The Flowing Bridge

Book excerpt: Koans-such as "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"-have penetrated deeply into popular consciousness - even being referenced on, for example, The Simpsons. Yet, those who encounter koans in the traditional literature or in the context of exploring Zen practice themselves can often find them utterly baffling. The Flowing Bridge is the first-ever book to address all of the first koans that Zen students encounter-"What is Mu?", "What is the sound of the single hand?", and the so-called "miscellaneous" koans that have historically been kept as esoteric secrets. Sister Elaine MacInnes, a Catholic nun and a Zen teacher in the lineage of the renowned master Koun Yamada, offers exceptionally valuable guidance to beginners on how to work with koans-and reveals an uncommon depth of insight and an easeful technical mastery of Zen's most misunderstood and most powerful tools. This book is sure to become a classic, standing alongside The Gateless Gate and The Blue Cliff Record as a must-read for anyone seeking Zen's subtlest teachings and deepest power.