""instructs in the meditative art."--Publishers Weekly Open your heart and mind to Zen--and feel a newfound sense of calm, self-reliance, and connection with life's natural flow. A brilliantly and generously illustrated appraisal of Zen Buddhism's spiritual beliefs reveals information on the religion's origins, development, teachings, practice, moral principles, and relationship to health, the environment, and the arts. Dozens of photographs and drawings glowingly convey Zen's inner beauty and humor, display statues and sculptures, unfold the landscape in which it developed, and open your spirit to its philosophy. Understand the importance of meditation and how to perform it, and Zen's health benefits (from diet to martial arts). From the strictly religious aspects to its wider implications, beginners are started on the path to Zen wisdom. Every page is suffused with a meditative and beautiful essence.