This new translation of Hubert Benoit's work constitutes one of the most important, and challenging, books ever written on the nature of Zen and its relation to human psychology. Graham Rooth is to be congratulated for giving us a better translation of Benoit's classic work. And Sussex Academic Press is to be congratulated for publishing this collection of Benoit's work in a single volume.

Benoit unpacks the teaching of Hui-Neng in terms of modern psychology (and its relation to classical metaphysics). However, this unpacking unfolds over several hundred pages of dense analytical work in which Benoit sometimes shifts his perspective and amends his conclusions. This book requires both patience and determination.

My suggestion is to first scan through this collection and establish a reading map for further, in-depth, consideration. Read this work selectively, one small part at a time, reading those parts that make the most sense, first. This book is not easy to understand --like Zen itself, it challenges the way you think. However, once you get a foothold, it is a book that you can return to for many, many years.

For serious students of Zen, this book is one of the most important and valuable books ever written. It is well worth the struggle that it will require.