Zen Soup: Tasty Morsels of Wisdom from Great Minds East & West

By Laurence G. Boldt

Book Overview

If, as the I Ching says, thoughts are spirits, then this collection of highly distilled thoughts from history's greatest philosophers and religious figures will certainly put you in good spirits. Laurence Boldt has long made a practice of applying Zen principles to everyday life. Here he applies wisdom from all corners of the world to twenty-five aspects, or qualities, associated with the Zen tradition. The result is a soup of the most hearty and wholesome kind, well-seasoned with age, and filled with delicious surprises:

"Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, thence lies your vocation." --Aristotle

"A man with outward courage dares to die: A man with inward courage dares to live." --Lao Tzu

You'll also find Flip Wilson on living in the moment; Will Rogers on the beginner's mind; Helen Keller on courage; Chekhov on self-confidence; Colette on joy. Each chapter includes an entertaining and informative essay that explains the principle and its application to Zen wisdom. The rest is up to you. Read it in one gulp or savor each morsel. Either way, Zen Soup is sure to whet your spiritual appetite as it nourishes your soul.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140195602
• ISBN13: 9780140195606
• Release Date: November 1997
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Zen 101: Zen made fun and easy

This book is all quotations from Seneca & Sun-Tzu to William Blake & Noel Coward and many more. This is one of my favorite books and I recommend it to anyone.

An enlightening blow to the head!

Laurence G. Boldt has put together a first class selection of quotes from a wide range of famous men and women, each of them known for some kind of exceptional human achievement. As Boldt says, "the diversity of the sources highlights the timeless and universal nature of these principles", so there are many Westerners quoted aswell as more traditional Zen Eastern sources.The book is divided into 25 different sections, each of them covering a quality associated with the Zen tradition e.g. Be Here Now, Beginner's Mind, Responsibility, Compassion, Joy, Discipline, The Game Of Life, Selfless Service, Letting Go, Everyday Zen. There is a brief introduction to each quality, then a selection of associated quotes. Many readers of self-development books and spiritual ideas will be familiar with some of these sayings, but as befits the Zen emphasis, the quality and depth of these quotes really makes an impact. Some of the people quoted several times are Krishnamurti, Confucius, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Lao-Tzu, Goethe, Carl Jung, Albert Camus and texts from every major religion.

For those that are thirsty...DRINK up.

Zen and Meditation are one and the same. Wisdom brightens and opens our lives. When I first read the book I was un-aware of the impact the book would have on my soul and vision of my life. I just loved the advice and wisdom gained through gulping and digesting the stuff.