A unique contribution to modern Zen lit. -- a collection of edited transcriptions of actual dharma encountersÓ between students at Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, NY, & Abbot John Daido Loori, Roshi. In dharma combat, the teacher introduces a topic & then invites students to come forward & present their understanding of the subject or ask a question about it. The teacher-student encounters range from pithy exchanges to more discursive discussions -- on zazen, the practice of everyday life, moral & ethical teachings of Buddhism, liturgy, karma, the monastic rule, the Middle Way -- & the students in these encounters are primarily laypeople. Shows that Zen is accessible to us, & that it is relevant to the ways in which we live our lives.