Abstract

Many Buddhist teachings are conveyed through relative expressions: "discrimination and equality," "life and death," "delusion and enlightenment," "self and others," "light and darkness"... In this book, the author brings forth the true heart that exists prior to the bifurcation of these seemingly contradictory terms.

Readers will be prompted to realize the importance of reconfirming Buddhist philosophical thinking. By touching on a vast philosophical system including concepts such as "emptiness," "non-existence," "ignorance," "twelve causations," and "five aggregates," drawn from the recorded sayings of many Zen practitioners, the author attempts a deeper, creative approach that goes beyond conventional books, aiming for a deeper understanding of Zen Buddhism's "words" and "ways of thinking."

The book also includes a detailed explanation of the "Heart Sutra" in the appendix.

Author’s Information

Suiho Katayama: Born in 1949 in Okayama Prefecture. In 1973, he dropped out of Hanazono University in Kyoto to start Zen practice under Roshi Sohaku Ogata at Kaho-in temple in Nakano, Tokyo. He later became a novice monk of the Rinzai sect. In 1988, the Bodhi Zen Temple was established in Iwatsubo village, Ibaraki Prefecture (now Kasumigaura city), and he was appointed as the temple's head. In 2007, he founded the "Musoan Bodhi Zen Temple" in Shikura, Kasumigaura city, where he serves as the temple's master.