Review of Two books by Janwillem van de Wetering

The Empty Mirror, Experiences in a Japanese Zen Monastery

by Janwillem van de Wetering

Ballantine Books, New York, 1973. 145 pp.

A Glimpse of Nothingness, Experiences in an American Zen Community

by Janwillem van de Wetering

Routledge & K. Paul, London, 1975. 184 pp.

Bewilderment designed to break the mind forms the background against which these two autobiographical accounts are presented. This young man begins in the Japanese Zen monastery, where his youthful naivete, cultural misunderstanding and language barrier, together with the strictness of the setting and teachings, combined to teach him through sheer exhaustion and a strong will to succeed. Another western student, who was present at times, tells him after one of his seemingly impossible successes that he will likely become enlightened by accident.

In the second volume, a more mature Zen student with some solved koans to his credit chooses to join the western friend for further teaching at his American Zen community. Expecting perhaps a more relaxed experience, he finds that survival in the isolated environment in the woods and the true master status/style of his friend bring lessons he hadn’t anticipated. Another roller coaster ride in a different form. This author gifts us with rich lessons and inspiration for facing the inconveniences of our own life paths.

-- reviewed by Dawn Kurzka

To visit the blog and see more reviews and quotes from books in the collection of Center for Sacred Sciences' Library, click here https://centerforsacredscienceslibrary.blogspot.com