musashis, the Tsunetomos, and others like them, meditated alone in a cave or under a tree? Even many Wester philosophers have been loners. Schopenhauer explains all this clearly in his brilliant "Parerga" especially in the "Wisdom of Life" and the amazing "Counsels and Maxims" sections.

I feel that the lecturer is washing down the truth. Undoubtedly, he is doing this as a sincere effort to ease the existential pain of people, but it is a bit like telling children about Santa. I see this tendency with all the best thinkers today: they are all too afraid to state the truth. Though I am sure in their heart they know it. Still, I try not to look for perfection, but for uselfuness, and even though there's several things that do not convince me at all as to what Zen is claimed to be, I fully recommend the course to anyone. Even to myself.

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2 people found this helpful

brilliant coverage of Zen Buddhism

I thoroughly enjoyed this each chapter bringing forth nuggets to reflect on.

it not just the content, or the journey through the content, the speaker himself is a wonderful narrator who knows his subject and covers it in a way to draw out the listener.
I looked forward to each chapter.
One of the best, if not the best thing that I've listened to on Audible for content, delivery and engagement.

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Poor.

A muddled mix of pop psychology and Western, Christianity flavoured zen, not practical at all. The book is dogmatic and comes of as preachy, much better books on zen out there.

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