The Complete Book of Zen Paperback – June 1, 2010

The best overview info on zen & buddhism in general. I always discard dogma & theology & favor the mystic in all cases. I studied Vajrayana under Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (Rimpie). But after getting 1/2 way into Zen, I realized the fist koan, (given to Mahakasyapa by Sakyamuni Sihartha Gautama) is my all time best. Yet I found no Golden Kumbhala flower upon Web search. But any flower will do. You'll find this first zen koan on page 71 of Zen. The first line, spoken to Mahakasyapa as Sidhartha holds up the flower: 'Here is the eye of true teaching.'

I bought this book to complement my Chi Kung practice and to deepen my knowledge of Zen and its many dimensions and definitions. I found it surprisingly easy to read and navigate. It definitely enlightened me on the topic and of course it's written by my Sigung, Grandmaster Wong. A must-have book for anyone practicing Shaolin arts - Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, Shaolin Kung Fu.

Slowly reading this book, it helps with those of us who are searching for balance in life.

Definitely complete. It is a long, but surprisingly well-written, history of Buddhism.

Wong Kiew Kit is a master at making the arcane accessible. Thrilled with this book.

Great

"What is the sound of one hand clapping?"Many have heard the question, few know its deepest significance. The Complete Book of Zen provides a roadmap for those willing to look for answers for themselves.Wong Kiew Kit has distilled a lifetime of teaching and training practice into this magnificent work. As a Shaolin Grandmaster, Wong Kiew Kit is rarely placed to speak on Zen, because Zen (known as Ch'an in Chinese) was one of the three treasures of the Shaolin Arts, the other two being Shaolin Qigong and Shaolin Kungfu. It is Wong Kiew Kit's mastery of all three treasures which elevates this book above the great mass of Zen literature out there.These missing aspects of the energetic and the martial also inform the reason as to the comparative lack of results of many modern meditators. Where is the transcendence?Bodhidharma, the legendary founder of Zen, held that the body was as important as the mind in spiritual cultivation, and his successors at the Shaolin Temple continued this legacy with their integration of martial arts into meditation. Unfortunately today many people attempt deep meditation without first having cleared and energised their meridian system through Qigong or internal Kungfu; with the result that the transcendental fruits are often blocked to them. It is for this reason that The Complete Book of Zen is so necessary and important.Discover:- the meaning of famous Zen stories- the intuitive logic (neither paradox nor nonsense) of Koans- the moral and ethical basis of Zen- the origins of Zen in India, the history of Zen in China and its transmission to Vietnam and Japan- the energetic and martial components of Zen- the practical and transcendental aspects of meditation- the highest attainment of Zen masters of the past- the link between Zen and other religious and mystical traditions- both the practical daily life aspect for the nonreligious or those of other religions, and the religious aspect including recitation of sutras and mantras for BuddhistsAll in all this book is, as I said, a roadmap for those wishing to explore their highest attainment in this life.I write unapologetically as an inner-chamber disciple of Sifu Wong's. Because I am in a position to personally validate all of the content, including that scoffed at by other reviewers. So-called "incurable" diseases can be overcome by Qigong and Zen, and perceptions beyond the mundane are possible through meditation, as any practitioner of genuine arts will know; and have been documented down through the ages in sources including Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist amongst others.I am not aware of nonduality being so comprehensibly explained in any other work, so I must give this book the maximum endorsement. It is one of those rare books that can quench the spiritual thirst.

This book offers an exceptional introduction and orientation to Zen as a lifestyle. The author takes the reader through the very basic fundamentals and uses easy to understand explanations that keep even those readers that are completely new to Zen enthralled. The book introduces many ideologies and thoughts that are enlightening in themselves, and reflect well on the subject matter. This book is definitely a must read for any persons that are curious about Zen, or for those serious about starting their Zen lifestyle. Truly an enjoyable and thoroughly thought out book.

I first read this book in a public library and noted it's title, because it taught me more about Zen Buddhism than any of the other books I found on the subject, which were generally full of nice photos and were helpful and enlightening, but sparse on written content. This one covers it all and anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge with an English language book to become aware of what Zen Buddhism is all about, ought to at least read a copy of it - or buy it, like I have done for regular reference.

This is the first book I bought on Zen after years of curiosity. I chose this one as I'm interested in Shaolin and I've already enjoyed 4 of this author's other books. There are certain styles of Zen I'm not in to, and I appreciate the author's respect for people who want to learn Zen with or without religion. I believe in great human potential but I've seen some take great abilities and make religions of them (sometimes to hide the meanings), so I need to be careful, so my "Zen" has no attachments or unanswered questions. Not that Zen can't be added to faith... and thankfully Grandmaster Wong Kit Kiew gives me the option. I can learn from his opinions and once I set a path, I can put aside those analytics and be happy with a Zen style that works for me without feeling tied to a different or mysterious religion. And yet, I can learn about other religions and cultures when not in meditation. I think a lot when reading this book, but then I have tools to further research and improve my own Zen routine for meditation time later on. And best of all, I can switch quickly to a meditative state mid-activity during the day when need be. Thank you!

Thank you to Sifu Wong Kiew Kit - This is for anyone and everyone who has learned and benefitted from Sifu's teaching. We are trying to collect as many short video clips of people saying "Thank you" as possible. All you need to do is get a phone or a camera, get in touch with the gratitude for the benefits of learning whatever art/skill you have done with Sifu, let it percolate around and then say a big smiling "Thank you". Keep it that simple - you don't need to say anything else. Once you have the c. 5 second clip you should send it to me at [email protected] or you can put it on dropbox and give me access to it. It will form part of the Tribute to Sifu show on 13th July. So, aside from it being a worthwhile exercise to practise sometimes, it will form part of a permanent record of gratitude. Also, if you know people who don't come onto the forum please let them know about this asap. Or in your class get all of the individuals to each record a separate thank you on your phone and then send it to me. If you want your thanks to be part of it then don't delay or think about it - just get the camera and follow the above instructions Please don't think other people will do it and yours isn't important - you are the "other people" to everyone else. The time will go very quickly between now and 13th July and we will have some technical work to do so help make our job as easy as possible.

RECEIVED THIS TODAY AND IT SEEMS TO BE ALRIGHT.

Buddhism in its Zen form provides us with a clear path to Self Realisation as we move towards seeing what it calls the "original face"...This is an excellent book outlining the fascinating history of Zen and clarifying the way in which it has played a part in the lives of many down the years, even if unaware of this! Good-humoured, clear and rich in anecdote the book is a good read in itself. Its clarification and explanation of this simple yet profound Practice places it firmly alongside the texts in Self Enquiry which have a similar purpose: to assist us on our journey into Truth as we discover the nature of the original face, of who we are, in these troubled and challenged times. Highly recommended to all who have an interest in this ancient and profound Practice.