Zen Master Daehaeng (1927–2012)

I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to review this book for free. I have to state that I received the book, but that did not influence my review. My review is composed of my own thoughts.

Let me first say that I am not a Buddhist expert, but have been reading some Buddhist books recently. There are teachers that may be big in the Buddhist world that I just don't know. Zen Master Daehaeng may be one of those teachers. Apparently, she is huge in the Buddhist world, but until this book, I did not know much about her at all. This was my introduction to her world.

The book itself is a collection of lectures and sometimes q and a's following the lecture. The lessons were fairly short while there is a lot more contained in the Q and A portion which increases the chapter.

If I had to sum up most of the teachings, it was how and why one should trust one's own root and not look for enlightenment outside of the self. She is teaching a different type of Buddhism coming from Korea. I gleamed this from some of the questions asked and her own comparisons to other Buddhist teachings. Part of the claim is the idea that one would not need medicine or outside help and there were a few instances of people saying they were cured by her teaching. The healing connection was due to healing karma and a focus on one's own root.

After reading the book, I can't say I know more than before. I have found other Buddhist teachers a bit more approachable in their writings. There were times that I felt she was scolding rather than helping people. In one instance she slaps someone's hand and then turns it into a stroke. Some answers to questions seemed to be non answers which could be a Buddhist style, but was off putting as an "outsider." I am guessing she is more for the more hardcore Buddhists, but it was just an average read for me.… (meer)