Right on. Well, right away I'd recommend staying away from anything by D.T. Suzuki, who made his career writing about how Whitey doesn't have the genetic ability to understand Zen--no joke.
My all time favorite is Zen For Beginners (http://www.librarything.com/work/183023/book/35335642); I think WCPL has a copy. Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen (http://www.librarything.com/work/45029/book/11536420) is a very close second. His Sit Down and Shut Up (http://www.librarything.com/work/2855482/book/15300894) is a much deeper look at Soto Zen, although I don't recommend reading it as an introduction, so check out the other books first.
Jiho Sargent's Asking About Zen (http://www.librarything.com/work/613123/book/9884867) is really good. She answers 108 common questions about Zen that don't get covered in a lot of the standard books.
David Chadwick's Thank You And OK! (http://www.librarything.com/work/28017/book/23747365) is fucking fabulous, both as an introduction to Zen and the best (IMO) description of what life in Japan is like for Whitey. Chas has had my copy for the past four years or so, but if you guys run into her, you have my permission to borrow it back!
I've got some other recs, but I'd be surprised if at least a few of them don't show up in your syllabus, so I'll leave off there. Youc an also check out my Buddhism tag on LT and ask me about any of those books too:-)
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ninetydegrees
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on 2009-02-15 05:25 am (UTC)My all time favorite is Zen For Beginners (http://www.librarything.com/work/183023/book/35335642); I think WCPL has a copy. Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen (http://www.librarything.com/work/45029/book/11536420) is a very close second. His Sit Down and Shut Up (http://www.librarything.com/work/2855482/book/15300894) is a much deeper look at Soto Zen, although I don't recommend reading it as an introduction, so check out the other books first.
Jiho Sargent's Asking About Zen (http://www.librarything.com/work/613123/book/9884867) is really good. She answers 108 common questions about Zen that don't get covered in a lot of the standard books.
David Chadwick's Thank You And OK! (http://www.librarything.com/work/28017/book/23747365) is fucking fabulous, both as an introduction to Zen and the best (IMO) description of what life in Japan is like for Whitey. Chas has had my copy for the past four years or so, but if you guys run into her, you have my permission to borrow it back!
I've got some other recs, but I'd be surprised if at least a few of them don't show up in your syllabus, so I'll leave off there. Youc an also check out my Buddhism tag on LT and ask me about any of those books too:-)