Zen Talks

Name: Zen Talks
ISBN: 9787108014016

Tsai Chih-chungSDX Joint Publishing Company2000

4.4

Chapters: 40
Series: Zen Talks is one of the most representative works in Taiwanese cartoonist Tsai Chih-chung's "Chinese Classics in Comics" series, subtitled "The Master's Shout and Stick." Through the medium of comics, the book retells stories, koans, and sayings scattered throughout Zen texts: what Zen is, how to practice, what "ordinary mind" means, and why Zen "does not rely on words." These seemingly abstruse questions are broken down into short pieces with simple lines and concise text. Tsai Chih-chung does not attempt a systematic exposition of Zen doctrine; instead he "tells stories," letting readers, in casual browsing, sense Zen's emphasis on the here and now and its direct pointing at the human heart. Most chapters draw on koans and lamp records from successive generations—serving tea to guests, using the shout and the stick to awaken students, taking mountains, water, and plants as metaphors—preserving both humor and wit and the sharp edge of the original texts. The author's attitude toward Zen is one of "neither clinging nor separating": Zen is not knowledge, yet it does not depart from knowledge; it is not a religion, yet one can obtain its benefits through religion. This plain stance has made the book the first encounter with Zen for many readers. Short in length and pairing pictures with text, it is suited to casual browsing and serves as an introductory reader to Chinese Zen culture and the koan tradition.
ISBN: 9787108014016

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Summary

Zen Speaks is one of the most representative works in Taiwanese cartoonist Tsai Chih Chung's "Chinese Classics in Comics" series, with the subtitle "The Stick and Shout of the Venerable Master." Using the language of comics, the book retells stories, koans, and sayings scattered throughout Zen Buddhist texts: what Zen is, how to practice it, what "ordinary mind" means, and why Zen "does not rely on written words." These seemingly profound questions are broken down into short pieces with simple lines and concise text. Rather than offering a systematic exposition of Zen doctrine, Tsai Chih Chung uses storytelling to let readers, while flipping through the pages with ease, experience Zen's emphasis on the here and now and its direct pointing at the human heart. Most of the chapters draw on koans and lamp-record anecdotes from successive generations of Zen masters—serving tea to guests, using the stick and shout to awaken students, and drawing metaphors from mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees—preserving both a witty cleverness and the sharp edge of the original sources. The author's attitude toward Zen is one of "neither clinging nor separating": Zen is not knowledge, yet it does not depart from knowledge; it is not a religion, yet its effects can be obtained through religion. This down-to-earth stance has made the book many people's first introduction to Zen. Compact in length and blending pictures with text, it is suited to casual reading and also serves as a primer on Chinese Zen culture and the koan tradition.

Editor's review

1989年，三联书店把蔡志忠的《禅说》和《六祖坛经》引进大陆，王府井新华书店签售当天，带来的书很快售空，读者在雪里排出一公里长队。这段出版史本身就说明了这本书的分量：它是很多中文读者第一次发现，原来古奥的禅宗公案可以这样读。蔡志忠的聪明之处在于“不端着”。他没有把禅讲成一套玄学，而是让禅师们照旧棒喝、照旧喝茶、照旧在寻常日子里突然发问，读者在会心一笑的当口被推了一把。三联这一版属于“蔡志忠中国古籍经典漫画”系列，32开平装，黑白线条，朴拙干净，比后来一些彩图改写本更接近原作的气味。二十多年过去，它仍是禅宗入门书单上绕不开的一本：浅，但不轻浮；有趣，但不油滑。

Who it's for

A good fit for

对禅宗、佛教文化好奇，又怕读不懂原典的入门读者
喜欢蔡志忠漫画风格、想收藏其古籍漫画系列的读者
希望在碎片时间轻松读点哲学与古人智慧的上班族
中学以上、对传统思想有兴趣的学生可作课外读物

Not a good fit for

希望系统研读禅宗史、义理与经典原文的严肃研究者
期待严格依照佛典经论次第讲解的修行者
只想看轻松搞笑漫画、对说理内容无耐心的读者

Reading tips

不必按顺序读，随手翻到哪一则，读完停下来想一想即可。
遇到感兴趣的公案，可对照《六祖坛经》或灯录原文，看漫画如何取舍。
读到“不解”处不必强求答案，禅宗公案本就不以逻辑结论为终点。
若给孩子读，可先挑故事性强的篇目，再引导其复述其中的道理。

