Upcoming Release!
‘Marvellous … a life’s work … a brilliant literary form, weaving reflections of the sutra with those on Alex’s own magical mystery tour’ Alexandra Munroe, Asian Art scholar and curator
Book Description
The material world is itself emptiness.
Emptiness is itself the material world.
Powerful, mystical and concise, the Heart Sutra is believed to contain the condensed essence of all Buddhist wisdom. This brief poem on emptiness has exerted immense influence throughout Asia since the seventh century and is woven into the fabric of daily life. Yet even though it rivals the teachings of Laozi and Confucius in importance, this ancient Buddhist scripture remains barely known in the West.
During the many years he has spent living in Japan, Alex Kerr has been on a quest after the secrets of the Heart Sutra. Travelling from Japan, Korea, and China, to India, Mongolia, Tibet and Vietnam, this book brings together Buddhist teaching, talks with friends and mentors, and acute cultural insights to probe the universe of thought contained within this short but intense philosophical work.
Soon after its appearance in 7th century Tang China, the Heart Sutra became a major theme for calligraphy. Ever since then copying the sutra, called shakyo 写経, has been considered an act of merit.
About the Author
Alex Kerr has spent many years living in Japan and Thailand and is passionate about the traditional arts of East Asia. He is an author, expert on East Asian art and history, and restorer of old Japanese houses. Born in 1952 in Bethesda Maryland, he came to Japan as a child in 1964, and has been based in Kameoka, near Kyoto, since 1977.
In addition to Japan, Alex has researched and traveled widely in East Asia. He studied Chinese and Tibetan at Oxford University, and spends part of each year in Thailand. Alex has been writing calligraphy since he was nine years old, and it remains a lifetime interest. In addition to the writing, his calligraphy also features in the book.
Alex’s books include Lost Japan (published originally in Japanese in 1993, it was the first by a foreign writer to win the Shincho Literary Prize), Dogs and Demons (2001), and Another Kyoto (2016). His most recent book Destroying the Nation with Tourism (Japanese, March 2019) concerns the dangers of unmanaged tourism. His upcoming books are Finding the Heart Sutra (Nov 2020), Japan Pilgrimage (Japanese, Dec 2020), and Another Bangkok (July 2021). Read our BOA interview with Alex.
Note: This book is Aavailable for pre-order now, only from Amazon Japan. We’ll update the link accordingly as the book is available more widely. Click the green “More Info” link on the left.