{"product_id":"the-zen-of-vimalakirti-9798218856786","title":"The Zen of Vimalakirti","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Zen of Vimalakirti\u003c\/em\u003e, W.J. Louis, taking the widely celebrated Mahayana text as inspiration, describes the nature and meaning of Buddhist practice and liberation from the perspective of a Black American layman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Zen of Vimalakirti is a three part essay. The first part, on the subject of Right Livelihood, assesses the layman's work-life as a valuable opportunity for Zen practice. The second part is a comparative analysis of the Vimalakirti Sutra and the philosophy of Daoist sage Zhuang Zhou. The third part uses Zen Ancestor Huineng's Platform Sutra as a springboard for a discussion on tea preparation as a meditative practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis essay began as a personal endeavor for Louis - one in which he wrote to wrap his own mind around the potential for legitimate Zen practice as a working person. Ultimately it is the culmination of over 15 years of informal study. Readers will gain an understanding of Zen, not as an unnecessarily lofty concept, but as a down-to-earth way of seeing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"W.J. Louis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52103757037842,"sku":"9798218856786","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_98d2ec81-79ae-48f9-8e63-acfa196aaab2.jpg?v=1773156066","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-zen-of-vimalakirti-9798218856786","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}