SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

INTRODUCTIONIn 1960 when this book was originally published, the author,the Very Reverend Keid‡ Chisan Koh‡ Zenji was the Abbotof S‡ji-ji, one of the two main temples of the S‡t‡ Zen Sect inJapan. Many Westerners had visited the temple after WorldWar II; this book was written to introduce them to S‡t‡ Zen, orthe Serene Reflection Meditation School of Buddhism. Duringa tour of the United States and Europe, Koh‡ Zenji called onthe then President Eisenhower and asked for and receivedpermission to spread the teachings of S‡t‡ Zen in America.Although to the politically sophisticated American this mayseem either naïve or unnecessary, it is the traditional Buddhistapproach to respect the laws and the political leader of a countryand to ask permission before giving the Buddhist teaching.On that same tour when in England he met a woman, MissPeggy T.N. Kennett, who was to become his disciple and eventuallybring his Transmission of the S‡t‡ teachings to Americaand Europe. Koh‡ Zenji invited her to come to Japan and studywith him at S‡ji-ji. This was a remarkable and unusual event toinvite a person who was a woman and not a native of Japan toofficially study at one of the two main seminaries and monasteriesof the S‡t‡ School. In Japan Koh‡ Zenji had championedviii