by Venerable Myokyo-Ni (Translator)
"The record of Rinzai's teaching....shows a character of immense vitality and originality, lecturing his students in informal and somewhat 'racy' language. It is as if Rinzai were using the whole strength of his personality to force the student into immediate awakening....His approach to conceptual Buddhism, to the students' obsession with stages to be reached and goals to be attained, is ruthlessly iconoclastic." (Alan Watts)
Author Biography
The Venerable Myokyo-ni (1921-2007) whose name means 'mirror of the subtle nun', was born Irmgard Schloegl in Leitersdorf, Austria. She came to England in 1950, where she lectured in mineralogy at Imperial College, London. After becoming interested in Buddhism she joined the Zen class at the Buddhist Society. In 1960 she travelled to Japan and underwent Zen training at Daitokuji in Kyoto. She was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist nun in 1984. She later became head of the Zen Centre in London, and wrote a number of influential books describing Zen practice.