The author says: "There are two approaches to getting into Zen. The formal approach is to study with a Japanese Zen Master. The informal approach is an individual study program using whatever materials are available, what I call Western Zen. I see it as the next step in the radical Zen tradition. Zen Without Zen Masters represents my attempt to share Western Zen with you."

Zen Without Zen Masters is the first--and still the best--collection of truly contemporary Zen parables. For the novice, Zen Without Zen Masters is an outstanding introduction to the baffling world of meditation, Eastern thought and the galaxy of philosophies that make up the expanding horizon of human awareness. For the veteran, Benares integrates the "inner quest" with the experience of daily life.

And if that weren't enough, the section on Meditations and Exercises focuses the inner experience into an accessible form. Marked by clarity and simplicity, they demystify the growth process through practical application.