Description

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This lush, beautifully illustrated narrative breathes humanity and warmth into one of the most famous and enigmatic koans of the Zen tradition.

The Story of Mu uses luminous illustrations and a mythic narrative structure to convey the great potential for peace and enlightenment that we all carry hidden within ourselves. Shot through with ineffable “thisness and thussness,” Mu spins a visually rich, cosmogonic fable about the origins of the universe of space, time, matter, and life. It also touches something lost but always present within the human heart: an awakeness that is without flaw, from the beginning before the beginning.

About the Author

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James Myosan Cordova received Dharma Entrustment, the beginning of formal Dharma transmission, from Melissa Myozen Blacker Roshi in December of 2013. He teaches with Blacker Roshi and David Rynick Roshi at the Boundless Way Temple, in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is the guiding teacher for the Benevolent Street Zen Sangha in Providence, Rhode Island. James is also a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and author of The Marriage Checkup. He lives in Shrewsbury, MA. 

Illustrator Mark T. Morse lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, three daughters, and pug (who may bear some resemblance to the canine companion depicted in the book). His art-making life stretches back as far as he can remember, with his first art lessons coming from his artist father. Professionally, Mark works as a storyboard and conceptual illustrator at a digital consulting agency. Reflection on the stories and conundrums of Zen often occupy his personal creative efforts. He lives in Snohomish, WA.

Praise For…

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“This lushly illustrated tale treats Mu as a sentient cosmic principle, tracing Mu from the origin of the universe to the creation of life in Buddhist tradition. Morse’s illustrations, often in warm tones, convey both the magnificence of the cosmos and the quiet grace of daily life. The simple story is followed by a short essay on Mu by James Ishmael Ford, a Zen Buddhist priest, Unitarian Universalist minister, and author of The Book of Mu. The book seems targeted at Buddhists, but the uninitiated will also find this to be an accessible rendition of a vital Buddhist concept.”
— Publishers Weekly