Zen Poetry

Ryokan (1758–1831) is, along with Dogen and Hakuin, one of the three giants of Zen in Japan. But unlike his two renowned colleagues, Ryokan was a societal dropout, living mostly as a hermit and a beggar. He was never head of a monastery or temple. He liked playing with children. He had no dharma heir. Even so, people recognized the depth of his realization, and he was sought out by people of all walks of life for the teaching to be experienced in just being around him.

In this deeply honest and often hilarious collection, anxiety isn’t a villain to conquer—it’s a character we get to know, laugh with, and eventually walk beside. With 180 original rhyming poems, this book invites you into a journey of breath, bravery, and beautifully imperfect healing. Some poems will make you laugh out loud. Some will sit quietly beside you in your most anxious moments. All are written to remind you: You are not broken. You are becoming.

On the 50th anniversary of Robert Pirsig’s classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, John Zdanowski, a six-time $100 million business builder, applies the Metaphysics of Quality to inspire and empower the entrepreneur in each of us to create something from nothing. Blending personal anecdotes, business case studies, simple diagrams, and philosophical poetry to convey the deep meaning of complicated subjects …so you get it.