Episode 157: David Hinton & Norman Fischer - The Way of Ch'an

Banyen Books ~ Branches of Wisdom

Oct 27 2023 • 1 hr 1 min

David Hinton, one of the world's foremost translators of ancient Chinese poetry and philosophy, presents The Way of Ch'an: Essential Texts of the Original Tradition. David is in conversation with renowned Zen teacher/author/poet, Zoketsu Norman Fischer.

David Hinton has published numerous books of poetry and essays, and many translations of ancient Chinese poetry and philosophy—all informed by an abiding interest in deep ecological thinking. This widely-acclaimed work has earned Hinton a Guggenheim Fellowship, numerous fellowships from NEA and NEH, and both of the major awards given for poetry translation in the United States: the Landon Translation Award (Academy of American Poets) and the PEN American Translation Award. Most recently, Hinton received a lifetime achievement award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Norman Fischer is a Zen teacher, poet, translator, and director of the Everyday Zen Foundation. A beloved figure in the Buddhist world, he is also well-known for his efforts at interreligious dialogue. His numerous books include The World Could Be Otherwise: Imagination and the Bodhisattva Path, What Is Zen?: Plain Talk for a Beginner’s Mind, and Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong.