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This book, first published in 1998, provides both a first-hand account and a theoretical analysis of the way an American Zen community works.
List of contents
Foreword Randall Collins; Preface; Part I. A Sociological View of Zen: 1. Approaching the study of religion; 2. On going native; Part II. A Profile of Zen Membership and Formal Orgainzation in Southern California: 3. A profile of Zen membership; 4. The physical layout of a Zen center; 5. Formal organization and staff; Part III. The Zen Teacher: 6. The teacher; 7. Daily schedule; 8. Interaction with students; Part IV. What is Zen?: 9. Learning about Zen; 10. Varieties of Zen practice; 11. Zen viewed sociologically; 12. Zen practice; Part V. Meditation as a Social Phenomenon: I: 13. Becoming a Zen practitioner; 14. Consequences of meditative practice; 15. Becker's model; Part VI. Meditation as a Social Phenomenon II: 16. The social constructionist view; 17. Meditation defined; 18. Some consequences of meditative practice; Part VII. Doing Zen Meditation: 19. Sudnow's view of improvised conduct; 20. Using Sudnow to see Zen practice sociologically; 21. The social organization of Zen meditation; 22. Problems in Zen practice; 23. An experience of sitting meditation; Part VIII. The Social Organization of Zen Meditative Ritual Practice and its Consequences: 24. Bourdieu's concept of habitus; 25. Ritual, self-transformation, and reality construction; Part IX. The Meanings of Zen Practice: 26. Subjective (conscious) meaning; 27. Objective (unconscious) meaning; Part X. Summary and Conclusions; Appendix; Notes; References; Index.
Summary
This book, first published in 1998, provides both a first-hand account and a theoretical analysis of the way an American Zen community works. The form Zen practice takes in the United States is described in detail through close study of two Zen groups in southern California.
