The Zen of Vimalakirti

In The Zen of Vimalakirti, 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.

The 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.

This 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.

Author: W. J. Louis
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W.J. Louis
Published: 11/27/2025
Pages: 30
Weight: 0.08lbs
Size: 7.00h x 4.25w x 0.08d
ISBN: 9798218856786