Zen Enlightenment

Download or read book Zen Enlightenment written by Heinrich Dumoulin and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2007-12-11 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enlightenment, the cosmic experience of universal unity, is a notoriously elusive concept in Zen. Here, the renowned scholar Heinrich Dumoulin traces the development of Zen and the concept of enlightenment from its origins in India through its development in China to its fruition in Japan. Delineating the Buddhist origins, as well as the Taoist and yogic influences, he traces the historical path Zen has followed, with special emphasis given to the development of koan practice and the writings of the great Japanese Zen master Dogen (1200–1253). He then brings the experience to life by presenting, in his own words, the enlightenment experiences of a number of contemporary practitioners of Zen.