Shinsuke Hosokawa - Zen Wisdom for the Anxious

Books to Span the East and West Our core mission at Tuttle Publishing is to create books which bring people together one page at a time. Tuttle was founded in 1832 in the small New England town of Rutland, Vermont (USA). Our fundamental values remain as strong today as they were thento publish best-in-class books informing the English-speaking world about the countries and peoples of Asia. The world has become a smaller place today and Asias economic, cultural and political influence has expanded, yet the need for meaningful dialogue and information about this diverse region has never been greater. Since 1948, Tuttle has been a leader in publishing books on the cultures, arts, cuisines, languages and literatures of Asia. Our authors and photographers have won numerous awards and Tuttle has published thousands of books on subjects ranging from martial arts to paper crafts.

We welcome you to explore the wealth of information available on Asia at www.tuttlepublishing.com. Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. www.tuttlepublishing.com Copyright 2018 Shinsuke Hosokawa Original Japanese edition published under the title MAYOI GA KIERU ZEN NO HITOKOTO by Sunmark Publishing, Inc., Tokyo, Japan in 2018. English translation rights arranged through Japan UNI Agency Inc., Tokyo. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher. English translation 2020 Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

English translation by Makiko Itoh. Library of Congress Control Number in process. ISBN 978-4-8053-1573-6; 978-1-4629-2218-5 (ebook) Printed in Malaysia TUTTLE PUBLISHING is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. Distributed by:North America, Latin America & Europe Tuttle Publishing 364 Innovation Drive North Clarendon VT 05759 9436, USA Tel: 1(802) 773 8930 Fax: 1(802) 773 6993 www.tuttlepublishing.com Asia Pacific Berkeley Books Pte Ltd 3 Kallang Sector #04-01 Singapore 349278 Tel: (65) 6741-2178 Fax: (65) 6741-2179 www.periplus.com Japan Tuttle Publishing Yaekari Building, 3rd Floor 5-4-12 Osaki Shinagawa-ku Tokyo 141 0032 Japan Tel: 81 (3) 5437 0171 Fax: 81 (3) 5437 0755 www.tuttle.co.jp 24 23 22 21 20 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2006VP What does it mean to live? When we are tossed around by the demands of everyday life, barraged by information from all sides, our spirits lose the room to breathe. We become dissatisfied with our lives, envious of others. At these times, its important to stop and take a good look at ourselves.

The Zen Buddhist quotes in this book will help erase doubts and anxiety and return serenity to your soul. Although Zen Buddhism may seem remote or unapproachable, its basic philosophy can be summed up as the knowledge needed to live life with a positive outlook. There are 52 Zen sayings in this book, corresponding not just to the seasons of the year and of our lives, but, in the world of Buddhism, to the 52 stages that lead to enlightenment. The spacious design of this book relates to the Japanese concept of ma, which means pause, silence and space. Alongside each of the 52 sayings, youll find a few carefully chosen words of interpretation and an illustration that emphasizes ma. This word also means encounter.

I hope that you, the reader, will cherish any encounters your heart may make when you reflect on the Zen sayings in this book. Zen monks like myself often use the moon as a metaphor for enlightenment. These sayings are like fingers pointing toward that moon. However, the important thing is to focus on your own heart rather than the pointing fingers, and to accept your current state of being, your you. Once you have completed your journey through these 52 Zen sayings, what kind of moon will be shining in your heart? This is the start of that journey. Feel the quiet light in your heart as you begin to think more deeply about what it means to live.

Shinsuke Hosokawa Prologue Words cannot tell everything,
teaching cannot teach everything. Some things are only
communicated soul to soul. Value what is passed from heart to heart. Dont get caught up in words and phrases. Rise above those words and phrases and
instead, value the things
that you feel in your heart and your soul. Zengo, the language of Zen Buddhism,
is simply a guide for living. Your greatest treasures
are right there in front of you. Life is a series of encounters. Your greatest treasures
are right there in front of you. Life is a series of encounters.

We encounter people. We also encounter, books, movies,
physical objects and landscapes. We are all repeatedly encountering
things that pass before us. Encounters happen constantly,
but each occurs only once.It is only when we remember this in our
hearts that we can truly embrace the
connections that encounters make possible.Be grateful for each encounter.Be thankful when someone or something
reveals itself to us.Treasuring each unique moment gives us
the power to truly live that moment
more meaningfully. As the Heavens are above and
the Earth is below, I was born a human being,
whose existence cannot change. My life is precious as it is. All things that exist in this world are precious. From the Heavens above us to the
deepest parts of this Earth,
all living things are precious.

I am an irreplaceable living being. And all other living beings are irreplaceable. Each person is important.Each thing is important.Ourselves; our parents; our friends;dogs and cats; insects and birds;the pillars that hold up our homes;the flowers blooming in the flower pots;the green trees we can seefrom our windows.