This book, first published in 1998, provides both a first-hand account and a theoretical analysis of the way an American Zen community works.

Foreword Randall Collins; Preface; Part I. A Sociological View of Zen: 1. Approaching the study of religion; 2. On going native; Part II. A Profile of Zen Membership and Formal Orgainzation in Southern California: 3. A profile of Zen membership; 4. The physical layout of a Zen center; 5. Formal organization and staff; Part III. The Zen Teacher: 6. The teacher; 7. Daily schedule; 8. Interaction with students; Part IV. What is Zen?: 9. Learning about Zen; 10. Varieties of Zen practice; 11. Zen viewed sociologically; 12. Zen practice; Part V. Meditation as a Social Phenomenon: I: 13. Becoming a Zen practitioner; 14. Consequences of meditative practice; 15. Becker's model; Part VI. Meditation as a Social Phenomenon II: 16. The social constructionist view; 17. Meditation defined; 18. Some consequences of meditative practice; Part VII. Doing Zen Meditation: 19. Sudnow's view of improvised conduct; 20. Using Sudnow to see Zen practice sociologically; 21. The social organization of Zen meditation; 22. Problems in Zen practice; 23. An experience of sitting meditation; Part VIII. The Social Organization of Zen Meditative Ritual Practice and its Consequences: 24. Bourdieu's concept of habitus; 25. Ritual, self-transformation, and reality construction; Part IX. The Meanings of Zen Practice: 26. Subjective (conscious) meaning; 27. Objective (unconscious) meaning; Part X. Summary and Conclusions; Appendix; Notes; References; Index.