Big Mind Big Heart: Finding Your Way
by Dennis Genpo Merzel
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Book Reviews of Big Mind Big Heart: Finding Your Way
Book Review: Further evidence that Zen is a teaching outside the sutras
Summary: 5 Stars
So you thought Zen had gotten stuck in the meditation hall at some far away Japanese monastery? Look again my friend. Genpo Roshi has delivered the breath of fresh air I've been waiting for since 1964 when I first sat Zazen (Zen Meditation). You can check him out at :
http://www.bigmind.org/Big_Mind_Big_Heart/Home.html
Then go to Amazon.com and save a bundle on this wonderful book. No more sitting stuck in a rut like a constipated Toad. This man understands that the wheel of the Dharma must get unstuck from where the Monkey mind jams it.
In Disney's Alice in Wonderland, full length cartoon done way back when, there is a catapillar smoking a Houkah asking in letters forming out of his smoke rings "Who are you?" Read what Genpo Roshi has to offer us as the tool to unlock this puzzle. It's really so simple and is exactly what's missing from Echardt Tolle.
Stick around long enough and someone will find that last piece of the puzzle we confront each day!
Book Review: potentially useful yet what does this have to do with zen?
Summary: 3 Stars
Dennis Merzel's technique follows the standard enquiry process that one finds in any number of somatic psychotherapy techniques. There are literally dozens of books and techniques, from Hakomi, Body-centered Psychotherapy, Process Work & Gestalt to (what imo is the best method) Recreate Your Self technique (developed by Jon Eisman) that use the same basic principles. I have little doubt about its effectiveness, and Merzel definitively is a guy with of experience under his belt.
My problem however is that this has nothing to do with zen, and certainly the title which uses Shunryu Suzuki's well-known phrase, is not a little deceptive in this regard.
People who are likely to find the book helpful are those who need a structured system - and an authoritative facilitator - for personal growth. The method is highly idiosyncratic. Without Merzel to guide it, the "Big Mind" technique is pretty much useless.
Book Review: Wow!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a read like no other. An adventure into one's own nature and an exploration of wisdom and potential that is always within human beings and not often experienced to this depth. As a learning experience of the best kind, it didn't require accepting someone else's opinions. It's written in a way that lets one see for one's self and naturally brings wisdom and compassion into clear focus, therefore into real life.
Reading it was a pleasure-- it revealed joyous personality in me that had been hidden, also some hurt places-- knowing what's broken it's possible to repair and stop carrying the hurt. I loved it-- enjoyed the journey, learned things about myself and how to integrate various aspects of my personality for better relationships and a happier life. Sometimes humorous, sometimes astonishing-- and all around a real good read!
Book Review: Boot Camp For The Soul
Summary: 4 Stars
Genpo Roshi has created an extraordinarily rapid process for spiritual expansion. Reading this book will be an enlightening experience for those who are open to it.
Basically, the Roshi combines Zen with Voices therapy to break down the disowned parts of ourselves to give us more clarity which leads to integration. He does this by speaking to a number of our different voices, or aspects including the Controller, the Protector etc. He begins with the more spiritually dualistic voices, moving to the more integrated voices.
A couple of key takeaways:
-All perspectives are true but incomplete
-We all have every perspective within us, but we have disowned parts of ourselves that we don't like
Will you get enlightened just by reading this book? Maybe. But, you can be assured of an expansive experience.
Book Review: Insightfully Enlightening
Summary: 5 Stars
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book, finding it simple to read and simple to process into my thinking, and thus my life. Genpo is the highest ranked Zen Master in the world outside of Japan, and his Big Mind-Big Heart system is a compassionate, modern day approach to Zen that takes the complexity out of Zen Buddhism making it a tangible approach to self awareness. The CD that accompanies this book quickly found it's way into my CD player where Genpo goes through the Big Mind process in a matter of minutes with a student who started out with no prior knowlege of this process, and was able to reach breakthroughs in her thinking almost instantaneously. You can also tell in listening to this CD that the more you work the Big Mind process into your thinking, the more life changing ah-ha's you will have. This book is worth every penny and much more.