As the senior Zen master in the West, Aitken Roshi stands at the forefront of a pursuit both unprecedented and complex: the creation of an American Zen. Through his writings and teaching he provides an introduction to Zen practice at once faithful to Eastern tradition and responsive to Western problems and attitudes. His writings are remarkable for their clarity and insight. Encouraging Words is a collection of short talks and brief essays that Aitken has offered his. Students at extended meditation retreats during the past two decades. These essays and talks are arranged according to themes central to all spiritual seekers, such as "Attention," "Coming and Going," "Emptiness," "Diligence," "Death and the Afterlife," "The Sacred Self," "The Moral Path." Aitken Roshi provides guidance on pursuing religious practice in a lay context, "re-casting the Dharma to include women, jobs, and family, a fascinating course with many pitfalls." He. Also charts his own quest to develop a set of moral codes in keeping with Buddhism's basic precepts and honoring the enormous ethical challenges faced in the twentieth century. Also included is The Syllabus, containing a "Lattice of the Dharma," which includes the major tenets of Buddhism articulated in their shortest forms as vows and promises, a section of important evocations and sutras, an extended annotated glossary of Buddhist terms, and an annotated reading list. Encouraging Words offers itself as a manual of instruction and inspiration, encouragements along the intertwined paths of life and spiritual growth.