The secrets for how to live a happy, enlightened life from three charming Buddhist monks and Toshio Suzuki, the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli producer behind internationally beloved and acclaimed films including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Boy and the Heron.

One visionary filmmaker. Three Buddhist monks. Countless life-changing lessons.

• zazen, redirecting our focus inward (Kiki’s Delivery Service)
• kunjū, learning through observation (The Wind Rises)
• fushiki, strength in not knowing (Princess Mononoke)
• furyū monji, how to convey feelings that cannot be expressed into words (Howl’s Moving Castle)

From the skill of embodying nothingness as a form of worry relief, to why Kiki’s black cat Jiji stopped talking, each conversation gradually reveals a basic principle that lies at the very heart of Zen Buddhism and Studio Ghibli—that we, and our world, are worth fighting for.

Beautifully illustrated with Japanese artwork and stills from these iconic films, Zen and Ghibli is at once a charming antidote for our times and a fascinating glimpse into the magic of Studio Ghibli that has shaped fans for over forty years.