Book Review - A Cup Of Zen by Kai Tsukimi



 A Cup Of Zen by Kai Tsukimi

Available in Kindle edition

This book is a collection of 21 short zen-centric stories that make you pause and reflect.

I have always been fascinated with the concept of Zen. These stories have only increased my fascination and inclination. Every story is deep in its essence and induces stillness in the mind. I found myself pausing at the end of every story and reflecting upon it. Some stories are clear in their concept, some endings are confusing but every story impacts on a deep level and sets you thinking on it.

At the end of every story, there are some reflections on the same, some questions that make you ponder about how the story relates to you. There are also simple exercises based on Zen. I especially loved the reflections. While you may not always get the answer to the questions, they do bring a lot of clarity to the mind. Every chapter has a drawing that is beautiful and poignant. This book is a treat for the eyes, the mind and the soul!

I didn't want the book to end! I wanted the stories to go on and on. The book will be impactful when read in silence and solitude. It is a book that you can return to, time and again.

I cannot recommend this book enough! It is like the ultimate healing balm for the tired mind reeling under the trials and tribulations of life. Definitely a must-read for all those seeking inner peace. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2025 Vacation Diaries - 1

Image
The most meaningful journeys rarely follow the maps we carefully drew at the beginning. Life's greatest adventures start the moment we surrender our certainty about the destination and fall in love with the winding path. -Etheric Echoes Day 1 - Coimbatore The above words more or less sum up the trip of 2025 aka the trip that wasn’t ‘tripping’. Sitting on the side-lower berth of an uber-crowded train, with two girls sharing one RAC seat attached to my side berth, I thought I would write about how all three of us sat as if traveling in an unreserved berth. May be I would write about how my legs got cramps, since I couldn’t stretch them much. I would definitely write about the side-upper berth where hell literally froze over for me. I have felt this cold only once, that too in a small town named Kufri in Shimla. Two normal blankets, one woolen blanket and a sweater – none of these worked. Then there was the massive headache. Best left unsaid. But even as I write about these disa...
Read more

Vishu - The Gift That Keeps On Giving!

Image
  Vishu has been my favorite festival right since my childhood. The various rituals associated with this festival make it unique and very, very special. The main ritual is seeing the Vishu kani – the first thing to see when you wake up in the morning. Vishu Kani is an assortment of rice, pulses, coins, notes, jewellery, vegetables and fruits placed in a pattern. A mirror is placed strategically in the center of this assortment, the purpose being that all the objects kept in the Kani are reflected in the mirror. This signifies abundance. An idol or photo of Lord Krishna is usually placed along with the platter of fruits and vegetables. Vishu being the New Year for Keralites, this ritual symbolizes seeing something very auspicious the very first thing in the morning after waking up. This is to set a precedence for the whole year, a hope that every day of the New Year will be blessed and auspicious. My parents would set up the Vishu Kani at night, not allowing me, my sister and ...
Read more

The Auto-drivers Of Hyderabad

Image
Picture credit: IndiaMART My kid has football coaching three days a week. So I get ample opportunities to travel by auto while dropping the kid to the coaching centre and returning home. I have had interesting experiences with autos in Hyderabad. I felt that the auto-drivers deserve a blog of their own. So here it is - my ode to The Intriguing Auto-Drivers Of Hyderabad.  I have come across a variety of personalities when it comes to auto. I can safely categorise them as below: I-won't-answer-the-call-no-matter-what : This happened today. I and my kid were traveling in an auto and it was a drive of around an hour. The whole while, this auto-driver's cell kept ringing. And not a gentle, soothing ring-tone, but the extremely irritating and loud one. He kept cutting the call. The call kept returning. 18 kms of this. All the while, my only thought was - who in the world wanted to talk to him this badly!?!? I-don't-need-to-give-any-explanation-to-anyone : So that day I and the ki...
Read more