Book Review: Zen Speaks: Shouts at Nothingness by Tsai Chih Chung and Brian Bruya
August 28, 2021
The Pandemic continues to take a devastating toll on human life, economic vitality, and mental well-being. Unlike destructive events that have a finite and repercussive effect, like the tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, or the attacks on September 11, 2001, in the United States, the Pandemic continues to impact our lives, persisting over a year after the first infections were reported, with no immediate end in sight.
The ongoing harm and strain of the COVID virus require as much help mentally and spiritually as there is a need for vaccines to help physically. With this concern in mind, I want to share a book that may be helpful in these difficult times. It is entitled Zen Speaks: Shouts at Nothingness by Tsai Chih Chung and Brian Bruya.
Zen Buddhism is a life philosophy and way of living that emphasizes meditation to achieve equanimity, which is “mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation” (Oxford Languages, Google Dictionary). One uses and lives Zen in order to be in balance with life and find balance when life is especially chaotic, as it is now under the conditions of the pandemic.
Next after this publicity
“Finding one’s Zen” is what happens when you are in the middle of an argument or crisis and you are able to become calm and detach from the emotions of fear and anger. I used to teach a thought exercise in my critical thinking classes to try to demonstrate the concept. The experiment involved four students.
I would have two students face one another tell them to imagine being in an argument that is escalating. And then imagine you observe yourself in the argument while you are having the argument, which is a unique talent of human consciousness. At that moment I would ask the other two students to come up and stand beside the first two students and look back and forth as the argument unfolds.
Whenever you are in an emotional state and come to realize you are in the emotional state in real-time (not after the fact), you are having a “Zen” moment. Training yourself to “step outside” your emotions is key to living a Zen Buddhist life. Or, at least, attaining the skill to use Zen thinking to help you avoid being “trapped” in your emotions.
Many, many books have been written on Zen Buddhism; some truly excellent ones are available, like The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh and Zen and the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. This book is unique because it uses cartoon vignettes to share and show Zen principles.
From the back cover of the book:
Zen has been described as the greatest “nonreligion” in the world. A wholly Chinese invention, Zen has evolved into a traditional way of life for those free spirits who come to understand that life is everything and nothing.
Zen Speaks is an illustrated adaptation of selections from various early Zen Buddhist classes. Collected and popularized by the bestselling Chinese illustrator Tsai Chih Chung, the book includes over one hundred Zen tales (koans) for the reader of today, bringing to life the spirit and philosophy of Zen, its insights, its rich unfolding of spiritual beauty and peace, and its unveiling of the ineffable charm of simplicity and everyday life.
Below are some sample pages from the book:
Amazon Reviews
This book has a 4.5-star rating from 56 reviews (at the time this article was written), here are three:
I fell in love with this book when I was 13. The Zen teachings have helped me to understand myself and the world around me. I’m so glad to have encountered this book at such a young age. Buy this for any introspective creative children in your life. (Bevrocktagon)
Beautiful, meaningful book. It is basically a bunch of “koans” turned into brief comics. Given the inherent irreverence of Zen Buddhism and its emphasis on reducing the number of words used to cut through the truth, I think comics are a perfect vehicle for these koans. I often re-read a random clip I saved right after a meditation session at home and find it great to use for pondering. (Francisco F.)
Zen Speaks is a staple for our family conversation, with comics often providing the perfect Zen philosophical teaching for a moment, decision, or situation. Accessible, deep, and good for beginning to share Zen Philosophy with the whole family, but I used it for years before we had kids. (CA Ives)
I do recommend this book. In fact, I used to assign this book in my “previous life” as a college instructor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, teaching English 102, critical thinking. The Zen Koan is one of the simplest and most powerful mind tools you can use in life. Having a book filled with them and presented in such a creative way is invaluable.
Since this book has gone out of print, it can require some effort to find a copy, but it is well worth the search and the expense. This book is relevant in times of order and chaos, but especially welcome when life is distressing and you can use some insight, humor, and wisdom to keep going.
I am a spiritual adviser based in Cumming, Georgia, serving clients both locally and worldwide. With a background in academics and a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I bring a unique blend of knowledge and intuition to my practice. After a fulfilling career in academia, I transitioned into the role of a stay-at-home father in 2007. In 2013, I established Black Unykorn Enterprises, LLC, offering spiritual guidance and support to individuals seeking insight and clarity on their life's journey. My services encompass various tools, including astrology, tarot/oracle cards, numerology, and past life regression utilizing muscle testing. I am dedicated to providing personalized sessions that empower and guide my clients towards their highest potential.
Conveniently equipped with a home office and utilizing platforms like Zoom and WhatsApp, I offer virtual sessions for local clients and for those around the world. Distance is not a barrier to the transformative experiences and guidance I provide. To learn more about my practice and explore how I can assist you on your spiritual path, I invite you to visit my website at https://www.blackunykorn.com. There, you will find detailed information about my services and a contact form to initiate a conversation.
By clicking "Allow All" you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Notice
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
__cfduid
1 year
Used by the content network, Cloudflare, to identify trusted web traffic.
_ga
2 years
This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports (Google analytics)
_gat_UA-#
1m
Used to throttle request rate
_gid
1 day
It appears to store and update a unique value for each page visited. (Google analytics)
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_icl_current_language
1 day
Stores the current language
_leadup_js_detail_storage
Session
used to store timezone and locale information from client device.
catAccCookies
1 year
cookie consent plugin to record that you accept the fact that the site uses cookies
PHPSESSID
Session
used to store and identify a users” unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
store_notice[notice id]
Session
Allows customers to dismiss the Store Notice.
wc_cart_created
Session
Necessary for the shopping cart functionality on the website.
wc_cart_hash_#
Persistent
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
wc_fragments_#
Session
Necessary for the shopping cart functionality on the website.
wfwaf-authcookie-#
30 minutes
Identification of the visitor by a security plugin to prevent attacks on the web.
woocommerce_cart_hash
Session
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
woocommerce_items_in_cart
Session
Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
woocommerce_recently_viewed
Session
Powers the Recent Viewed Products widget.
wordpress_logged_in_#
Session
After login, wordpress sets this cookie, which indicates when you’re logged in, and who you are, for most interface use.
wordpress_sec_#
14 days
This cookie is used to store your authentication details
wordpressuser_#
1 hour
This cookie is used to store your authentication details
wp_woocommerce_session_#
2 days
Contains a unique code for each customer so that it knows where to find the cart data in the database for each customer.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.