Publisher's Synopsis
Zen continuously questions. This does not necessarily involve finding answers, but finding a space in which to sustain questioning, being willing to remain present and upright in the middle of questions. And being able to do this enables one to live more flexibly, spaciously, and kindly with our not-knowing. Of course at times insights and responses appear, sometimes more frequently as we settle into the open spaciousness of meditation. But if the answers are worthy they allow more questions, or help foster readiness for the new questions offered by the world, by life, and by ourselves. Much of Zen lore consists of questioning of the venerable old masters by their students. Indeed, questioning creates genuine authority. Leighton honours and invites us into the creativity of Zen awareness and practice, and the fact that most Zen teaching is not discursive, but rather poetic and imaginative, deeply exploring the poetic mind of Dogen, as well as the poetry of Rumi, Mary Oliver, Gary Snyder and "the American Dharma Bard" Bob Dylan. What's more, Leighton uncovers surprising resonances between the writings of America's Founding Fathers-including Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin-with the liberating ideals at the heart of Zen.
