The Three Pillars of Zen

In this classic work of spiritual guidance, the founder of the Rochester Zen Center presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism.

Exploring the three pillars of Zen—teaching, practice, and enlightenment—Roshi Philip Kapleau, the man who founded one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States, presents a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices. A moving and eye-opening work in eleven sections, including Yasunati-roshi's Introductory Lectures on Zen Training and Commentary on the Koan Mu, The Three Pillars of Zen is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen.

Revised and updated, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs and a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede (who succeeded Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center), in addition to the following features:

• Foreword by Huston Smith, Professor of Philosophy at MIT
• Preface by Philip Kapleau
• Notes on the Anniversary Edition by Kenneth Kraft
• Notes on Zen Vocabulary and Buddhist Doctrine