Zen Sand

<p><i>Zen Sand</i> is a classic collection of verses aimed at aiding practitioners of kôan meditation to negotiate the difficult relationship between insight and language. As such it represents a major contribution to both Western Zen practice and English-language Zen scholarship.<br><br>In Japan the traditional Rinzai Zen kôan curriculum includes the use of <i>jakugo,</i> or "capping phrases." Once a monk has successfully replied to a kôan, the Zen master orders the search for a classical verse to express the monk’s insight into the kôan. Special collections of these <i>jakugo</i> were compiled as handbooks to aid in that search. Until now, Zen students in the West, lacking this important resource, have been severely limited in carrying out this practice. <i>Zen Sand</i> combines and translates two standard <i>jakugo</i> handbooks and opens the way for incorporating this important tradition fully into Western Zen practice. <br><br>For the scholar, <i>Zen Sand</i> provides a detailed description of the <i>jakugo</i> practice and its place in the overall kôan curriculum, as well as a brief history of the Zen phrase book. This volume also contributes to the understanding of East Asian culture in a broader sense.</p>