A couple of weeks ago I was listening to Jundo and Kirk's podcast about zen books. One of the things Jundo said was that from book to book, writers can tend to disagree with each other about certain things. While I do find this to be true, to me it kind of works more the other way. That is to say, after a while many zen books tend to say the same thing.
I don't mean this to be a negative criticism or anything. I really do like to read dharma material and books about practice. Usually I keep a yellow underliner and a pencil on hand to make notes for later reference. Months later I'll pull a random book from the shelf and see what I wrote in the margins. Sometimes something really does jump out at me. Its just that sometimes while reading a book, I get the feeling I've pretty much read this same thing in the last two books I've read. Or during the course of reading a book I will think; Alright already! It's just repeating the same thing. I got it already. (Or do I?). Sometimes I just say. OK enough reading for now. I just want to go sit zazen for a while. So maybe that's the intent of reading. It always comes down to zazen being the main thing.
Sometimes I think of zen reading like listening to jazz. I could hear John Coltrane play a song and then hear Miles Davis play the same song but it's different. Slower tempo, trumpet instead of saxophone, different solo, different band. But the same melody. You can still have a different listening experience.
Or perhaps I should read like I sit zazen. Don't expect to gain anything, no goals. And then with that approach, you sort of actually do "gain" something. Not complaining. Just wondering if anybody else ever feels this way and how you approach reading.
Gassho
ST-lah
James
I don't mean this to be a negative criticism or anything. I really do like to read dharma material and books about practice. Usually I keep a yellow underliner and a pencil on hand to make notes for later reference. Months later I'll pull a random book from the shelf and see what I wrote in the margins. Sometimes something really does jump out at me. Its just that sometimes while reading a book, I get the feeling I've pretty much read this same thing in the last two books I've read. Or during the course of reading a book I will think; Alright already! It's just repeating the same thing. I got it already. (Or do I?). Sometimes I just say. OK enough reading for now. I just want to go sit zazen for a while. So maybe that's the intent of reading. It always comes down to zazen being the main thing.
Sometimes I think of zen reading like listening to jazz. I could hear John Coltrane play a song and then hear Miles Davis play the same song but it's different. Slower tempo, trumpet instead of saxophone, different solo, different band. But the same melody. You can still have a different listening experience.
Or perhaps I should read like I sit zazen. Don't expect to gain anything, no goals. And then with that approach, you sort of actually do "gain" something. Not complaining. Just wondering if anybody else ever feels this way and how you approach reading.
Gassho
ST-lah
James
) may not be as engaging to a younger generation as something more contemporary. That's not to say that the older books lose merit over time. On the contrary, they all contribute to the body of written Dharma that we can all draw upon as needed. It's just that some folks, especially those new to the Dharma, often need to start with some familiar voices to help them ease into practice and understanding. Only then will they find it beneficial to explore the larger library. So having a steady stream of new books, written by contemporary teachers, is key to maintain the Buddhadharma as a living practice.
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