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reubenisanchez's review
2.0
There is a lot of stick-wacking, 3lbs of flax, and cats.
Unfortunately from the get-go, the overall vibe of the individual is tainted by his "rules for thee but not for me" approach. He claimed to be abstinent, but upon discovery, it was found that he had sexual relations with some of his students. His subsequent apology suggested that he did not want that information known. Not out of privacy but seemingly out of embarrassment.
This is similar to other Eastern-esque teachers such as Chogyam Trungpa or Krishnamurti, they didn't practice what they preached either. I don't believe these men were awful, they were very wonderful people in many other regards, but at least Alan Watts kept his skeletons out in the open rather than in the closet.
Generally, there are still valuable insights to glean. Unfortunately, the media format of this fellow human does not translate well to the written word. Phrases are often repeated, suitable for internal memorization but less effective for the reader who encounters multiple stories sharing the same structure, koans, and lessons.
One thing that annoyed me was that the students constantly screeching "KATZ" never seemed to show a sense of true understanding; it felt like imitation. They appeared to say what the teacher wanted to hear, which often involved strange or pre-fabricated answers lacking cognitive effort—an echo chamber.
Telling everyone the answer to a difficult math question does no good without the preceding steps or the process through which enlightenment was achieved. Seuyung Song does not remedy this in his book; no clear answer or steps are provided. While he has seen the top of the mountain and is eager to share insights, how to get there or see it for yourself is nowhere to be found.
I'm certain he made more sense in person and speech. I've read plenty about teachers who spoke with profundity but only had a basic grasp of the English language. Therefore, while his teachings may be repetitive, simple, and unclear in the written word, I imagine he was quite the character to be around physically, and these ‘issues’ were not issues at all in daily teaching. In the end, unfortunately, his wisdom and knowledge were lost on me within the pages.
Written and revised by myself along with a peer review by ChatGPT.
Unfortunately from the get-go, the overall vibe of the individual is tainted by his "rules for thee but not for me" approach. He claimed to be abstinent, but upon discovery, it was found that he had sexual relations with some of his students. His subsequent apology suggested that he did not want that information known. Not out of privacy but seemingly out of embarrassment.
This is similar to other Eastern-esque teachers such as Chogyam Trungpa or Krishnamurti, they didn't practice what they preached either. I don't believe these men were awful, they were very wonderful people in many other regards, but at least Alan Watts kept his skeletons out in the open rather than in the closet.
Generally, there are still valuable insights to glean. Unfortunately, the media format of this fellow human does not translate well to the written word. Phrases are often repeated, suitable for internal memorization but less effective for the reader who encounters multiple stories sharing the same structure, koans, and lessons.
One thing that annoyed me was that the students constantly screeching "KATZ" never seemed to show a sense of true understanding; it felt like imitation. They appeared to say what the teacher wanted to hear, which often involved strange or pre-fabricated answers lacking cognitive effort—an echo chamber.
Telling everyone the answer to a difficult math question does no good without the preceding steps or the process through which enlightenment was achieved. Seuyung Song does not remedy this in his book; no clear answer or steps are provided. While he has seen the top of the mountain and is eager to share insights, how to get there or see it for yourself is nowhere to be found.
I'm certain he made more sense in person and speech. I've read plenty about teachers who spoke with profundity but only had a basic grasp of the English language. Therefore, while his teachings may be repetitive, simple, and unclear in the written word, I imagine he was quite the character to be around physically, and these ‘issues’ were not issues at all in daily teaching. In the end, unfortunately, his wisdom and knowledge were lost on me within the pages.
Written and revised by myself along with a peer review by ChatGPT.
aarongertler's review
4.0
KATZ!!!
Helped me feel unattached for a few hours, even in a very distracting environment. Wonderful accompaniment to the start of a meditation habit. Shows a side of the world that is easy, in these times, to forget about, but which was and is very real. Somewhat repetitive, but the form fits the content. Close to five stars.
Helped me feel unattached for a few hours, even in a very distracting environment. Wonderful accompaniment to the start of a meditation habit. Shows a side of the world that is easy, in these times, to forget about, but which was and is very real. Somewhat repetitive, but the form fits the content. Close to five stars.
kayexplores's review
2.0
I just don’t get it. I bought a hard copy though & will try it again in the future.
louisianasmith's review
medium-paced
1.0
The best thing about this book was the title . Otherwise it was just boring zen cliches already presented numerous times in better books . Burn it and you’ll have some ashes to drop on yourself .
alex_ellermann's review
1.0
'Dropping Ashes on the Buddha' came highly recommended, but left me deeply disappointed.
