Reddit reviews Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice

In order of importance:

Book|Author|Forum|Notes
:--|:--|:--|:--
The Mind Illuminated|John Yates|/r/TheMindIlluminated|Sometimes too technical, otherwise, perfect.
Mastering The Core Teachings of the Buddha|Daniel Ingram|Dharma Overground, /r/streamentry|Most times, too arrogant. Still valuable.
Opening the Hand of Thought|Kosho Uchiyama|r/Zen, Local Zendo|Zen leaves too much to the reader to figure out
A Path With Heart|Jack Kornfield|--|Doesn't give the how, but the Why for many people.

To give you an idea from a technical meditation standpoint, The Mind Illuminated cuts this into ten stages, like a cooking recipe, or a college degree.

• This post, based, on Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, tells you exactly what stream entry looks like, it's unmistakable.
  
  
• Here are instructions for first Jhana. Once you get some access concentration, where you can rest your mind on something for a bit with some stability, you can reach concentration states. Jhanas are amazing! (That stoned feeling is a light Jhana)
  
  
• Daniel's Map. Not everyone see's it exactly this way, but I found it to be fairly accurate. I mean, there's a map, it isn't just "close your eyes and be."
  
  Thanks for the feedback!
  
  ***
  
  I am a Zen Buddhist, with heavy influences from Theravada and Vipassana.
  
  
  

Try things out and see what happens, but...be careful when making judgements as to whether your sitting is good or bad.

You may spend 50 minutes of peaceful bliss, or you may spend 50 minutes dragging yourself back from thoughts and fantasies. Which was the "better" 50 minutes? In which period did you do it "right" and in which did you do it "wrong?"

Trick questions, of course. Read "Opening The Hand of Thought," at least the first few chapters. Uchiyama Roshi gets to the essentials.

My meditation practice has helped me with overthinking.

I am an engineer and have often found myself thinking in circles about complex engineering problems. It can be like the mind is constantly looking for new solutions and so does not easily find the best solution.

My meditation practice has helped me to see more clearly when my mind is spinning like this. I can better judge the multiple paths and solutions available and focus on the best solution for a problem. Less second guessing after the fact also.

It's great that you have read multiple books about meditation. I would recommend that you start a consistent daily practice. The actual practice will provide you something you cannot get from reading a book.

I currently practice Soto Zen meditation (zazen). One of the ideas in this practice is to see thoughts, but not judge them as good or bad. You see the thought, and then let it go. You don't push it away. You don't follow the thought. You don't put additional energy into the thought. It's like you see the thought arise and you turn your focus back to the present.

A book that I read again this Summer is Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. This book has the clearest explanation of how to let thoughts go (not cling to them) that I've seen written in a book.

Opening the Hand of Thought has been super helpful for me.

No, it wouldn't be a waste of time. It's not an "all or nothing" thing. What you get out of it is directly proportional to what you put into it. :) Opening the Hand of Thought: Great book!

One method is known as shikantaza, often translated to English as "just sitting". I found this book really helpful for that practice.

Opening the Hand of Thought and Zen Mind, Beginners Mind have both been very helpful to me. Especially the second one, but the first one is a little easier to understand.

In Zen, there's sort-of an oddity. How-tos are often blended with Introductory texts. Both of those books have sections that describe the practice of Zazen more then sufficiently enough to begin.

There's also the r/buddhism and r/zen subreddits, which both have plenty of helpful recommendations and explanations.

Good luck :)

I started with Suzuki Roshi, like most of the suggestions here, but have found the writings of Uchiyama Roshi resonate strongly with myself. Opening The Hand of Thought, is my new standard suggestion. Everyone's tastes are different though! I hope you find a flavor you like.

And I didn't read far enough :) some already said it below.


Opening the Hand of Thought is a good one too

http://www.amazon.com/Opening-Hand-Thought-Foundations-Buddhist/dp/0861713575/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293835672&sr=1-1

Read this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Hand-Thought-Foundations-Buddhist/dp/0861713575

You can get it used for like $10

https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Hand-Thought-Foundations-Buddhist/dp/0861713575

If you are considering trying a longer Sesshin, then Opening the Hand of Thought. However that book might be slightly less popular here than Zen Mind Beginners Mind.

I think that Opening the Hand of Thought is a great manual on Shikantaza.

if you are interested in Soto Zen, then I can heartily recommend the following books by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi: Opening the Hand of Thought, Refining Your Life, and The Wholehearted Way (this one is difficult). Good luck! The only advice I can give you is keep at it every day. Perseverance is the most important.

Oh I took the question as: if I only had one book for the rest of my life, rather than one I would literally have on my person at all times in my pocket.

I have part one of the Nishijima Cross version and personally find it a lot less readable than the linked one. I think I'd you're a Dogen scholar and need to do comparative work the footnotes and the literal style are probably valuable but it just doesn't read as well for personal practice and contemplation (in my opinion). The linked version I enjoy a lot if you're into a lifetime investment in original texts. It's very poetic and a well made book physically.

A great pocket book on Soto Zen though is "Opening the Hand of Thought". There are also now a lot of great Dogen commentaries coming out recently:

Deepest Practice, Deepest Wisdom

Being Time

Realizing Genjokoan