Dr. Suzuki is generally regarded as the outstanding spokesman for Zen Buddhism in the West. A master stylist in the English language, he writes of Zen with the directness and concreteness that characterize Zen itself.

As he describes the training of the monk, he is as the same time bringing this rigid mental discipline to life in a manner no conventional explanation could. Dr. Suzuki's book is enhanced by 43 drawings from another Zen monk, Zenchu Sato, depicting the latter's own experiences as a novice. This is a major work that must be read by any Westerner who is interested in understanding Eastern thought.