Illuminating Silence

This book based on Chinese Zen retreats in Wales organised by my late friend John Crook is an absolute gem in terms of valuable spiritual content and insightful commentary. There is a brief autobiography of Master Sheng-yen, followed by transcriptions from two sessions with original Dharma discourses – interventions during retreats, beginning with an explanation of basic guiding principles in the morning, and ending with commentary on a profound poem called Calming the Mind by Wang Ming from the sixth century CE. The first stanza sets the tone:

Too much knowledge leads to overactivity; Better to calm the mind, The more you consider, the greater the loss; Better to unify the mind.

Here already is profound food for thought, although this is emphatically not the point as Zen is all about the management of the mind and attention as well as training the will in the course of a gruelling schedule while also allowing compassion to arise. The quality of wisdom is palpable and the book contains many simple gems that the reader can apply in daily life such as (p. 79) regulate the body, regulate the breath, regulate the mind. I also appreciated John's personal account of various retreats he attended and the humility that comes across in a process involving both struggle and surrender. I also remember with affection his wry sense of humour and appreciation for life.