NAWARI KOANS
NAWARI KOANS
Robert J. Fitzwater
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Nawari Koans is Robert J. Fitzwater’s interpretation of the Wumenguan, a thirteenth-century collection of 48 Zen Koans compiled by the Chinese monk Wu-men Hui-K’ai.
In Zen, a Koan is a phrase from teachings or an episode from the life of an ancestor containing a paradox that can’t be understood through logic or thinking. It provides the Zen student with a direct experience of the intuitive “knowing” that lies beyond talking and thinking. Written for a distinctly American audience, Fitzwater brings the 48 Koans to life in a style and prose that is a direct result of his upbringing in the Appalachians of West Virginia.
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PAPERBACK
ISBN: 9780977880614
8 x 8.75 inches | 203 x 221 mm
144 pages
$20 | €18 | £16
Publication date: May 15, 2007Robert J. Fitzwater (1934-2010) was a cultural anthropologist, archaeologist, and lifelong practitioner of Zen who blended academic rigor with a deeply personal spiritual practice. Born in Clay County, West Virginia, Fitzwater’s eclectic journey included military service, roles in academia, contributions to NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, and a period of isolation in the Saudi Arabian desert. Despite decades of Zen study, Fitzwater resisted formal recognition as a dharma teacher, instead embodying Zen principles in ordinary conversations, fieldwork, and even barroom discussions. His writings reflect the insights of an ordinary man seeking profound truth. His teachings, while informal and unorthodox, have left a lasting impact on students, friends, and readers seeking a practical and authentic approach to the dharma.
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