The Path of the Human Being: Zen Teachings on the Bodhisattva Way - Paperback

by Dennis Genpo Merzel (Author), Bernie Glassman (Foreword by)

Dennis Merzel, one of the most highly regarded American Zen teachers, explains how meditation can gradually lead us to becoming more and more familiar with our minds, allowing us to better understand ourselves and the nature of human life. He explores the practice of meditation in depth, as well as a range of related topics including: connecting meditation practice to everyday life, understanding central Zen concepts, working with a teacher, and practicing meditation in the midst of difficult times.

Front Jacket

Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi, one of the most highly regarded American Zen teachers, demystifies the experience of enlightenment, teaching that it is none other than the awakening to our true nature, which is ever present and inherent in all of us. Through the practice of meditation, one is able to turn the light of inquiry inward and discover this for oneself. Genpo Roshi lays out this journey of discovery for us-from the first tentative glimpses of Buddha Mind to the full flowering of realized life.
Always practical and down-to-earth, Genpo Roshi shows that following the Buddha Way does not require us to leave behind our ordinary lives. Instead it is a process of integration, learning to flow freely between the many dimensions of our lives so that our existence becomes more meaningful and joyous, and so that we are able to carry the wisdom and compassion we have realized into daily life.

Author Biography

Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi is the founder of Kanzeon Sangha and is the abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center in Utah. He has been teaching Zen since 1978 and received Dharma transmission from Taizan Maezumi Roshi in 1980. Genpo Roshi now holds the position of president of the White Plum Lineage, the lineage of Maezumi Roshi. His books include Beyond Sanity and Madness, The Eye Never Sleeps, and 24/7 Dharma.