Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo

Zen Guitar is a mash-up of Zen and Music. While it is not a method book in the traditional sense, it does offer guidance on how to approach both one’s instrument and one’s life in a zen way. If this sounds interesting to you, read on.

Pros:

Quotes from musicians (including Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton) generally keep the work from becoming too abstract.
The work includes a glossary of terms, meaning it is not necessary to thumb through the book to find the meaning of a Japanese word or phrase the author uses
It also includes a list of “further reading,” on various topics discusses throughout the book

Cons:

Even though the book is up-front about its contents and intentions (ie that this is NOT a typical method book), I still found some of the lessons to be very abstract
Though the book is titled Zen Guitar, virtually none of the lessons require a guitar specifically, as any instrument will do. Aside from the quotes from famous guitarists, this book could have easily been called, Zen Music or The Zen Musician.

Conclusion:

The book deftly weaves together the study of Zen and Guitar. If that combination sounds interesting to you, and you aren’t looking for a traditional method book, Zen Guitar is definitely worth a look.

Selected Quotes:

“Paths cannot be taught, they can only be taken.”
The moment you think you know everything there is to know, you will have lost the way. The beginner’s mind is the mind of wisdom.
Zen Guitar is more like running a marathon. Those who want to run, run. Those determined to finish, finish. As the samurai say, “The only opponent is within.” There are no tricks or secrets. It is a matter of will—putting one foot in front of the other every step of the path.
Whenever a negative thought came into his head, he would visualize writing the words down on a slip of paper and putting it to flames.
Remember, you cannot feel rhythm with your mind; you must feel it in your body.
Having the right feel is not simply a matter of technique; as they say in the theater world, if you notice how good the acting is, it’s not good acting.
After hitting a wrong note accidentally, play the same note again like you really mean it. As a guitarist friend of mine put it, learn how to turn a wince into a smile.
Be aware that the farther on the path you go, the longer the plateaus get. During these times, you may feel like you’re in a rut. The way out is to stay focused on your training—what you are doing right now. Don’t look ahead to where you want to be, and don’t look back thinking, “I’ve only come this far.”
The mark of true discipline lies in its consistent application.
Do not focus on the goal; focus only on the process by which you arrive at the goal.
Play the truth and it will remain the truth for listeners to discover when they are ready.
Instead of learning how to do something and then doing it, do something and then learn from what you did. Rediscover the joy of beginning and your doubt will vanish.
Life is a process of learning to live with limits—limited resources, the limited attention spans of listeners, our limited time on this earth. Learn to pack the most into the least. Know the mind of the haiku poet who has but three lines and seventeen syllables with which to work. There is a reason these poets often write of the cherry blossom with its brief, brilliant bloom.
The Way is not to be found through self-consciousness, but unself-consciousness.

Check it out here.