How Do We Use Zen in Daily Life?

We are all looking for a balanced life of compassion and kindness. We want to rise above the stress and depression that comes from modern life, emotional or physical abuse, a broken heart, the loss of a loved one, and the tension of maintaining the comforts of life or the disappointment of failure.

You may learn some of the secrets through 88 short stories -- some stories only between one and three pages. The setting is a Zen Buddhist monastery that is nestled in a serene valley surrounded by mountains with lush forests. Monks, clad in simple robes of muted brown or gray, move through daily routines of meditating, changing, and mindful labor -- tending to the gardens, preparing meals in the communal kitchen, and maintaining the monasterey.

Each monk, whether a young novice or an elder master, seeks to embody the Zen principles of mindfulness and compassion.

One young monk in particular is hungry for knowledge of "The Way." His mind ponders questions or morality, religion, love, eternity, and dealing with people he meets in the nearby village with kindness and compassion.

These are stories of the young monk as he seeks guidance from an old master, whose lessons reflect the wisdom he has gained from studying and living Zen over the course of decades.

This book is not to be read like a novel. Instead, read one story per day and reflect on its message and how you can use it to walk a path through life that is consistent with your true nature.

What Readers Say About "A Handful of Nothing!

★★★★★ Verified Purchase – Amazon
"This is the most interesting and helpful book I have read in a number of years."

Dan Djerdjevic - Australia -- I have just read an electronic preview copy of Ken Gullette's absolutely brilliant book “A Handful of Nothing”. This collection is easily the most accessible and insightful treatment of its subject matter I have ever encountered - by far.

The engaging, simple-yet-profound, soothing-yet-powerful stories flick past with the pages - just like ephemeral moments of life. However, each of these “moments” floods you with insight and inspiration.

This is a book you might pick up off a coffee table or bookshelf out of idle curiosity. It’s also a book you’ll end up reading for the next hour or more. It’s that accessible, relatable, absorbing and enlightening. All in equal measure.

I rarely buy books of wisdom/philosophy. Indeed, I have only bought half a dozen in my life. My soon-to-be-acquired physical copy (hopefully, one signed by the author) will take its rightful place on my shelf next to my copies of “The Prophet”, “Hagakure” and “The Dao of Pooh”.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough - for martial artists seeking more than just a physical “way”, and anyone else who seeks to walk the difficult path to wisdom. If anyone can help you, it would be Mr Gullette - a true master of The Way (who also happens to have a way with words!). 

 ★★★★★ Verified Purchase – Amazon
"The book is an easy read, and the tales will resonate for some time afterwards. My personal opinion is that this book would prove most useful if it were left somewhere handy, and could be picked up each morning so that one of the 88 chapters could be read and then reflected upon. One chapter per day, at the start of the day, to ensure that the reader’s mind has a little help before heading out into their chaotic world."

 ★★★★★ Verified Purchase – Amazon
"The timeless stories contained within take the form of simple conversations between teacher and student that we as the reader get to eavesdrop on, and it is through these conversations that the author generously shares from his lifetime of wisdom."

If you live in the U.S. you can order the book through this website. If you live outside the U.S. you can order it through Amazon or a local bookstore. Ken offers free shipping in the U.S. but International shipping is too expensive from the U.S.