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Tables of Contents for The Complete Book of Zen
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Illustrations
x
What is Zen? (Meditation, a Cosmic Glimpse, Cosmic Reality)
1
10
Puzzling Stories
1
1
Three Meanings of Zen
2
2
The Three Categories of Buddhist Zen
4
7
Non-Buddhist and Debased Forms of Zen (Zen in Religion, Poetry and Deviated Practice)
11
10
Christian and Muslim Meditation
11
1
Yoga, the Union with Brahman
12
1
The Taoist Quest for Immortality
13
2
Debased Forms of Zen
15
6
The Benefits of Zen (A Refreshed Mind, Humour, Healing and Longevity)
21
9
Relaxation and Mind Control
21
2
Humour and Meaning in Daily Life
23
2
Health and Healing
25
5
The Characteristics of Zen (From Awakening to Enlightenment)
30
10
Three Important Questions
30
1
Signs of Wrong Practice
31
1
The Spiritual Awakening
32
3
Four Levels of Enlightenment
35
2
Some Examples of Enlightenment
37
3
The Background to Zen (The Fundamental Doctrines of Buddhism)
40
11
The Three Main Traditions
40
3
The Four Noble Truths
43
1
The Eightfold Path
44
1
The Doctrine of Dependent Origination
45
3
Does the Soul Exist?
48
3
Zen as Cosmic Reality (The Higher Wisdom of Buddhism)
51
12
The Moral, the Cosmological and the Metaphysical
51
1
The Higher Wisdom of Cosmic Reality
52
3
Misinterpreted Mahayanist Expressions
55
2
Differences between Mahayana and Theravada
57
6
The Spread of Zen from India (The Coming of Bodhidharma from the West)
63
12
The Controversy over Bodhidharma
63
3
Zen and Taoism
66
3
From India to China
69
2
The Teaching of Bodhidharma
71
4
Early History of Zen in China (From Hui Ke's No-Mind to Hui Neng's Buddha-Nature)
75
12
Hui Ke Seeking the Dharma
75
2
The Mind is the Buddha
77
1
The Ultimate Truth is Within Us
78
1
Reincarnated to be Awakened
79
1
Ultimate Reality is Undifferentiated
80
2
It is Your Mind That Moves
82
1
Northern and Southern Schools
83
4
Zen of the Sixth Patriarch (The Teaching of Hui Neng on Meditation and Wisdom)
87
9
The Importance of the Platform Sutra
87
2
The Wisdom of Enlightenment
89
2
Hui Neng's Basic Doctrine
91
2
Sitting Meditation
93
3
Fundamental Concepts in Zen Buddhism (The Transformation of Indian Buddhism to Chinese Buddhism)
96
11
Understanding and Experience
96
1
The Three Bodies of the Buddha
97
3
The Four Great Vows
100
1
The Triple Gem
101
2
Great Wisdom
103
4
The Zen of Sudden Enlightenment (Seeing Your Original Face in an Instant)
107
13
The Philosophy of Sudden Enlightenment
107
2
The Way to Sudden Enlightenment
109
3
Bodhidharma and Amitabha
112
2
Sudden and Gradual Enlightenment
114
1
The Difference between Hui Neng's and Shen Xiu's Teaching
115
1
The Lotus Sutra Teaching
116
1
Realizing the Buddha of Self-Nature
117
3
The Flowering of Zen in China (Ingenious Ways to Help Disciples Attain Awakening)
120
14
Zen Flower of Five Petals
120
3
Verbal and Non-Verbal Methods of Awakening
123
2
Pointing Directly at the Mind
125
3
Shouting to Awaken Enlightenment
128
3
Striking to Awaken Enlightenment
131
3
Zen Goes East to Japan (Spiritual Cultivation Through Koan and Zazen)
134
13
Early Influence from China
134
1
Rinzai Zen
135
2
Soto Zen
137
2
Intellect and Experience
139
1
Koans -- Illogical or Illuminating?
140
2
Attaining Satori through the Koan
142
2
Achieving Kensho through Zazen
144
3
The Quiet Grandeur of Vietnamese Zen (Where Kings Abdicated to Practise Buddhism)
147
13
A Gentle and Peace-Loving People
147
1
Zen of Early Patriarchal Tradition
148
1
Zen Beyond Language
149
2
Zen Monarchs who Cared for the People
151
3
Zen and Vietnamese Nationalism
154
3
Where Does One Return To?
157
3
Understanding Zen in the Arts and Culture (The Cosmic Dimension in Martial Arts and Poetry)
160
15
Zen in Daily Living and Culture
160
2
Shaolin Kungfu and Tai Chi Chuan
162
3
Zen and the Arts of Bushido
165
2
Zen in Neo-Confucianism
167
2
Haiku and English Poetry
169
3
Understanding and Experience
172
3
Prerequisities for Zen Training (Preparing for a Long but Rewarding Journey)
175
12
Review of Essential Information
175
1
Zen and its Cultivation
176
1
Other Benefits of Zen Training
177
1
Cultivation Methods and Principles
178
3
How Much Time is Needed?
181
2
Pitfalls and Encouraging Signs
183
1
Characteristic Features of Zen Buddhism
184
3
Zen of Strength and Movement (Shaolin Kungfu for Zen Cultivation)
187
26
The Greatest Martial Art in the World
187
2
A Shaolin Kungfu Programme
189
24
Zen for Health, Internal Strength and Vitality (Zen Training Through Shaolin Chi Kung)
213
14
The Zen Tradition of Bodhidharma
213
5
The Art of Flowing Zen
218
5
Abdominal Breathing
223
2
Chi Kung and Zen
225
2
The Zen of Highest Attainment (Meditation of One-Pointedness and of No-Mind)
227
13
Mundane and Supramundane Functions of Meditation
227
2
Failure to Understand the Supramundane
229
3
Various Types of Buddhist Meditation
232
2
Attaining a One-Pointed Mind in Tathagata Zen
234
2
Seeing the Original Face in Patriarch Zen
236
4
Illogical Zen -- Or So It Seems (Zen Cultivation Through the Gong-Ans)
240
11
Records of Illogical Zen Encounters
240
2
Zen Encounters that are Not Gong-Ans
242
2
Gong-Ans and Paradoxes
244
2
Gong-Ans as a Training Tool
246
2
Cultivating with Gong-Ans
248
3
The Zen of Compassion (Chanting Sutras and Mantras in Zen Cultivation)
251
12
Cultivating Compassion in Sutra Chanting
251
2
Cultivating Wisdom Through Meditation
253
3
Mantra and Dharani
256
3
The Heart Sutra
259
1
Transfer of Blessings and Mantra Chanting
260
3
Developmental Stages and Crucial Questions in Zen Cultivation (Ten Ox Pictures, Enlightenment and Soul)
263
21
The Ten Ox Pictures
263
15
Shallow Understanding and Personal Experience
278
2
Is the Soul Extinguished in Nirvana?
280
4
Zen in Daily Life (How to be Effective and More Joyful and Alive)
284
13
Simple, Direct and Effective
284
2
Profundity in Simplicity
286
3
Do, Don't Just Talk
289
4
Be Mindful of Whatever You Do
293
4
Notes
297
10
Appendix: Dragon in Zen
307
5
Further Reading
312
3
Index
315