Kensho

November 15, 1996
An authoritative and prolific translator of and commentator on East Asian religious texts, Cleary tells us that kensho means "Zen insight into the essence of one's own being." To explain this concept in depth, he translates and comments on three Zen texts and divides his book into corresponding parts, which he titles "The True Mind," "Applications," and "Zen Koans." The three Zen texts are Chinul's (Korean, 1158-1210) Straightforward Explanation of the True Mind, several works by Hakuin (Japanese Zen master, 1689-1769), and The Book of Ease, a Chinese koan collection. Cleary's approach is to state a theme, expound on it, quote several passages from one of the three works to illuminate the concept, show what this contributes to the Zen understanding of true mind, and summarize his presentation. His work is tightly reasoned, complex, and for the advanced student of Zen. Recommended for libraries already having introductory books on Zen, such as D.T. Suzuki's An Introduction to Zen Buddhism (Grove Atlantic, 1987).-David Bourquin, California State Univ., San Bernadino