Author Description

In the past century, intrigued by Buddhism¿s notion of enlightenment and its emphasis on meditation and spiritual awakening, millions of Americans have turned to Zen. That they have done so is in part thanks to the pioneering efforts of Sokei-an Sasaki (1882-1945). Arriving in San Francisco in 1906 with the mission of bringing Zen to America, he became the first Zen master to make America his permanent home and the first to write, lecture and give Zen interviews (sanzen) entirely in English. This book includes his accounts of his childhood in Japan, his struggle to transform himself through Zen, his experiences teaching Zen to New Yorkers, his run-in with the FBI and his internment on Ellis Island. Photos.