Buddhism and Zen
New York: Philosophical Library, 1953. First Edition. 12mo, 91 pages, publisher's original gilt-lettered red cloth covered boards. Signed by Nyogen Senzaki and with his chop stamp on the front free endpaper.
Buddhism and Zen, compiled, edited, and translated by Nyogen Senzaki and Ruth Strout McCandless, is an important mid-20th-century introduction to Buddhist philosophy with particular emphasis on the Zen tradition. Designed for Western readers, the book presents core Buddhist teachings—such as the nature of suffering, impermanence, and the path toward enlightenment—alongside selections that illustrate Zen’s distinctive stress on direct experience, meditation, and intuitive insight beyond doctrinal study. Senzaki, one of the earliest Zen teachers to establish practice groups in the United States, brought an authentic voice to the work, while McCandless helped shape the material into accessible English prose. The result is both instructional and interpretive, reflecting an early effort to bridge Eastern spiritual thought and modern Western intellectual life. Final signature is misaligned but the binding seems unaffected and remains firm. Spotting to top edge stain. Very minimal rubbing and wear, minimal discoloration, else in very good + condition. Item #214
Price: $850.00