The book, a collection of letters and talks, is supposed to impart the wisdom of Zen Master Seung Sahn, a Korean Buddhist Zen master who divided his time between Massachuessets, Providence, and New York. Over the course of the book, however, I came to the conclusion that Seung Sahn was a fraud.
The Master attributes powers to Zen that simply don't exist, asserting that Zen masters can do things like fly and walk on water. He makes the practice of Zen, something as simple as water flowing in a brook, seem confusing and unapproachable. Basically, he's putting us on.
You see, a true master of any discipline can make the complex simple. It takes a poseur to make the simple complex, and Sueng adds to the complex by layering it with opacity and self-importance. The Western seeker after Zen would do better to study Thomas Merton's 'Zen and the Birds of Appetite.' Merton's book is approachable, readable, simple. As Zen is simple.
Yes, I'm aware that many contemporary thought leaders swear by 'Dropping Ashes on the Buddha.' But the emperor has no clothes.
The book, a collection of letters and talks, is supposed to impart the wisdom of Zen Master Seung Sahn, a Korean Buddhist Zen master who divided his time between Massachuessets, Providence, and New York. Over the course of the book, however, I came to the conclusion that Seung Sahn was a fraud.
The Master attributes powers to Zen that simply don't exist, asserting that Zen masters can do things like fly and walk on water. He makes the practice of Zen, something as simple as water flowing in a brook, seem confusing and unapproachable. Basically, he's putting us on.
You see, a true master of any discipline can make the complex simple. It takes a poseur to make the simple complex, and Sueng adds to the complex by layering it with opacity and self-importance. The Western seeker after Zen would do better to study Thomas Merton's 'Zen and the Birds of Appetite.' Merton's book is approachable, readable, simple. As Zen is simple.
Yes, I'm aware that many contemporary thought leaders swear by 'Dropping Ashes on the Buddha.' But the emperor has no clothes.
gameoftomes's review
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
A hard one to rate, but still a successful book.
I have memory problems stemming from an autoimmune disorder, so the repetitive nature of the advice and anecdotes really helped me take it all in. If you are a reader where repetition takes you all the way out of a book, this isn’t for you. If you are more tolerant with that, then the topics discussed are worth the read.
The book is also funny, with such realness of humanity that it sparkles off the page. My main schema of a monk is through the portrayal of Catholicism (not being in the religion myself) so the grit, humor, and realness was such a relieving surprise. Considering what I learned about warrior nuns in eastern Asia in my brief time in king fu lessons, you’d think I wouldn’t have been surprised.
You’ll find a lot of similarities and a lot of differences between whatever religious background you have. This particular type of zen that Seung Sahn teaches is discussed as a speedier version of Japanese zen, but there is still years of learning in the examples shown. Stephen Mitchell filters down, and I wish we had a more direct Seung Sahn voice, not just the letters or lectures transcribed, but his commentary.
I really learned what I consider a better way of looking at the word, even if parts of it can occasionally be viewed as apathetic. My soul was touched, and while I probably won’t read through the whole thing again, especially as my medical treatments help my memory improve, I will definitely use it as a reference book to come back to certain sections of topics. 7/10 not for everyone but I enjoyed it.
I have memory problems stemming from an autoimmune disorder, so the repetitive nature of the advice and anecdotes really helped me take it all in. If you are a reader where repetition takes you all the way out of a book, this isn’t for you. If you are more tolerant with that, then the topics discussed are worth the read.
The book is also funny, with such realness of humanity that it sparkles off the page. My main schema of a monk is through the portrayal of Catholicism (not being in the religion myself) so the grit, humor, and realness was such a relieving surprise. Considering what I learned about warrior nuns in eastern Asia in my brief time in king fu lessons, you’d think I wouldn’t have been surprised.
You’ll find a lot of similarities and a lot of differences between whatever religious background you have. This particular type of zen that Seung Sahn teaches is discussed as a speedier version of Japanese zen, but there is still years of learning in the examples shown. Stephen Mitchell filters down, and I wish we had a more direct Seung Sahn voice, not just the letters or lectures transcribed, but his commentary.
I really learned what I consider a better way of looking at the word, even if parts of it can occasionally be viewed as apathetic. My soul was touched, and while I probably won’t read through the whole thing again, especially as my medical treatments help my memory improve, I will definitely use it as a reference book to come back to certain sections of topics. 7/10 not for everyone but I enjoyed it.
lisa_casey's review
2.0
Zen confuses and intrigues me. Interesting conversations and what is and is not. Perhaps it's all the same?
david_nash's review against another edition
4.0
Zen is confused af but that's the whole point. Quite enjoyed this.
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