Seung Sahn is one of my favorite Zen masters. I bought the book Dropping Ashes on the Buddha from the Barnes & Noble on Texas Avenue in College Station, Texas many years ago, but it has remained safely on the shelf for over 20 years now. The recorded sayings, personal letters, Dharma talks, and more in that book paints a really lovely impressionistic picture of this man, someone who dedicated his life to helping others gain something they already had - an understanding of life!
These kind of Zen books are great, and they really should be used as a model for other kinds of writing - I feel like I have a great understanding of this guys life and thinking thanks to the book. It's like watercolor, impressionism, minimalism, but in a text format. It also encourages a return to the book. It encourages a return to the book that is a leafing around in it, a leafing-through. So many good memories with the book.
I think about the book on my shelf right now in the quiet house. I am in the office, but I can see it in my mind. I'm pretty sure that the old Delta airlines boarding pass is still in it as a bookmark, used that way by my old roommate Ken on a trip to Idaho or from there back to New York.
I think tonight I'll return to the book again!