The Three Pillars of Zen

Exploring the three pillars of Zen—teaching, practice, and enlightenment—the founder of one of the most influential Zen centers in the U.S. gives readers invaluable advice on how to develop their own practices.

"The Three Pillars of Zen has been the wellspring of Zen teachings for practitioners in the West, remaining as vital and fresh today as it was when it was originally published. It truly ranks among the timeless classics of Zen Buddhism." —Roshi John Daido Loori, Abbot, Zen Mountain Monastery

Roshi Philip Kapleau, founder of the eminent Rochester Zen Center, offers a personal account of his own experiences as a student and teacher, and in so doing presents a comprehensive overview of Zen Buddhism that includes practical guidance, insights from Zen masters, integration of Eastern and Western perspectives, and inspiration for personal transformation. 

A moving and eye-opening work in eleven sections, including Yasunati-roshi's Introductory Lectures on Zen Training and Commentary on the Koan Mu, The Three Pillars of Zen is the definitive introduction to the history and discipline of Zen.

Revised and updated, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs and a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede (who succeeded Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center), in addition to the following features:

• Foreword by Huston Smith, Professor of Philosophy at MIT
• Preface by Philip Kapleau
• Notes on the Anniversary Edition by Kenneth Kraft
• Notes on Zen Vocabulary and Buddhist Doctrine"The Three Pillars of Zen is still, in my opinion, the best book in English that has been written on Zen Buddhism." —Huston Smith, author of The Worlds' Religions and Forgotten Truth

"The Three Pillars of Zen heralded the end of armchair Buddhism.  With this practical guide to Zen meditation, Roshi Kapleau ushered in the first wave of American zazen practitioners. It was extraordinarily inspiring. It still is." —Helen Tworkov, founding editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and author of Zen in America

"For over thirty years Roshi Kapleau's Three Pillars of Zen has been the wellspring of Zen teachings for practitioners in the West, remaining as vital and fresh today as it was when it was originally published. It truly ranks among the timeless classics of Zen Buddhism." —Roshi John Daido Loori, Abbot, Zen Mountain Monastery

"For anyone seriously interested in Zen—this book will be invaluable." —The Times Literary Supplement (London)ROSHI PHILIP KAPLEAU was the founder of the Rochester Zen Center and the author of numerous books, including Zen: Merging of East and West and The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment. Kapleau studied and taught Zen for more than 50 years, completing over sixteen years of study and practice in both Japan and America. He died in 2004.Author of The Wheel of Life and Death