Suzuki Reviews

My name is Arella, my mom's name is Gelly, and we LOVE Suzuki Beane. My mom's name has been Gelly Beane since she was a kid, because she loved this book so much. Recently, while I was on the 'net researching a project on the 50's and 60's for Ms. Marsh, (@ LJH) I came across a site that mentioned Bleeker Street and had some photos of it. My mom got this weird, delighted look on her face and brought out a falling-apart (of course) copy of the book. I can't find the words to describe it. READ THIS BOOK. Okay, there's my story. ^_^

My mother bought this book for me in 1961 when it was first published. I was 10. Suzuki has been my "baby beatnik" idol ever since. The resurgence of interest in the Beat movement makes this a must-read primer for all ages! If you lived through the era -- get ready for a flash back.

I loved this book when I was a kid and although its out of print its worth the search! A delightful modern classic for the young at heart!

This has to be the best book on ethnic food I have found. The book starts off with colorful pictures of specialized ingredients with both the english and japanese names. It also describes how you prepare these ingredients. The book goes on to describe cuts of vegetables and their special names for them. Once we have established the basics she goes onto menus and a good deal of recipes to fill out these menus. Her recipes are clear, concise, and filled with pictures, so you will not doubt that you are preparing these dishes properly. Honestly, this has to be the best book I have seen in clarifing a style of food that I was not familiar with. This book deserves more than 5 stars. If you are looking to start an exploration of Japanese style cooking, go no further, you have found what you are looking for right here.

This is my first Japanese cookbook, and I will say I did a lot of research on other books before deciding on this one. It has VERY clear step by step directions and photos for each recipe, in clear simple terms. It even tells you about different foods and utensils and other Japanese tableware. It is a good book for any skill level, complete with a list of acceptable substitutes for ingredients. Photos are sharp and concise. Well worth the price. This is a must for anyone wanting to cook Japanese.

I agree with everything written below with one addition: This cookbook has photographs of each step as they are done which is very helpful to follow along with the process. In addition, it gives nifty ideas for how to mix and match Japanese dishes to create a perfect meal capable of impressing even the harshest critic.

I have no experience with art at all, but from my point of view this book is a jewl. Printings are so beautiful and relaxing, and they are numerous in this book. Also the book is well organized with explanations about the paintings.

Buy this book for the reproductions if nothing else. If you have seen good Hiroshige prints in their original condition, you know how much is usually lost in most reproductions. This book gets you about as close to the real thing as you are likely to find. The colors are magnificent.

A very comprehensive catalogue of Hiroshige's greatest prints. The book also includes some prints that are more obscure, as well as preparatory sketches and several printing blocks. Attractive as a coffee-table style hardback for those with a passing interest in Ukiyoe, it also is a must-have for those devotees wishing to understand the art of Japan's great landscape print artist.

It never ceases to amaze me how these haiku with their objective images resonate so subjectively. How we have all felt the all-embracing satisfaction of:

love fulfilled...
fireflies leisurely await
the sunrise

or the pain of finding oneself alone:

winter surf
now it dashes against
me alone

or the intensity of frustration:

shall I betray him
or let him betray me?
the shrike's shrill cry

Each poem is a pulsing heart. Don't miss a beat.

Love, at its best, is a shared emotion and its expression remains a supreme challenge to all artists. Readers of haiku may share moments of pure oneness with a haijin [a writer of haiku]. So to read Masajo Suzuki's 150 love haiku opens the reader to relive the emotion anew, to experience love through her imagery. This diminutive Japanese lady [pictured on the back cover] writes with compelling honesty about her feelings - and these resonate through a sympathetic reader. Carefully chosen haiku from seven published volumes, from 1955 to 1998, span a lifetime, and are able to deepen our own response to relationships and our surroundings.

The translator's introduction begins with a quote from Masajo Suzuki herself, " I have been in love at all the times." This volume does indeed share her love with all ages. Her experiences are timeless, and offer a glimpse of this haijin within her world. Kigo, or the season word, provide the setting for a haiku moment, and each are handled with devotion. Each haiku sprouts from the traditional symbol that places the reader right beside her, hand in glove as Masajo fully lived her love of life.

Suzuki's life story is deeply rooted in these haiku. Her life is sympathetically revealed in the introductions, adding another layer to the story that unfolds when reading the carefully crafted haiku. They are beautifully presented in three forms: kanji [Japanese symbols], the traditional one line presentation in Japanese, and the three line english translation. The kireji, a division within the poem which provides the turning-point or contrast within the haiku, is most often marked by punctuation.

