The Three Pillars of Zen, originally published in 1965, is one of the very first English - language books that showcase Zen Buddhism as a pragmatic way of living, rather than just a philosophy.This book explores the three main pillars that hold up Zen, namely teaching, practice and enlightenment. The Three Pillars of Zen comprehensively covers the history and discipline of this religion and contains a foreword by Huston Smith. The first part focuses on teaching and practice. Some of Yoshotani Roshi's introductary lectures that have been incorporated into the book include Theory and Practice of Zazen, Three Aims of Zazen and the Three Essentials of Zen Practice.The second chapter contains Yoshotani Roshi's commentary on the Koan Mu. The third chapter elaborates on ten private encounters with Westerners. The fourth chapter features Bassui's dharma talk and letters to his disciples. Part 2 of the Three Pillars of Zen is titled Enlightenment and it contains two chapters. The first one focuses on eight contemporary enlightenment experiences of Japanese as well as Westerners. The next one has Yaeko Iwasaki's letters to Harada - Roshi. The last part of the Three Pillars of Zen features ten ox - herding pictures. This edition contains new photos and illustrations, along with a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede.The Three Pillars of Zen continues to inspire newcomers to study and practice Zen Buddhism. The 35th revised and updated edition, published by RHUS in 1989, is available as a paperback. Key Features: The Three Pillars of Zen has been translated into 12 languages.