The book contains exactly what the title says. The opening outline recounts the standard legend of origins of Zen, taking us from Buddha to Maezumi Roshi in 6 pages. There is then a direct explanation of zazen in about 40 pages. Refreshingly free of arcane philosophical riddles and baffling quotations from obscure medieval masters (though sprinkled with bon mots from Maezumi Roshi), this section of the book suggests why you might want to explore zazen, and then simply tells you how to sit and breathe. The third section - less than 20 pages - discusses some of the features and advantages of practice in some sort of community rather than in isolation. There is then a brief FAQ, a guide to helpful physical exercises, and some suggestions for further reading. All in all, an ideal little handbook for someone who would like to try Zen but doesn't have immediate access to instruction.

MB 12-vi-2013 ( )

This book does what it sets out to do: explain Zen meditation in an easy to read manner. However, only the short middle section focuses on the promise made by the title. The first section is a brief history of Buddha and Buddhism (which seems to be de riguer in books on Buddhism), and the final section is an essay on the importance of having a teacher when moving beyond basic meditation. So while the "meat" of the book is only pamphlet-length, it's still worth reading for the clarity of exposition. ( )