Suzuki Shosan is among the most dramatic personalities in the history of Zen. A samurai who served under the Shogun Tokugawa leyasu in the 17th century, he became a Zen monk at age 41 and evolved a highly original teaching style imbued with the warrior spirit.

The warrior's life, Shosan believed, was particularly suited to Zen study because it demanded vitality, courage and "death energy", the readiness to confront death at any moment. Emphasizing dynamic activity over quiet contemplation, Shosan urged students to realize enlightenment in the midst of their daily tasks, whether tilling fields, selling wares, or confronting an enemy in the heat of battle.

Long popular in Japan but little known to the West, Shosan is presented here to Western readers in a sparkling translation and with a comprehensive introduction that brings alive his unique and colorful teaching.