About the publisher

SDX Joint Publishing Company China · Founded in 1932

SDX Joint Publishing Company is a publisher known for its humanities and social science titles, covering classics, culture, history, social fiction and politics. Its catalogue of 826 books includes Chinese and foreign literary classics such as The Scholars, Camel Xiangzi and Selected Short Stories of Chekhov, scholarly works such as Studies of Chinese Cave Temples, A Study of the Tuoba History (Revised Edition) and The Nine-Rank System: A Prehistory of the Imperial Examination, and translations such as Red Star Over China and Notes from the House of the Dead. Its authors include renowned Chinese and foreign writers such as Wu Jingzi, Lao She, Su Bai and Chekhov, as well as scholars and translators such as Chen Xiaoming, Wang Benhua, Guo Changbao and Zhu Xiansheng. Its publishing character lies in balancing the popularisation of classics with academic depth, with attention to textual quality and the transmission of knowledge.

What Is Zen
Awakening of the Waves
Zen in a Cup of Tea
Mind-to-Mind Transmission
Seize the Present
Mahakashyapa and the Flagpole
The Woman Carried Across the River
The Gate of Heaven
The Dull-Witted Official
If I Do Not Go to Hell, Who Will
Black Bamboo, Red Bamboo
Life and Death in Order
The Precept of Silence
All Is Emptiness
The Buddha at Home
The Finger Pointing at the Moon
The Lost Student
The Bandit's Awakening
Tea Cup Zen
Self and Object Set Against Each Other
Words Outstrip Deeds
The More Urgent, the Slower
The General's Antique
Giving and Receiving
The One Who Understands
Why the Blind Man Does Not Know the Lamp Is Out
What Is Truly Valuable
One Blade of Grass, One Drop of Dew
Past, Present, Future
Because I Am
Form Is Emptiness
Buddha or Demon in a Single Thought
The Sage's Mind Is Like a Mirror
Where Do We Go After Death
The Sword Without a Sword
A Gentle Stir, and the Fire Flares Again
The Demon Arises from the Mind
Poverty and Wealth
Not Clinging to Either Side
Responding to All Change with the Unchanging

FAQ

《禅说》和《六祖坛经》是同一本书吗？

不是。二者是蔡志忠同一系列中相邻的两本，《禅说》副题“尊者的棒喝”，讲历代禅门公案与机锋；《六祖坛经》副题“曹溪的佛唱”，专讲慧能与禅宗传承。三联曾把两者合编出版。

没有佛学基础能读懂吗？

可以。本书就是为不熟悉禅宗典籍的普通读者准备的，用漫画加短句讲故事，不需要先读经文。个别公案读来费解属正常，可当作反复回味的入口。

这个ISBN对应哪个版本？

9787108014016 对应三联书店2000年1月版《禅说：尊者的棒喝》，141页，平装，属“蔡志忠中国古籍经典漫画·珍藏版”丛书。三联1989年初版ISBN为9787108002297。

书中的目录完全按原书顺序吗？

不同版本篇目略有增删与排序差异，本目录依据较通行的三联及文化艺术版篇目整理，个别篇名在不同版本中作“杯茶禅理/茶杯禅理”等细微变化，均指同一则故事。

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About the author

Tsai Chih-chung Author · Taiwan, China · 1948

Tsai Chih-chung, born in 1948 in Changhua, Taiwan, is a renowned cartoonist. He became a professional cartoonist at the age of fifteen, and from the 1980s onward pioneered comics adaptations of classical Chinese texts with works such as Zhuangzi Speaks and Laozi Speaks, turning the thought of ancient philosophers into accessible visual narratives. His work has had wide influence in the Chinese-speaking world and has been translated into more than twenty languages. He received the Prince Claus Fund Award from the Netherlands in 1999 and the Golden Comic Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2011. His creations span comics and the popularization of traditional culture; the title in this catalog, The Bencao Gangmu Solar-Term Health Almanac, reflects his attempt to combine classics with everyday health care and is classified under Health. Public information is limited and biographical details are scarce, yet his subjects and style already show his enduring commitment to conveying traditional wisdom through comics.