Unsui: A Diary of Zen Monastic Life (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780824802721)

Although the lines of the palm of the hand are barely visible in the early light, the monks of the Tofukuji monastery have been about their familiar rounds of daily tasks for several hours. Their routine is simple but faithfully practiced. Within its repetition lies the key to the self and the Buddha who resides within.

The daily life of the monastery is portrayed here in ninety-seven watercolor sketches. Drawn during his last years by the Zen monk Giei Sato, these sketches recollect his days as an unsui, an apprentice monk. With humor and steadfast warmth Sato depicts the day of leaving home and the day of returning; the rainy season and the snowy season; the chores, the celebrations, the days of cleaning, and the days of begging. Each of the charming drawings is enhanced by a brief description of the event portrayed, a touch of Zen teaching, or a note on monastic life.

Author: Giei Satō, Eshin Nishimura
ISBN-10: 0824802721
ISBN-13: 9780824802721
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Language: English
Published: 01/01/1983
Pages: 144
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 10.14h x 6.92w x 0.42d