The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693

First class.

Who would have thought that completely wrecking the body by living in dank caves and constantly meditating and getting a chest infection could lead to Satori. Wouldn't it have been easier to look out of a five star hotel bedroom window at the waves on the ocean., or hear the song a bird. An interesting book for Zen enthusiasts, worth a read, don't forget your tissues!

I have both Waddell and Haskel's books on Bankei. With a few exceptions, Waddell's book is clearer than Haskel's. Having said that, I am glad I have both books.Bankei's Zen teachings are a nice change from the Rinzai school. Bankei is very down-to-earth. The Rinzai school talks about "raising a great ball of doubt" to break through to kensho. Whereas, the simplicity of Bankei's teaching is to just recognize the Unborn and rest in it.Bankei has more in common with Dogen's Shikantaza zazen than Hakuin's striving for kensho and satori. It is "just being" vs "doing." Which is better depends on what resonates with you.Great book by Waddell. I am reading it for the umpteenth time.

Even though it's quite expensive, it's totally worth it. The words and teachings of this Zen master only adds to our journey towards self-awareness.After reading Indian philosophy and other spiritual philosophies, I thought I will not find any new perspective or insight. I was wrong and I realized these words go deep inside.

I own many books on Buddhism, and while they have all been very helpful, as someone prone to extreme intellectual gymnastics and severe existential doubt I can get lost in the rich yet sometimes densely written works of many teachers, the lengthy descriptions of the suffering that practitioners often confront and the varied practices one applies. This approach can sometimes cause me to lose sight of the awakened state, the entire point of the path.I must make clear that this book is not an instructional manual - there are many books far better for that purpose. Rather, I turn to the words of Bankei contained within as a reminder of the tremendous freedom and bliss of enlightenment, or as Bankei calls is, the Unborn Buddha Mind. "All things are perfectly resolved in the Unborn", Bankei famously realized upon his initial awakening. Some may find his repeated descriptions of The Unborn redundant or unnecessary, but I find the repetition instills a sense of faith that such a level of being is indeed possible, and not just for a select few. Bankei again and again reminds us that we already are what we seek. "There are no unenlightened people here", he says in one of this series of recorded talks, and we would all do well to remember that.

ばんけいさん大好きなので、英語版を買ってみました。まだぱらぱらとしか、読んでいません

Excellent