A Master at her craft, Masajo's work has a refined and delicate touch yet deals with the tough and stringy roots of life, she was no sheltered court lady. At a time of life when security might seem desirable, she abandoned safety and decorum to be with her lover. As a working woman, Masajo ran her own pub in Ginza, Tokyo, where she found inspiration to write and study haiku. These haiku are real moments from her life that readers are privileged to share through the work of the translators. I found inspiration in this book for my own life and haiku, and I am sure that others will also enjoy these wonderful moments with Masajo.

I was intrigued by Masajo Suzuki's life story and the haiku she composed for her lover(married to someone else) of 40 years was most fascinating. Her words pour out so much contained emotion that I could not just read the words and be satisfied. It seemed to speak of love of another delivered order. Excellent book.

"Not Always So" is exactly as great as "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." Edward Espe Brown has lovingly edited these talks by Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi. The talks are at the same time completely simple, and amazingly complex. Now we just need Peter Coyote to narrate the book on tape.

This is another series of talks given by Shunryu Suzuki who died
in 1971. He seems to have been the greatest Zen Master in the
occidental world to date. The first series of talks is in "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" which came out in 1970. This seems to be the most inspirational book in Zen of our time. Please buy both
of these treasures. Please don't buy these two books (or one if
you already have "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind) if you believe that
this book will teach you zen formally. The author makes it clear
that you need a teacher. But once you have one, these two books are the most inspirational books that you can have. I guess that
the most practical is still "The Three Pillars of Zen" by Roshi Kapleau. This second book of talks seems just as good as the first. I don't know why Zen Center waited 32 years to print it.
Nevertheless, it is a real treasure. Please don't treat this great man's teaching as basic. He implys in this book that just sitting can lead you to seeing the source of all phenomena. So
this is not a "cute" book. It's quite deep. Thank you.

One of the most insightful books I've ever read. Even so, I didn't understand some of it. His teachings seem multidimensional, fluid, and sometimes difficult to pin down. His emphasis on the present everday life is also unique among the Zen books I've read. Example: "When you observe the precepts without trying to observe the precepts, that is true observation of the precepts." Others devote many pages to what Suzuki expresses so succinctly.

This book by Shinichi Suzuki is part-description of the principles of his Talent Education method, part-snapshots of personal history, part-statements on his philosophy of life. It is written with great optimism and love for humane development of children into noble people. Based on his observation that all children speak their mother tongue fluently (and are thus highly capable to be educated in many disciplines) and on his belief that talent is not inherited but learned, Suzuki's method concentrates on creating the best environment for child development. His famous violin teaching method incorporates parent involvement, listening to the same piece many times and extensive practice, among others. Importance of memory training and good mentors (Einstein was one of Suzuki's) is stressed. Many real-life stories illustrate his points.

By way of criticism, while themes of compassion and developing a noble character recur throughout the book, it takes some effort to piece it all together. The book reads like a series of short improvisations on the themes of love and rearing of children. The parts of personal history, for example, with the description of illness, war and Suzuki's father's starting violin manufacturing business, while interesting, do not blend with the rest of the book. A chapter entitled "If you think of something do it" has nothing to do with its title (there is a chapter that talks about people of action in his other book, "Ability development from age zero", which repeats many of the stories verbatim). Some bits of Suzuki's take on life's truths, such as "an unfair advantage leads to evil" sound out of place.

In spite of some shortcomings, I would recommend this book. Not as a practical guide, but as an inspirational material for parents.

This book is required reading for the parents of students enrolled in the Suzuki string program, thank goodness! The message is profound. Several passages are thought-provoking. I found it easy reading and very beneficial. The Suzuki method is right on target for bringing out the best in our children.

I recomend this book to anyone raising children!! This is not only a book about talent education and music learning, but a book about life and faith in humanity and children. What Mr. Shinichi Suzuki contibuted to the world with his findings is far beyond our comprehension, if every parent out there were to follow Mr. Suzuki's philosophy the world might be a very different place! Please do read this book, is life changing.

I'm not a Zen practitioner; I read this book because I'm interested in Japanese culture and in contemplative forms of spirituality. Having already read the author's account of his own adventures in Japanese Zen temples, "Thank You and OK!", I was prepared for a bit of a romp.

