****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This is perhaps THE book to give to your parents when you're ready to come out of the Zen closet, or to anyone who asks you "What is this Zen stuff you do?"It is also a wonderful, clear, and compassionate introduction for anyone noticing the path beneath his or her feet (so to speak).Kyogen Roshi dispels many of the myths and cultural distinctions surrounding Zen. His writings have a way of making you feel like you're reading a letter from a trusted older brother. He's been to places where Zen was seen as a cult, and he managed to turn that around to some degree simply by being a good neighbor. Apparently he's also had to sever ties to his old school in order to preserve a safe and open community. (He respectfully leaves out details, but his discomfort is palpable.) In other words, he's been through some messy challenges, and he puts it all into sane perspective.Through his own tales, he guides the reader through a pragmatic, mostly secular investigation of real day-to-day strife. Don't mistake the title as meaning "Zen With an American Flavor". It's more like "Zen Applied to American Life." He gives us unflinching insight into our own drives, desires, fallacies, and foibles. I'm tempted to say that his examples are "distinctly American," but that would be inaccurate: He makes it very clear that all people, everywhere, simply WANT.This book, I believe, might help us manage the ultra-selfish tendencies we see around us (and within ourselves) without becoming discouraged. This book--without being at all pretentious, sappy, or new-age--expresses the real joy of life.
