Orient: Two Walks at the Edge of the Human

Orient:

Two Walks at the Edge of the Human

Walks in the desert, or journeys through Ch’an enlightenment? Meditations on the nature of seeing, or the nature of ruins? An archaeology of mind? A cosmology of mind? What is this talismanic book called Orient? For over thirty years, David Hinton has learned deeply from the many ancient Chinese poets and philosophers he has translated, and through it all he has been working on Orient. It represents the culmination of Hinton’s philosophical adventure. As such, Orient explores the original-nature that remains after we dismantle all of our human conceptual constructions, the goal of original Ch’an practice. Hence the subtitle: Two Walks at the Edge of the Human. And in following those walks, we wander insight that opens landscapes of scintillating and even ecstatic clarities.

— from the book jacket

Praise for David Hinton's Writing:

A gorgeous book, a book of power . . .

—Bill McKibbon

One of the best books about mountains ever written . . . Check it out!

—NPR

A pellucid gem of a book—I couldn’t put it down.

—David Abram

It is an uncanny journey, essential for all.

—Gretel Ehrlich

Hinton is after . . . depth and boundlessness.

—New York Review of Books

Shambhala (Spring, 2025)

Orient:

Two Walks at the Edge of the Human

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