The sayings in A Zen Forest, translated by Soiku Shigematsu, were selected from Kuzoshi (A Zen Forest Saying Anthology) compiled in the late fifteenth century by the Japanese master Toyo Eichi Zenji (1428-1504), and from Zuddoko (The Poison-Painted Drum), edited by Genro Fujita (1880-1935), the first volume of which was published in 1916. Even today, students of the koan are expected to keep on hand at least one copy of each of these handbooks. Essential companions to all Zen followers, the handbooks consist of verses from Zen classics, sutras, and the poetry of T'ang and Sung China. The selections in this volume are basic, inspiring and timeless, with each entry revealing some phase of satori and Zen life. Although Zen followers believe that words are stakes that will bind you unless you free yourself from them, they also recognize that they are the only way to universalize and eternalize human experiences. This book does both.