---
product_id: 5473391
title: "The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment"
price: "A$36"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/5473391-the-three-pillars-of-zen-teaching-practice-and-enlightenment
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment

**Price:** A$36
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment
- **How much does it cost?** A$36 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/5473391-the-three-pillars-of-zen-teaching-practice-and-enlightenment)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

desertcart.com: The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment: 9780385260930: Philip Kapleau Roshi: Books

Review: Zen Buddhist Practice - The editor, an American Zen Buddhist teacher, presents a collection of personal experiences, letters, and lecture transcriptions to show the reality of Zen practice. This is different from many other books on Zen, which instead focus on the philosophical side of Zen rather than its praxis. There are three main features of Zen practice -- zazen (meditation), teisho (formal commentary on Buddhist teachings) and dokusan (personal meeting with the master (roshi)). Zazen is at the heart of Zen practice though, as it is through meditation that one is expected to focus the mind and break through illusions. Zazen is often coupled with koans, in particular koans centering around the concept of "Mu" (nothingness). Through zazen and koan practice, the individual aims to eliminate the primary illusion -- the illusion of duality -- and come to realize the oneness of all beings and time. Interestingly for me, there is not one stage of enlightenment. Rather, enlightenment is a process, such that individuals can be "more" enlightened than others. I found the stories of individuals attaining enlightenment to be simultaneously an interesting and skepticism-inducing section of the book. Several of the stories come from Americans who seem interested, in addition to Zen, in various other forms of "woo": yoga, Jungian psychology, birth trauma, etc. This makes me skeptical of the veracity and depth of their "enlightenment", a skepticism that is only heightened by the backdoor conceit that individuals have different levels of enlightenment. The book is well-written and an interesting introduction to Zen Buddhist practice, especially how it was understood by Americans in the early-1960s.
Review: One of the best book on Zen for Westerners - This is on of those books that were great for its time and still informs and illumines today. A timeless classic. Not only does it go thorough the Buddhist Mahayana teachings from the Zen school but gives practice methods and tips for the Un-monastaried and Un-sanghaed practitioner. If you truly want a beginners work which is shorter and to the point but in the same vein buy The Rinzai Way by Meidro Moore. Both works are very well written, give great advice and a large helping hand on the Zen path. Note: Soto Zennist's have a tendency to hate both books as they are "critical" of those in the Soto Zen way who misunderstand the phrase by awakened masters who have said "sitting is just it," like Dogen. They account for the lower star ratings. Both books go on to mention the correct understanding from the practice/awaking viewpoint of the true practice of Shikan-taza. So dont let bias form those who do not comprehend fully the depth of the dharma from buying either of these two books.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #46,446 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #26 in Zen Philosophy (Books) #37 in Zen Spirituality #1,170 in Personal Transformation Self-Help |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (897) |
| Dimensions  | 5.17 x 1.04 x 7.99 inches |
| Edition  | Updated,Anniversary |
| ISBN-10  | 0385260938 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0385260930 |
| Item Weight  | 13.8 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 480 pages |
| Publication date  | February 27, 1989 |
| Publisher  | Vintage |

## Images

![The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71BYQZQK0LL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Zen Buddhist Practice
*by C***S on September 21, 2025*

The editor, an American Zen Buddhist teacher, presents a collection of personal experiences, letters, and lecture transcriptions to show the reality of Zen practice. This is different from many other books on Zen, which instead focus on the philosophical side of Zen rather than its praxis. There are three main features of Zen practice -- zazen (meditation), teisho (formal commentary on Buddhist teachings) and dokusan (personal meeting with the master (roshi)). Zazen is at the heart of Zen practice though, as it is through meditation that one is expected to focus the mind and break through illusions. Zazen is often coupled with koans, in particular koans centering around the concept of "Mu" (nothingness). Through zazen and koan practice, the individual aims to eliminate the primary illusion -- the illusion of duality -- and come to realize the oneness of all beings and time. Interestingly for me, there is not one stage of enlightenment. Rather, enlightenment is a process, such that individuals can be "more" enlightened than others. I found the stories of individuals attaining enlightenment to be simultaneously an interesting and skepticism-inducing section of the book. Several of the stories come from Americans who seem interested, in addition to Zen, in various other forms of "woo": yoga, Jungian psychology, birth trauma, etc. This makes me skeptical of the veracity and depth of their "enlightenment", a skepticism that is only heightened by the backdoor conceit that individuals have different levels of enlightenment. The book is well-written and an interesting introduction to Zen Buddhist practice, especially how it was understood by Americans in the early-1960s.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the best book on Zen for Westerners
*by C***T on August 22, 2018*

This is on of those books that were great for its time and still informs and illumines today. A timeless classic. Not only does it go thorough the Buddhist Mahayana teachings from the Zen school but gives practice methods and tips for the Un-monastaried and Un-sanghaed practitioner. If you truly want a beginners work which is shorter and to the point but in the same vein buy The Rinzai Way by Meidro Moore. Both works are very well written, give great advice and a large helping hand on the Zen path. Note: Soto Zennist's have a tendency to hate both books as they are "critical" of those in the Soto Zen way who misunderstand the phrase by awakened masters who have said "sitting is just it," like Dogen. They account for the lower star ratings. Both books go on to mention the correct understanding from the practice/awaking viewpoint of the true practice of Shikan-taza. So dont let bias form those who do not comprehend fully the depth of the dharma from buying either of these two books.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Three pillars
*by M***E on December 12, 2025*

Great view into the eye of the Buddha

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment
- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: 50th Anniversary Edition
- The Way of Zen

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/5473391-the-three-pillars-of-zen-teaching-practice-and-enlightenment](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/5473391-the-three-pillars-of-zen-teaching-practice-and-enlightenment)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-25*