Description
Book SynopsisPopular understanding of Zen Buddhism typically involves a stereotyped image of isolated individuals in meditation, contemplating nothingness. This book presents the 'other side of Zen', by examining the movement's growth during the Tokugawa period (1600-1867) in Japan and by shedding light on the Japanese religious landscape during the era.
Trade Review"This book is required reading for any student of Zen Buddhism or Japanese religion and will remain a standard reference for years to come."--David E. Riggs, Monumenta Nipponica "[This book] presents so much new information in such an insightful and accessible manner. By doing so, The Other Side of Zen helps us to begin to realize just how much we do not know and do not understand. Williams shows us several previously unexplored landscapes and gives us a tour of a few of their notable features. One can only hope that the terra incognito he reveals will attract future scholars to map in more detail its ways and byways."--William M. Bodiford, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies "The Other Side of Zen offers a rich, ground-breaking contribution to the history of the Soto Zen sect and of Tokugawa Japan."--Cristina Rocha, Philosophy East & West
