The Five Ranks of Zen by Gerry Shishin Wick
A comprehensive and accessible guide to the Five Ranks, the pinnacle teaching of Zen Buddhism pointing to the path to true freedom.The great Japanese Zen master Hakuin exclaimed, "How priceless is the merit gained through the step-by-step practice of the Five Ranks of Master Tozan!" Hakuin here refers to a teaching created by the Chinese Buddhist master Dongshan, known in Japanese as Zen Master Tozan, which is honored and studied in both Soto and Rinzai schools of Zen and is a gem of the classical Zen tradition. The ranks-pithy, provocative titles followed by Tozan's brief poetic commentaries-serve as guides to a radical exploration of the experience of relative and absolute reality, the interpenetrating "Two Truths" of Mahayana Buddhism.
In The Five Ranks of Zen, American Zen teacher Shishin Wick offers an accessible entry point to each of the ranks, which Tozan created in two formulations- the first and better-known is the Five Ranks of the Relative and the Absolute; while the second set, called the Sequence of Merit, is an abbreviated form of the Ten Oxherding Pictures, a traditional formulation of the Zen spiritual journey. Wick presents multiple translations and offers commentary on the ranks' titles and on Tozan's renowned verses, as well as offering guidance on these teachings' application in contemporary life and Zen practice. He emphasizes that, to truly plumb the depths of Tozan's teachings, you must treat these teachings as Zen koans and make a thorough investigation using your entire body.
Gerry Shishin Wick is a dharma heir of Taizan Maezumi. He studied with both Soto and Rinzai Zen masters (as did Maezumi) and for 20 years his understanding of the koans in the Book of Equanimity was examined by Maezumi. A former professor of physics, oceanography, and, later, Buddhism, Wick is a teacher whose unique qualifications make him a particularly appealing author. Bernard (Bernie) Tetsugen Glassman is a dharma heir to Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi. He is the founder of the Peacemaker Circle, the famous Greyston Mandala and the Greyston Bakery (featured on 60 Minutes). He is author of Infinite Circle and, with Jeff Bridges, The Dude and the Zen Master.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781645473220 |
| ISBN 10 | 1645473228 |
| Title | The Five Ranks of Zen |
| Author | Gerry Shishin Wick |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Shambhala Publications Inc |
| Year published | 2024-11-12 |
| Number of pages | 272 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |