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The Way of Zen Paperback – January 26, 1999

by Alan Watts (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,195 ratings
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In his definitive introduction to Zen Buddhism, Alan Watts ("the perfect guide for a course correction in life" —Deepak Chopra), explains the principles and practices of this ancient religion.

With a rare combination of freshness and lucidity, he delves into the origins and history of Zen to explain what it means for the world today with incredible clarity. Watts saw Zen as “one of the most precious gifts of Asia to the world,” and in The Way of Zen he gives this gift to readers everywhere.

“Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’” —Los Angeles Times
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage
  4. Publication date
    January 26, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    7.76 x 5.08 x 0.44 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0375705104
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0375705106
  8. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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  1. To be free from convention is not to spurn it but not to be deceived by it. It is to be able to use it as an instrument instead of being used by it.
    Highlighted by 2,936 Kindle readers
  2. Reasonable–that is, human–men will always be capable of compromise, but men who have dehumanized themselves by becoming the blind worshipers of an idea or an ideal are fanatics whose devotion to abstractions makes them the enemies of life.
    Highlighted by 2,393 Kindle readers
  3. “The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing; it refuses nothing. It receives, but does not keep.”
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  4. “The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing; it refuses nothing. It receives, but does not keep.”
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From the Publisher

if decision itself were voluntary, every decision would have be preceded by a decision to decide

i have no other self than the totality of things of which i am aware

muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

After D.T. Suzuki, Alan Watts stands as the godfather of Zen in America. Often taken to task for inspiring the flimsy spontaneity of Beat Zen, Watts had an undeniably keen understanding of his subject. Nowhere is this more evident than in his 1957 classic The Way of Zen, which has been reissued. Watts takes the reader back to the philosophical foundations of Zen in the conceptual world of Hinduism, follows Buddhism's course through the development of the early Mahayana school, the birth of Zen from Buddhism's marriage with Chinese Taoism, and on to Zen's unique expression in Japanese art and life. As a Westerner, Watts anticipates the stumbling blocks encountered with such concepts as emptiness and no-mind, then illustrates with flawlessly apt examples. Many popular books have been written on Zen since Watts' time, but few have been able to muster the rare combination of erudition and clarity that have kept The Way of Zen in readers' hands decade after decade. --Brian Bruya

Review

“Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, Watts had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable.’”
—Los Angeles Times

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Multilingual edition (January 26, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375705104
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375705106
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 0.44 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,195 ratings

About the author

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Alan Watts

Alan Watts

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Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was a British-born American philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and populariser of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. Born in Chislehurst, England, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York. Pursuing a career, he attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, where he received a master's degree in theology. Watts became an Episcopal priest in 1945, then left the ministry in 1950 and moved to California, where he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Asian Studies.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
3,195 global ratings
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Find Awakening.
I first read this book in the Fall of 1959. It took me THREE WEEKS to read the first ELEVEN PAGES. At that point in time, I achieved the "awakening" that some people never get, even after decades of meditation.
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Top reviews from the United States

Andhowjeff
5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant surprise
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
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So, I ordered the "used" version of this book, and idk if this is typical or not, but the book I received is immaculate; no visible wear, markings or dogears, its actually pristine (it even has that awesome book smell if you open the pages and breathe deep the literary goodness). Delivery was estimated several days, about a week, due to the book coming from a thrift shop in the Midwest (I'm in Birmingham, AL), and it arrived a day early. THOROUGHLY satisfied, and the book itself has been of great help, personally.
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Dennis Littrell
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth a couple dozen other books on Zen Buddhism
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2001
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This can be seen as a significant book in the transmission of the dharma to the Western world, even though, or perhaps especially because, it is written by a Westerner. Consistently admired since its first publication in 1957, and reprinted many times, The Way of Zen is that rarest of books, a popular and academic success. You will not read far before seeing why. Watts's style is reasoned and reasonable, clear and authoritative, but without a hint of affectation. Watts knows what he is talking about and to whom he is speaking. Because of his perspective between two worlds, he is, more than almost any other writer on Zen, able to match the ideas of the East to the mind of the West, and in doing so make the broader outlines of Zen as clear as the polished, dustless mirror.

The book is divided into two parts, "Background and History" and Principles and Practice," each with four chapters. There is a bibliography also divided into two parts, the first referring to original sources and second to general works on Zen in European languages. There are 16 pages of Chinese Notes in calligraphy keyed to the text, and an Index.

"The Way" in the title refers to the "watercourse way" from Taoism, a philosophy to which Zen owes much, as Watts makes clear in the first two chapters, "The Philosophy of the Tao" and "The Origins of Buddhism." The first chapter is one of the best on Taoism that I have ever read, replete with insight and wisdom. Throughout, Watts expresses himself in an infectious style, even in the very scholarly chapters on the history of Buddhism where he traces Zen from its origin in India, through the Buddha under the Po tree, to Ch'an in China, and finally into Japan. Parallels between the unforced, natural way of Taoism and the spontaneity of Zen Buddhism are explored in a most convincing and engaging manner. Along the way we learn a little about Hinduism and Confucianism.

The chapters on the principles and practices of Zen, comprising a goodly portion of the book are nothing short of marvelous, full of wit and sly observations, revealing Watts's thorough knowledge of Zen and his deep appreciation. Here are some examples of Watts at work:

Referring obliquely to the rise of communism (a word he never uses in the book) he writes, "When the throne of the Absolute is left vacant, the relative usurps it..." (p. 11) Perhaps Watts is also indicating why he believes that humanism is not a complete answer.

On the cosmology of the Tao: "...the natural universe works mainly according to the principles of growth...If the universe were made, there would of course be someone who knows <how> it is made..." He adds, "...the Tao does not <know> how it produces the universe..." (pp. 16-17)

"Since opposed principles, or ideologies, are irreconcilable, wars fought over principle will be wars of mutual annihilation. But wars fought for simple greed will be far less destructive, because the aggressor will be careful not to destroy what he is fighting to capture." (pp. 29-30)

"Hindu philosophy has not made the mistake of imagining that one can make an informative, factual, and positive statement about the ultimate reality." (p, 34)

"Buddhism has frequently compared the course of time to the apparent motion of a wave, wherein the actual water only moves up and down, creating the illusion of a of water moving over the surface. It is a similar illusion that there is a constant <self> moving through successive experiences, constituting a link between them in such a way that the youth becomes the man who becomes the graybeard who becomes the corpse." (p. 123)

In his exploration of koans used by the Rinzai School of Zen, it becomes clear that one of the purposes of the koan is to put doubt into the mind of the young aspirant that he knows anything at all. From that redoubtable position, real learning can begin. I was reminded of a saying attributed to baseball's Earl Weaver, the very successful manager of the Baltimore Orioles in their glory years: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

Here is a story from the Ch'uan Teng Lu, told by Watts about "a fascinating encounter between Tao-hsin and the sage Fa-yung, who lived in a lonely temple on Mount Niu-t'ou, and was so holy that the birds used to bring him offerings of flowers. As the two men were talking, a wild animal roared close by, and Tao-hsin jumped. Fa-yung commented, --referring, of course, to the instinctive (klesa) of fright. Shortly afterwards, while he was for a moment unobserved, Tao-hsin wrote the Chinese character for on the rock where Fa-yung was accustomed to sit. When Fa-yung returned to sit down again, he saw the sacred name and hesitated to sit. said Tao-hsin, At this remark Fa-yung was fully awakened...and the birds never brought any more flowers." (pp. 89-90).

While this is an excellent introduction to Zen--and more--for the educated person, it is especially a delight for those of you who have already read a few books on Zen. There is no other book that I know of that goes as deeply into Zen as agreeably as does The Way of Zen.

--Dennis Littrell, author of "Yoga: Sacred and Profane (Beyond Hatha Yoga)"
166 people found this helpful
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Bryan Desmond
5.0 out of 5 stars '...Zen is a liberation from time.'
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2020
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I have finally read one of Alan's books! I'm a big fan of Watts, and have listened to lots of his lectures and audiobooks but have never sat down to read his words rather than listen to them. Even switching formats I couldn't help but read it in Alan's voice. I think I picked a good one to start with too, seeing as how packed with information it is. I think half of it would have passed me by had I tried to listen to it instead. And the thing is that as dense as it is it's rich, and to me endlessly interesting material. This was the kind of book that I found myself highlighting or notating nearly every other page, and I know that revisiting those highlights will be something I do quite often. Not all of it was entirely new material for me, but it's presented and discussed in that inimitably 'Alan Watts' way that offers a clear perspective. And for a book published in 1957 it holds up remarkably well. Zen is--after all--a 'liberation from time'.

Anyone interested in the history and development of Zen practice (through it's roots in Taoism and Buddhism) as well as its principles and practice (in natural life and in the arts) should look no further than Alan's book. He presents ideas that are as frustrating as they are revelatory. The kind of ideas that you must not grasp to grasp. Ones that are grown of spontaneity rather than created by trying. It's fun to think about, fun to read, and offers plenty for an eventual reread as well. I loved it.

'Awakening almost necessarily involves a sense of relief because it brings to an end the habitual psychological cramp of trying to grasp the mind with the mind, which in turn generates the ego with all its conflicts and defenses. In time, the sense of relief wears off–but not the awakening, unless one has confused it with the sense of relief and has attempted to exploit it by indulging in ecstasy. Awakening is thus only incidentally pleasant or ecstatic, only at first an experience of intense emotional release. But in itself it is just the ending of an artificial and absurd use of the mind.'
48 people found this helpful
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Sapere Avde
4.0 out of 5 stars The author has a great depth of research
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2015
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Pros: The author has a great depth of research. Reading this book I learned so much I didn't know before about Buddhism in general and Zen Buddhism in particular.

Cons: Most of the book concerns the duality of the illusory world (which comes to us through our bodily senses and mind) and the Oneness of awakening or satori (the indescribable realization that reality is a veneer, that all things are the Buddha and the Buddha is all things). This is admittedly a very difficult concept to fully grasp, even at an artificial level (since by definition one cannot "grasp" satori). However, once I grew comfortable with the idea, I found the book to be rather repetitive. Besides some interesting digressions on zazen and sumi artwork, the rest of the book seemed unnecessary, as all things tied in to the central idea. But perhaps this was Watts' point. Once my Unborn mind no longer spontaneously compelled me to read onward, I should have simply put down his book and picked up any other which struck my fancy.
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Paul Banks
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book of discovery.
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2024
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I have listened to Alan Watts for many years. Love his perspective.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Came Fast
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2023
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Came fast and as promised.
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Giovani
5.0 out of 5 stars A melhor introdução ao Zen
Reviewed in Brazil on November 17, 2022
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Depois de vários vídeos na internet sobre Alan Watts decidi comprar esse livro para entender mais sobre Zen e estou agora relendo pela terceira vez, é extremamente denso de conteúdo e cheio de pérolas para quem quer entender o "sabor de Zen", marquei o livro inteiro com frases que me fizeram refletir e apesar de ter lido outros dois livros do autor esse é o que mais me aprofundou
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Anna Bharati
5.0 out of 5 stars A must
Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2021
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For anyone interested in Zen Buddhism, it’s the perfect book. Alan Watts gives the history of it first and then it explains the main points in the second part of the book. He explains with such clarity and simplicity that even someone that reads about Zen for the first time, will be able to grasp it.
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S Dennis
5.0 out of 5 stars Luminous clarity
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2023
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Rereading this book after a span of more than half a lifetime I am struck, not only by the enormous clarity of the author's intellect but by his humanity as well. It breathes a spirit of tolerance, catholicity of viewpoint and demystifying groundedness or commonsense. If I had stuck closer to Watts' understanding I would not now have to revise my one-sided judgement of Buddhism as a life-negating, puritanical creed. Zen, in particular, seems imbued with a more positive flavour. The author points out that the Buddha did not 'found a religion' since at that time the notion of 'religion,' did not exist. There were simply diverse 'traditions'.

As it happens I think this is Watts' best book and deserves a place on the shelf (or Kindle) of anyone interested in eastern spirituality or 'religion'. I cannot recommend it more highly.
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Harshit Karnatak
5.0 out of 5 stars An elaborate and unique introduction to the Zen philosophy
Reviewed in India on June 22, 2022
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I really liked the interpretation of Zen through the lens of Alan watts. Watts has been the pioneer in introducing Eastern philosto the West. His articulation skills and clarity in the ideas does all the magic in this book.
Alan watts drops some heavy knowledge bombs in the first half of the book!!! A must read
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Ganser
5.0 out of 5 stars Eastern way of thinking explained for everyone
Reviewed in Germany on November 10, 2019
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A mind expanding access to the Eastern way thinking.
Well written and understandable even for readers with English not as their mother tongue.
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