The power and simplicity of the Korean Zen tradition shine in this collection of teachings by a renowned modern master, translated by Martine Batchelor. Kusan Sunim provides a wealth of practical advice for students, particularly with regard to the uniquely Korean practice of hwadu, or sitting with questioning. An extensive introduction by Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism without Beliefs, provides both a biography of the author and a brief history of Korean Zen.

Chinul (1158–1210) was the founder of the Korean tradition of Zen. He provides one of the most lucid and accessible accounts of Zen practice and meditation to be found anywhere in East Asian literature. Tracing Back the Radiance, an abridgment of Buswell’s Korean Approach to Zen: The Collected Works of Chinul, combines an extensive introduction to Chinul’s life and thought with translations of three of his most representative works.

Kusan Sunim (1901-83) was one of the greatest modern masters of Korean Zen. As the Zen Master of the Songgwang Monastery, he preached the sermons and dharma talks collected here. First published in 1985 and long out of print, these pithy, down-to-earth, refreshingly practical guides to meditation and spiritual cultivation are now again available to followers of Buddhism and the Way of Zen. A brief history of Korean Buddhism, a fascinating account of life in a Korean monastery, and a biography of Master Kusan provide important background information, and the glossary of Korean and general Buddhist terms is a valuable tool for readers new to the field of Buddhist studies. Of special interest is Master Kusan's presentation of a meditation practice, unique to Korean Zen, the hwadu. Zen students familiar with koan riddles and the "just sitting" practice of Japanese Zen will be eager to learn of this distinctively Korean approach to meditation, and to read Master Kusan's detailed instructions for its practice. Master Kusan also offers a interpretation of the classic Ten Oxherding Pictures, illustrated by the ink paintings of "Living National Treasure" Sokchong Sunim.

In this engagingly written account, Martine Batchelor relays the challenges a new ordinand faces in adapting to Buddhist monastic life: the spicy food, the rigorous daily schedule, the distinctive clothes and undergarments, and the cultural misunderstandings inevitable between a French woman and her Korean colleagues. She reveals as well the genuine pleasures that derive from solitude, meditative training, and communion with the deeply religiouswhom the Buddhists call "good friends." Batchelor has also recorded the oral history/autobiography of her teacher, the eminent nun Son'gyong Sunim, leader of the Zen meditation hall at Naewonsa. It is a profoundly moving, often light-hearted story that offers insight into the challenges facing a woman on the path to enlightenment at the beginning of the twentieth century. Original English translations of eleven of Son'gyong Sunim's poems on Buddhist themes make a graceful and thought-provoking coda to the two women's narratives. Western readers only familiar with Buddhist ideas of female inferiority will be surprised by the degree of spiritual equality and authority enjoyed by nuns in Korea. While American writings on Buddhism increasingly emphasize the therapeutic, self-help, and comforting aspects of Buddhist thought, Batchelor's text offers a bracing and timely reminder of the strict discipline required in traditional Buddhism.

Chinul (1158–1210) was the founder of the Korean tradition of Zen. He provides one of the most lucid and accessible accounts of Zen practice and meditation to be found anywhere in East Asian literature. Tracing Back the Radiance, an abridgment of Buswell’s Korean Approach to Zen: The Collected Works of Chinul, combines an extensive introduction to Chinul’s life and thought with translations of three of his most representative works.

Hwadu is the most authoritative edition of Zen questions and answers by JeonBeop Zen Master DaeWon Moon JaeHyeon. Through Hwadu one may encounter the living Zen of the Korean tradition.