"This book is living testimony that the flower of the Buddha's enlightenment has crossed the Pacific Ocean unsullied and taken root in American soil."— Tricycle

"Sufficiently deep, yet clear and easy to read, this has the potential to become a fundamental handbook broadening practice in this country."— Publishers Weekly

This accessible introduction to the philosophy and practice of Zen Buddhism includes a program of study that encompasses practically every aspect of life. The American Zen teacher John Daido Loori shows us that Zen practice should include not only meditation, the study of Zen literature and liturgy, and moral and ethical action, but should also manifest in work, artistic, and everyday activities. The Eight Gates are:

1. Zazen, a type of meditation described as "sitting Zen"
2. Face-to-face meetings between teacher and student
3. Academic study of the sutras related to Zen training, other schools of Buddhism, Buddhist history, psychology, and philosophy
4. Zen rites and rituals and their meaning
5. The moral and ethical requirements set in the Buddhist Precepts
6. Art practice as an extension of Zen practice
7. Body practice as an extension of Zen practice
8. Work as an active function of zazen

Beautifully illustrated with Loori's own photographs, this edition also includes a new introduction and an updated reading list.