Jiyu Kennett (1924–1996)

Review from Goodreads:

Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennet is an inspiration, having founded the major Soto Zen abbey in England at Throssel Hole, Northumberland, http://www.throssel.org.uk/.
The book is well-edited, having selected appropriate audio recordings made by Jiyu-Kennet which are pieced together to provide a biographical flow.
On the way, the reader learns a lot about the meditation, Soto Zen, and how it all fits into the Buddhist way. Her character and sense of humour are always apparent.
She show more was a remarkable lady, and this book helps to paint a picture of her life. More were promised, as she left a considerable quantity of material that could be used.
An interesting read. show less

From Goodreads:
I really enjoyed this book which contains the diaries of Jiyu Kennett, the first western woman to be authorised to teach Zen after training in Japan. She went to Japan in the early 1960s, and trained at Sojoji, which is one of the two main training temples of Soto Zen Buddhism.

Jiyu faced a great deal of opposition from other monks, including senior figures who were responsible for ther training. Throughout this, and political struggles in the monastery, her relationship with show more her teacher, Zenji Sama, and her commitment to practice, keeps her going. For me, this importance of sticking with your own practice and ethics, regardless of what is happening around you, is a key take away from the book.

This account from Jiyu is a warts and all retelling of what it was like to train in a Japanese Zen monastery. Whether it is still like that, I do not know. I think there is more openness to westerners, at least in some places, but I imagine the politics and jostling for power and influence continue to be the same. show less

Zen training does not cease with enlightenment. Many books describe the enlightenment experience and what leads up to it, but here is uniuqe account of the critical years of training after enlightenment. This is the chronical of the last six years in Japan of Roshi Jiyu-Kennett, one of the first Western women to become a Zen Master. A perfect complement of Volume One of the Wild, White Goose, this book leads the reader through the endless trials and tests of faith which temper the initial show more flash of understanding of the zen trainee into the deep and all-accepting wisdom of the Master. Based upon the actual diaries of Roshi Jiyu-Kettett, Volume Two is an account of her life as a junior officer of one of the largest Zen monasteries in Japan and as the abbess of her own temple in a remote mountain village. The reader is offered glimpses of the political intrigues of a great Imerial temple and rural village life in a feudal society, as well as of the events which led Roshi Jiyu-Kennett to leave Japan for America. Most important, her uncensored recounting of her actions and reactions througout these years makes this an invaluable gudebook for the advanced student of Zen in how to train, and how not to train, in the 'mud' of daily life. It is through this training in the 'mud' that the sprout of one's initial understanding grows into the straight and sturdy stem of the lotus blossom of higher spirituality.

Contents

Synopsis of Volume One
Book 3 The Parish Priest
Book 4 The Eternal Bo Tree
Annotations show less

Wonderful teachings by a great Zen Master. This volume focuses on training in daily life.