Though most of us have a passing familiarity with the concept of Zen—enough to know that we’d probably like to have more of it in our lives—few of us really know what "Zen" means or could articulate how Zen Buddhism describes reality and human life. Philosopher Alan Watts explains the major principles and the history of Zen Buddhism in The Way of Zen.

First published in 1957, the book explains the schools of thought from which Zen originated, breaks down its most foundational principles, and describes how you can experience Zen in your everyday life. (Spoiler alert: Watts thinks that you don’t have to spend your days in meditation or contemplation to make it work!)

In this guide, we’ll examine what Zen is, uncover its principles, and describe how to begin experiencing it. We’ll also compare Watts’s interpretations of Zen ideas to other scholars’ explanations, and we’ll compare his ideas to other theories about how we perceive and experience the world.