From the very beginning of Buddhism, poetry was used as an essential aid to training and practice, and Zen's influence on the secular poetry of China, Korea, and Japan has been profound. In this first Shambhala Library original, Sam Hamill and J. P. Seaton showcase the rich variety of literary creativity inspired by Zen with an anthology of poetry from China and Japan by men and women, monks, royalty, and laypeople, from the beginnings of Zen to the early twentieth century. Hamill, the founding editor of Copper Canyon Press in Port Townsend, Washington, and Seaton, one of the leading experts on Chinese poetry in America, provide informative introductions that set the poets and their work in historical and philosophical context. Included are poems by Lao Tzu, Han Shan, Li Po, Dogen Kigen, Saigyo, Basho, Chiao Jan, Yuan Mei, Ryokan, and many more.