Invoking Reality: Moral and Ethical Teachings of Zen

By John Daido Loori

Book Overview

There is a common misconception that to practice Zen is to practice meditation and nothing else. In truth, traditionally, the practice of meditation goes hand-in-hand with moral conduct. In Invoking Reality , John Daido Loori, one of the leading Zen teachers in America today, presents and explains the ethical precepts of Zen as essential aspects of Zen training and development. The Buddhist teachings on morality--the precepts--predate Zen, going all the way back to the Buddha himself. They describe, in essence, how a buddha, or awakened person, lives his or her life in the world. Loori provides a modern interpretation of the precepts and discusses the ethical significance of these vows as guidelines for living. "Zen is a practice that takes place within the world," he says, "based on moral and ethical teachings that have been handed down from generation to generation." In his view, the Buddhist precepts form one of the most vital areas of spiritual practice.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590304594
• ISBN13: 9781590304594
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Shambhala
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.1" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

A nice overview of the Bodhisattva Precepts in Soto Zen

John Daido Loori provides a nice, easy to read, overview of the Bodhisattva Precepts in Soto Zen. As he remarks in the introduction, the moral precepts are an oft-overlooked principle in Zen, and Buddhism, in general, but that as one practices Zen, they become a natural part of your life. This translations are helpful because they are employ both a negative and positive definition for each precept, so instead of sounding intimidating, it comes across as sensible. Of the first two precepts, he expresses them as: * Affirm life - Do not kill * Be giving - Do not steal ...and so on. He intersperses this with his own life anecdotes (I was not aware that he had been in the Navy, for example), but keeps the explanations simple enough that one doesn't get bogged down in details. I think this would be an excellent choice for any Zen Buddhist to round out their practice. As Loori teaches, there is a lot more to Zen than just sitting, and this is a great teaching to keep in mind off the cushion. Enjoy!