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not always so
By Shunryu Suzuki |
ORDER -- Item #3055, Price $22.95
Shunryu Suzuki's first book, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, published in 1971,
continues to be one of the world's most valued books on Buddhism. Now the long-awaited
companion volume, Not Always So, has arrived.
Chosen and edited by Edward Espe Brown, bestselling author and student of Suzuki's, the
lectures are taken from the last three years of Suzuki's life. His maturity as a teacher
with a deep commitment to conveying his message is warmly and fully expressed.
In Not Always So, Suzuki voices Zen in everyday language, with humor and
good-heartedness. While offering sustenance much like a mother and father lending a
hand, Suzuki encourages you to find your own way. Rather than emphasize specific
directions and techniques, his teaching encourages you to touch and know your true
heart and to express yourself fully. Suzuki's words do not seem to come from outside,
but awaken a voice arising from your own being.
Topics in this volume include living in each moment, being kind to yourself, and
"wherever you are, enlightenment is there." Whether speaking about changing your
karma or walking like an elephant ("Slowly, without any idea of hasty gain"), Suzuki's
guidance empowers freedom rather than prescribes thought. This extraordinary new
collection allows Suzuki's presence to enter your life in the form of a wise, warmhearted
friend. Not Always So is a wonderful gift for anyone seeking spiritual
fulfillment and inner peace.
"So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem.
It means to be yourself in the present moment, always yourself, without sticking to an
old self. You forget all about yourself and are refreshed. You are a new self, and
before that self becomes an old self, you say 'Yes!' and you walk to the kitchen for
breakfast. So the point of each moment is to forget the point and extend you practice."
The Zen master Shunryu Suzuki was an unassuming, much-beloved spiritual teacher. Born
the son of a Zen master in 1904, Suzuki began Zen training as a youngster and matured
over many years of practice in Japan. After continuing to devote himself to his priestly
life throughout the Second World War (when priests often turned to other occupations),
Suzuki came to San Francisco in 1959. While some priests had come to the West with
"new suits and shiny shoes," Suzuki decided to come "in an old robe with a shiny
[shaved] head." Attracting students over several years, Suzuki established the Zen
Center in San Francisco, with a training temple at Tassajara - the first in the West.
After a lengthy illness, he died of cancer in December 1971.
Edward Espe Brown was ordained as a Zen priest in 1971 by Shunryu Suzuki, who gave him the name Jusan Kainei, "Longevity Mountain, Peaceful Sea." While a student at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, he wrote two bestselling books, The Tassajara Bread Book and Tassajara Cooking. His most recent book is Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings.
Book Description from Inside Front Flap
Comments from Back Cover
-Shunryu Suzuki
Background on Shunryu Suzuki
Background on Edward Espe Brown
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Copyright © 2002 by AACP, Inc.
Most recent revision September 2, 2002