But this account of the life of S. Suzuki, founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and spiritual father to two generations of American meditators, is more than a series of amusing incidents as Japanese culture confronted America in the 1960s. It contains a very convincing portrayal of Japanese culture during the first 60 years of this century as well as an exhaustively researched, nuanced portrait of the father of American Zen. The book manages to keep a light tone without seeming silly, and it doesn't shy away from the pain and the stumbling blocks in Suzuki's life.

The most pleasant surprise was the depiction of 1960s San Francisco as alternative culture made the transition from the Beats to the hippies.

This is one of the most engaging books I've read in a long time. I found myself itching to get back to it, and I was sorry to see it end.

In stereotypical Zen fashion, I don't wish to say too much about this book. I'd hate to spoil any portion of it for anyone. But please read this book.

If you have already read the author's previous book, Thank You and OK, you already know what an excellent writer David Chadwick can be when he is poking fun at himself. (If you haven't read Thank You and OK, then please go get that book, too.) I was frankly surprised at what an excellent historian Mr. Chadwick was, when it came time to write entirely seriously, about someone else. Especially Suzuki, Roshi. I was a little nervous that this book might contain the type of gushing praise that has tended to be heaped upon deceased Buddhist teachers in America. But Crooked Cucumber offers a very balanced view of Suzuki Roshi, including not only stories that inspire one's admiration for the man, but also anecdotes that cause one to scratch one's head and wonder why he could be so infuriatingly fallible at times. As a result, I felt I could trust Chadwick's scholarship, and I wound up with a much more mature appreciation for this Zen "legend."

I have already said way too much. But I predict that Crooked Cucumber will wind up being regarded as one of the best Buddhist books ever written.

This book does not, as one or two have complained, over-glorify Shunryu Suzuki. In fact, it's for exactly the oppostite reason that this book is so inspiring: because Suzuki is shown to be an ordinary man with ordinary human flaws, but who aspires always to be a better person. We can relate to him so much more than many other spiritual teachers because he is so much more like us, not some lofty being residing atop a mountain, or a Dalai Lama isolated by a retinue of followers from the every-day hum-drum, mundane world the rest of us have to live in--punching clocks and explaining to our boss why we're ten minutes late from our lunch-break. Suzuki's life was on the whole pretty normal. Yes, he grew up in a temple, something most of us don't do, but he had his share of flaws and moments of self-doubt, and he was eventually faced with all the ordinary concerns and hardships of making money and providing for a family that most of us have. Yet amidst it all he holds his spirituality as the central focus of his life, and tries his best to bring all these other worldly things into accordance with his spiritual ideals, just as we do.

If you want to be inspired to be a better person, a happier person, in THIS life--as opposed to shutting yourself away in a monastery somewhere--then read this book.

This book is largely a well-executed editing effort of a number of talks that Suzuki Roshi gave of the Sandokai, a poem written in the early zen years. The poem, written by the Eighth Ancestor in China, Sekito Kisen, was intended to bridge a perceived (and I am hesitant to say) 'philisophical' gap between two zen schools of the time. One appealed to the 'clever', and the other appealed to the 'dull'. The Sandokai reveals that Buddha-nature transcends all such interpretations.

Each talk addresses a different section of the poem. Each chapter begins with the section of the poem that will be discussed. At the end of each talk there is discussion, consisting of questions from the students followed by the Roshi's response.

While superficially, bridging the gap between the "northern school" and the "southern school" was the impetus, we learn from the Roshi the poem's many deeper meanings. By reading the talks one begins to realize the great import of this poem as a primary and essential work.

Anyone who has read Suzuki's first book can attest to the Roshi's keen ability to impart the most complex subjects on a simple and understandable level. He does so in a way that also recognizes the limitations of such talks.

While this text was clearly not intended to be an introduction to practice, those who regularly practice will find it an invaluable work, and those, such as I, who have worn out the covers of 'Zen Mind Beginner's Mind' over many, many years won't be disappointed. The Sandokai is addressed by the Master in a most refreshing, sometimes humorous, and most enlightening way.

I look forward to wearing out this book as much as the first.

To get a glimpse of Shunru through this text is very gratifying. He deftly communicates the paradoxical aspects of ji-the apparent-and ri-the unseen. The text takes the reader through subtle aspects of zen thinking mind, but without being overly analytical. When he hears himself getting too conceptual, he pulls away with humor and a very special humanness that communicates beyond words, which is actually the context of the Sandokai! I enjoy picking up Branching Streams and reading it for clarity and inspiration every day, and you will too.

I have no doubt that Shunryu Suzuki will be a great influence on American Buddhism for many years to come. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (though not "written" by Suzuki-roshi--it's edited from lectures) has been a work that I have turned to again and again through-out my years of practice, finding new levels of insight each time. Branching Streams is a deserving continuation to the publication of Suzuki-roshi's teaching (it is, of course, also based on lectures, coming almost thirty years after his death). But it is a little more slow-going than Zen Mind and probably won't be as accessible to those without some experience of Zen. But, like Zen Mind, there are some beautiful, even poetic moments in the text. If you are just getting started in Zen and haven't read Zen Mind, you should definitely start with that before moving on to this. But if you have read ZM, BM and couldn't get enough, you will enjoy revisiting the Master.

I love the range of recipes and ease of preparation. Only problem is that lots of the ingredients are not available in the States and some improvisation is required. But with the detailed step-by-step pictures, a newbie to cooking can easily learn the ropes!

Japanese Homestyle Cooking is one of my favorite cookbooks. It has over 135 easy to follow recipes. The directions are simple and straightforward. It has pictures of tools used, like the deep-fry pan (Tempura-nabe), wooden tub (Handai), etc. Has an average of about 7 great pictures per page showing dishes at various stages of preparation. It shows oil at various temperatures, different types of knife cuts, how to tell if a clam is alive or dead, how to clean a squid, and more. The tools and ingredients are listed in both English and Japanese, in the recipe the ingredients are listed by name, if it is not that common of a name, say like mitsuba, it will have the English common name listed in parentheses (honewort); Kinugoshi-dofu (silken tofu). The book is broken down into 14 basic sections, four being seasonal menus (each recipe also has a season in the corner just to let you know the what season is recommended for that dish), and another 12 that cover things such as: Basic stocks, Unique Ingredients, Daily Menus, or How to eat Dobin-mushi. There are also tips throughout the book. One last note on the pictures, they are all in color with many wonderful dishes and bowls, very visually pleasing. This cookbook is great for everybody, beginner on up that wants to add Japanese Homestyle Cooking to his or her lives.

I am an American currently living in Japan and have grown very fond of the Japanese cuisine. I take Japanese cooking classes and have found that the techniques I have learned are included in this book both in description and in easy to follow pictures. A great reference when I can't quite remember what the next step is. I have found that I can duplicate some of my favorite meals with this book. The recipes are easy to follow. The directions are as simple as they can be. The breakdown of recipes includes seasonal recipes as well as categories such as deep-fried dishes, steamed dishes, broiled dishes, sashimi, one pot dishes, rice and noodle dishes, and soups. There are also some very useful photos of the equipment used to prepare the dishes. In this book you will find that they go beyond many cookbooks by providing information and pictures on table settings and manners for eating Japanese foods. To sum things up - simple easy to follow recipes, GREAT pictures showing techniques and step-by-step images of what the preparation should look like, pictures of required cooking equipment. If this hasn't convinced you then the last thing I have to back this up - I showed this book to some of my Japanese friends and they wanted to know where to buy it!!!

This is basically a collection of textx commonly used by Zen Monks in Japan, although not very comprehensive. The Dharanis are somewhat confusing, but the Gathas are nice and work well as liturgy. The Sutra excerpts are pretty run-of-the-mill, not worth comprehensive study, mainly liturgical. There is the Diamond, Heart, an excerpt from the Lotus, as well as some from the Lankavatara and some from the Surangama (more a paraphrase). Then there are numerous teachings from Chinese & Japanese masters. These are pretty good too. The Pictures are interesting as well, but perhaps more suited toward Deity Yoga. The Indian pics have a Tantric, Vajrayana feel to them. This book is not a "How-to" manual. I don't know if D.t. Suzuki actually ever wrote one. It is more of a daily recitation and/or devotional. The kind of thing you read in the morning & evening, or memorize. If you really want a good Zen Buddhist Manual, there are many to choose from, and if you want a good assortement of text, there are many more comprehensive and better organized than this. But, this book has alot of appeal to it and can be quite useful as a book for daily reflection.

To find your way home, you must leave the house.

Many have sought the path, as illustrated within this book.

In the west all roads lead to Rome, but not all paths lead to enlightenment...

To hear, we must listen - this book sets out to lend an Eastern voice to the Western ear and express the thoughts behind the words.

MANUAL OF ZEN BUDDHISM by D. T. Suzuki. 192 pp. London : Rider and Company, 1974 (1950) and Reprinted.

Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki was no ordinary man. A Buddhist scholar, and proficient not only in Chinese and Japanese, but also in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, English, and other languages, after attaining his Enlightenment at the age of twenty-seven he imposed upon himself an extremely difficult task - that of bringing a knowledge of Zen Buddhism to the West, and of somehow trying to get over into English, a language which was quite unprepared to receive them, the ideas and insights of the great Zen Masters.

For over two thousand years, many of Asia's most brilliant intellects have been actively engaged in exploring the mysteries of mind, an exploration which Jung himself was to admit could hardly be said to have yet begun in the West.

Anyone who has looked, for example, in one of the huge collections of Buddhist Scriptures such as the Taisho Tripitaka, or in a comprehensive Sanskrit-Chinese-Japanese Dictionary of Buddhist technical and philosophic terms, will have realized that, Buddhism has developed tens of thousands of words, many of them expressing the finest shades of meaning, for which English has no real equivalents.

This fantastic profusion of ideas and vocabulary, a sort of higher mathematics of thought compared to simple arithmetic, has generated a literature of extraordinary subtlety and sophistication.

One of the fruits of Suzuki sensei's sixty-five years writing, translating, and teaching, is the present book, the object of which, as he states in his Preface, is "to inform the reader of the various literary materials relating to [Zen] monastery life" (page 11). We are, in a sense, being invited into a Zen Monastery, and granted the privilege of viewing a selection of its literary and artistic treasures.

In the case of an actual applicant for admission to a Zen Temple or monastery, no-one would think of simply breezing in and saying : "OK. I'm here. What can you guys offer me?" Applicants, as is well known, are kept waiting at the gate, often for many days, before being allowed the privilege of meeting with the Master.

It's a test, a test of the applicant's humility, respect, and determination. And when the applicant finally does get to see the Master, he is expected to show the same respect, not perhaps so much for the Master as a person as for what he stands for - for the state of enlightenment and for the vast ocean of Buddhist knowledge he represents.

Suzuki sensei, would, I feel sure, have hoped that we ourselves show a similar respect for the contents of the present book - for its Prayers and Invocations; for its selections from the Sutras and from the Zen Masters; and for its fifty interesting plates and illustrations which depict Chinese and Japanese statuary, scroll paintings, woodblocks, etc., of a kind one would find at any Zen Temple in Japan.

All of them are standard Zen and are standard Buddhist fare, but just as at a feast we are not expected to eat everything on the table, readers are free to select whatever most appeals to them, without necessarily being dismissive of items that don't happen to suit their taste.

The more devotionally inclined may be strongly drawn by some of the Prayers. Students of the sutras will be delighted to find one of the key sutras of Zen, the Prajnaparamitahrdaya or Heart Sutra, a sutra one could spend one's life studying (as did Edward Conze), along with extracts from the Lotus, Lankavatara, and the mind-boggling Diamond Sutra, and a useful resume of the Surangama. Those drawn to the early Masters won't be disappointed either.

Personally I was happy to discover Suzuki sensei's fine translation of Seng-ts'an's 'Hsin-hsin-ming' ('On Believing in Mind,' pages 76-82), the very first verse treatise on Zen - which in the original Chinese takes up just two thirds of a page in the more than 100,000 pages of 'Taisho' - a text which embodies the quintessence of Zen and that deserves to be far better known. Here is the first of its thirty-one verses, with my slash marks to indicate line breaks:

"The Perfect Way knows no difficulties / Except that it refuses to make preferences; / Only when freed from hate and love, / It reveals itself fully and without disguise" (page 76).

I don't know how long Suzuki sensei spent on his translations, but I do know that Peter Haskel spent ten years to give us his marvelous translation of Bankei, and I myself, inspired by the version in the present book, spent three years working on a translation of the Hsin-hsin-ming, a text which has yet to yield up its full lode of meaning.

There are many other deep and wonderful texts in this book, including two versions of 'The Ten Oxherding Pictures.' Some of these texts will appeal to one kind of person, others to another. But all will repay careful study by the serious student, and by one who approaches them in an attitude of humility and respect.

Many other Zen anthologies have appeared since Suzuki sensei's pioneering effort, some of them with more 'up-to-date' (though not necessarily superior) translations, but his 'Manual of Zen Buddhism' has always had a special importance for me. After three years spent studying just one of its texts, I wonder how long it will take me to assimilate the rest? And there must have been many in the past, in both China and Japan, who were happy to nibble on much less than the feast provided here.