Free Downloads

Dropping Ashes On The Buddha: The Teachings Of Zen Master Seung Sahn

“Somebody comes into the Zen center with a lighted cigarette, walks up to the Buddha statue, blows smoke in its face, and drops ashes on its lap. You are standing there. What can you do?” This is a problem that Zen Master Seung Sahn is fond of posing to his American students who attend his Zen centers. Dropping Ashes on the Buddha is a delightful, irreverent, and often hilariously funny living record of the dialogue between Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn and his American students. Consisting of dialogues, stories, formal Zen interviews, Dharma speeches, and letters using the Zen Master’s actual words in spontaneous, living interaction with his students, this book is a fresh presentation of the Zen teaching method of “instant dialogue” between Master and student which, through the use of astonishment and paradox, leads to an understanding of ultimate reality.

Paperback: 232 pages

Publisher: Grove Press; Reissue edition (February 18, 1994)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0802130526

ISBN-13: 978-0802130525

Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.5 x 8.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #152,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #139 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Buddhism > Zen > Philosophy #190 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Buddhism > Zen > Spirituality #33711 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

Very interesting read indeed... I found the intermittent cursing to be quite humorous. It's without a doubt - an entertaining, and mind boggling adventure. It makes you feel as if you're right in the classroom, getting smacked with Seung Sahn's stick.I'd be lying if I said I was able to figure out the various kong-ans, but I'm sure I'm not the only one (I wish there were answers to these riddles, BUT that's probably asking for way too much). However, I did notice that even though I didn't understand the kong-ans that certain things did make more sense as the chapters went on... So, by the end of the book, you have a slightly better understanding than you did at the beginning. This book definitely needs to be reread. Some stories are just plain funny, some are puzzling, and some have a story to tell. *It seems that every other page someone is getting hit hard, hahaha... It's a good thing that hitting is a sign of affection from student to teacher. I've never read a book even close to something like this - it makes you wonder how amazing this man was in person. I subsequently purchased another book from Soen-sa, "Wanting Enlightenment Is a Big Mistake". I want to see how this one fares as well.I'm hesitant to take a stab at this BUT, if I had to write something that I learned through these pages:Naturally scriptures, holy reading and their corresponding history are very important (so is growing up and learning all the necessary skills we need to survive in this crazy world). Additionally vital is at some point in our life, we have to stop thinking we know everything. Human beings today are at a point where we just think our way through life. We think we have an explanation for everything --- I think, I think, I think....

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha: The Teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn Zen Doodle Drawing BOX SET 5-in-1: Zen Cats, Zen Dogs, Zen Horses, Zen Underwater Life,Zen Girls The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha) Zen Flesh Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings Tarot Osho Zen/ Osho Zen Tarot: El juego trascendental del Zen/ The Transcendental Game of Zen (Spanish Edition) Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings (Unabridged Selections) In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha) How Would Buddha Think?: 1,501 Right-Intention Teachings for Cultivating a Peaceful Mind (The New Harbinger Following Buddha Series) The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha) The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha) Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy (Teachings of the Buddha) The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha) ZEN DOODLE: The Art of Zen Doodle. Drawing Guide with Step by Step Instructions. Book one. (Zen Doodle Art 1) Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693 Jaw-Dropping Geography: Fun Learning Facts About Amazing Australia: Illustrated Fun Learning For Kids (Volume 1) Australia (Dropping in On...(Hardcover)) Jaw-Dropping Geography: Fun Learning Facts About Amazing Australia: Illustrated Fun Learning For Kids Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living 12 Steps on Buddha's Path: Bill, Buddha, and We The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman