C. C. Tsai

From bestselling cartoonist C. C. Tsai, a delightfully illustrated collection of classic Zen Buddhist stories that enlighten as they entertain C. C. Tsai is one of Asia’s most popular cartoonists, and his editions of the Chinese classics have sold more than 40 million copies in over twenty languages. In The Ways of Zen, he has created an entertaining and enlightening masterpiece from the rich collections of the Zen Buddhist tradition, bringing classic stories to life in delightful language and vividly detailed comic illustrations. Combining all the stories previously published in Tsai’s Wisdom of the Zen Masters and Zen Speaks, this is the artist’s largest collection of selections from the most important and famous Zen texts. The story of the illiterate wood-peddler Huineng, who improbably rises to become the most famous Zen patriarch, is joined by others that trace the development of the five major sects of Zen Buddhism through other masters such as Mazu, Linji, and Yunmen. A shattered antique, a blind man carrying a lantern, sutras set on fire, a cow jumping through a window—each story leads the reader to reflect on fundamental Buddhist ideas. The Ways of Zen also features the original Chinese text in side columns on each page, enriching the book for readers and students of Chinese without distracting from the English-language cartoons. Filled with memorable anecdotes and disarming wisdom, The Ways of Zen is a perfect introduction to Zen Buddhism and an essential addition to any Zen collection.

The Ways of Zen

Zhizhong Cai

Selections from the sayings of Zhuangzi rendered into cartoon form and translated into English.

The Music of Nature

Zhuangzi Speaks

Laozi

"How could the Dao De Jing, the beloved source of philosophical Daoism, ever be improved upon? Through illustrations by the beloved cartoonist C. C. Tsai. In this complete edition of the Dao De Jing, Tsai works his magic again, taking Laozi's cryptic philosophical language and turning it into episodes that both challenge and delight the reader. Tsai begins with Laozi's biography from the Shi Ji, then Laozi takes over, patiently explaining his ideas to earnest students. Soon, we become the students, as Laozi describes the spontaneity of natural processes, the paradoxical effects of ethical precepts, the limits of language, the values of simplicity, and most of all how to go with the flow. When is knowledge reduced to ignorance? When can something that is empty count as being full? When do good intentions go awry? Laozi is the master visionary, who is able to get to the mountaintop and see a perspective on life that escapes most of us. He is able to see the big picture that we see only when it's too late. Laozi take us into the subtle complexities of human existence, like a dramatic nineteenth century novel, but in bitesize chunks that tantalize and inspire. One of the most translated books in the world, Tsai makes the Dao De Jing fresh and relevant, and Laozi perches us on the mountaintop, ready to take in the wide vista and contemplate each fragment of meaning"--

C. C. Tsai

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