Description

TWIRLING THE ROSE
The Nenge-Misho of the Buddha

(Print Version)

For eBook version, click here.

John Diamond, M.D.

ISBN: 978-1-944133-19-1 (62 pp.)

Twirling the Rose is the inaugural release in the Crystal Books series conceived by Dr. Diamond late in his life, with each volume focusing on a particular topic integral to his work. This volume explores the Zen concept of nenge-misho: the legend of the Buddha transmitting the essence of his teaching not through words, but through the simple, silent act of smiling and twirling a flower. The incident is the origin of what is known in Zen as Direct Transmission.

Through a powerful combination of reflective papers, contemplative poems, extracts from lectures, and his unique meditational Stillpoint paintings, Diamond explores various aspects of the nenge-misho legend, including the rose as a symbol of maternal love and the nature of Direct Transmission. Expanding the concept, he invites us to view our lives, our creativity, our illnesses—even the Tao itself—through its lens. Brilliantly original and deeply insightful, Twirling the Rose is one of Diamond’s most intimate and searching works.

Edited and with a foreword by Susan Diamond, Dr. Diamond’s widow.

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