Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: Two Book Reviews: Tim Burkett and Brad Warner

  1. #1

    Two Book Reviews: Tim Burkett and Brad Warner

    Hi Guys,

    I have a couple of book reviews ...

    Kokuu reminded me of this book, which had been sitting on my kindle for awhile: Nothing Holy about It: The Zen of Being Just Who You Are by Tim Burkett . A little about Tim ...

    Tim Burkett, began practicing in spring 1964 with Shunryu Suzuki Roshi ... Tim attended the maiden practice period at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in 1967. In 1970, Tim and his wife, Linda moved to Minnesota. He was an early member of MZMC [Minnesota Zen Meditation Center] and was ordained by Dainin Katagiri Roshi in 1978. Tim was president of MZMC from 1978 to 1983, recieved transmission from Karen Sunna in the Katagiri lineage in 2000, and succeeded Karen as guiding teacher in 2002. He is also a licensed Ph.D. psychologist and retired CEO of one of Minnesota's largest non-profit agencies.
    The book is a series of many short essays, on a great variety of topics related to Soto Zen Practice, from someone who has practiced and taught for over half a century with some of the greats (Suzuki, Katagiri, Kobun Chino and others). Tim recounts little memories about all of them, especially Suzuki Roshi. From one reviewer:

    The book would be well worth the price if all it did was bring the reader up close and personal with Suzuki Roshi. But it does so much more. "Nothing Holy" also provides a simple, yet profound, guide to Tim's own teachings. As the Guiding Teacher at Minnesota Zen Center, Tim applies the principles he learned from Suzuki and the other great teacher in his life, Dainin Katagari, as well as his own insights gained as a psychologist and social worker. His book captures those teachings in a practical, step by step approach to Zen that is kind, compassionate and grounded in the belief that true Zen is about gently and fully embracing the life you have right in front of you. The author maintains throughout that there is "nothing holy" about the Zen he learned from Suzuki Roshi. While it may not be holy, there is certainly something very valuable, satisfying, and enjoyable about it. The same can be said for Mr Burkett's wonderful guide to the Zen of being just who you are.
    https://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Holy-...ehuffingtop-20

    There is an audio book, but it may be hard to follow as audio as Tim's ideas are sometimes tightly packed. If there is one comment I might make about the book, it is that he sometimes is a bit too "pop-psychology" in his presentation of Zen (something very common these days when so many Zen teachers are also trained psychologists). He has many very personal recommended little practices and tips based on his decades of experience. I cannot say that I agree with all of them, but then again, he was practicing Zen when I was still in diapers.

    I am going to see if I can get him here as a guest teacher. (His student, Ben Connelly, came to Treeleaf as a guest teacher a couple of years ago).

    ===============

    The second book that I will review is Bro. Brad Warner's "It Came from Beyond Zen!: More Practical Advice from Dogen, Japan's Greatest Zen Master: 2".

    http://www.newworldlibrary.com/Books...x#.Wc1wnGi0PIU

    I first thought about giving the book total rave review as it is by Brad and about Dogen. In the book, Brad takes many classic Dogen writings from Shobogenzo and elsewhere, paraphrases in modern language with a lot of Bradian jokes and puns, and adds commentary. The book is a follow-up to Brad's earlier "Don't Be A Jerk," which I like a lot more for the originality of it (my review of that: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-r...SIN=1608683885 ). I said about that earlier book:

    I am pretty impressed and tickled by the whole thing. This book is just a brilliant interpretation. As he says, it is not meant as a line by line rewriting, and more of a quick thumb nail glimpse with a good bit of humor and fairly free interpretation. Nonetheless, Brad manages to convey the heart and sense of each passage. Just wonderful, a takes a kind of genius to pull this off. I think what he has done is just a blast and really funny too, while still being poignant and amazing.

    I think it still helps that I am already pretty familiar with the standard English translations that he is playing off though, so It may still be a little hard to follow for folks not so familiar with Dogen pretty well (and hard to follow anyway even if you are because, well, Dogen is Dogen even when Bradicized).
    This time, I honestly had to give a more mixed review in case anyone would buy it and be a bit lost or disappointed. So, here goes:

    I love this book ... but I fear that I will be one of the few. I was rolling on the floor laughing, but sometimes shaking my head at the missed opportunity of the whole thing. Everyone should read it, few will understand it. Like Brad himself, this book is brilliantly flawed, both great and (sometimes) just "give it a break" grating.

    I want everyone to own it and appreciate it, but that might be a lot to ask. Brad has worked a tour de force, but created something equally frustrating and terrible and misleading. I think readers need to understand something about the book before delving in: I love this book because (1) I just like crazy stuff (2) I'm a long time student and lover of Dogen who is familiar with all the standard translations and thus ROFLs because I get Brad's really "inside baseball" Dogen jokes playing on those translations (3) I am a Brad fan who digs him and his sometimes acid (even if mellowed lately) sense of humor (4) I'm okay even if Dogen is sometimes twisted beyond recognition if the result is still amusing or interesting (5) I am a translator of Japanese too who thrills at pages of discussion regarding arcane Chinese character meanings (6) I like the Warner-Nishijima Way. Buy this book, savor this book, be ready to be swept away sometimes, but be prepared that unless you are all those things I listed, maybe this book will lose you quite often and you won't finish it or like it. I find many of the insights contained in the book original and unique, worth the whole price of admission, but also find much of the book shallow and head-achingly fluffy (Brad, the dorm room level philosophizing about God is not a plus, neither here nor elsewhere). He often simplifies and makes clear what is almost impossible to make clear, and at other times just dumbs things down to the point of dumb. Argggh. I think he sometimes gets Dogen like few others have, and I feel he sometimes messes up Dogen and Basic Buddhism 101 to the point that Brad should do his homework a lot better, instead of just saying silly stuff off the top of his head.

    So, I love this book, but I would be lying simply to recommend it unconditionally just because I like it, and I am all over the board. Maybe it is like the cheap horror films on the cover, brilliant to extreme fans willing to overlook the messy production values.. I am such an extreme fan. For my rating, I will simply quote the cook (Tenzo) from Dogen's "Instructions for the Cook", one of the writings Brad tackles:

    The Tenzo said, "One, two, three, four, five."

    Gassho, Jundo

    SatTodayLAH
    Last edited by Jundo; 10-01-2017 at 04:58 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    Ah, I have to buy these two.

    I'll read Brad's book first since his Don't be a Jerk was very useful to me.

    Thanks, Jundo.

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    Sat/LAH
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  3. #3
    Thank you, Jundo. Did you get an advanced copy of Brad's book? Here it is only available as a pre-order for now.

    I agree with Kyonin that Don't Be A Jerk was great so will be getting that too.

    A copy of Mugan Peter Schellin's Rogue Monk arrived today so I will give a brief review of that when I am done.

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    Thank you, Jundo. Did you get an advanced copy of Brad's book? Here it is only available as a pre-order for now.

    I agree with Kyonin that Don't Be A Jerk was great so will be getting that too.

    A copy of Mugan Peter Schellin's Rogue Monk arrived today so I will give a brief review of that when I am done.

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday/lah-
    I've got the electronic version of It Came From Beyond Zen, it's available from iTunes, Kokuu.

    Sat today/LAH
    I yam what I yam, that's all that I yam.
    Popeye.

  5. #5
    Also available on Kindle.
    Gassho
    Frankie
    Satwithyoualltoday

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Kokuu View Post
    Thank you, Jundo. Did you get an advanced copy of Brad's book? Here it is only available as a pre-order for now.
    I bought the Kindle version, which has been available awhile now.

    Gassho J

    SatTodayLAH
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  7. #7
    I think I'm going to pick up "don't be a jerk" first. If I like it I will grab "It came from beyond zen" next.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Nengyo View Post
    I think I'm going to pick up "don't be a jerk" first. If I like it I will grab "It came from beyond zen" next.
    Oh yes, definitely, read them in that order if going to read them.

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  9. #9
    Thank you Jundo! I'm really excited about Brad's book too, and the other one wasn't even on my radar so that's going to my must read pile as well . With Don't Be a Jerk, I really liked reading the passage from Shobogenzo - reading Brad's chapter on it, reading some other views (if there were commentaries like the infamous Genjokoan and Bendowa), etc.

    Gassho,

    Risho
    -sattoday/LAH

  10. #10
    Going through Tim Burkett's book, it's really really great.

    Thanks for the idea !
    Gassho,

    Uggy
    Sat today
    LAH

  11. #11
    Thank you for the recommendations, Jundo.
    The Brad's second book was on a pre-order and I'm about to arrange for the Burkett's book too.

    Gassho
    Washin
    sat today

    p.s. my copy of "What Is Zen?" arrived by mail yesterday !

  12. #12
    Burkett's was one that drew me further into Zen. I enjoyed the audio version, but my physical copy is filled with highlights and underlines. His stories of Kobun, Suzuki, Katagiri and others are also just kind of cool to hear.

    There's one part of the book where Tim is bombarding Suzuki with questions, and Suzuki just kept responding, "Just sit, Tim..". I really liked that part - because.. same. haha.

    Gassho,

    Tyler

    ST/LAH

  13. #13
    On a slightly oblique note to this, I’ve just seen on Hardcire Zen that Brad Warner’s running a 5 hour workshop in Manchester starting at 12:30 today.............it’s 147 miles to Manchester, we need to stop for gas, neither of us smoke so we don’t need a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’ve got photochromic lenses in our glasses. Hit it.
    I yam what I yam, that's all that I yam.
    Popeye.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by David View Post
    On a slightly oblique note to this, I’ve just seen on Hardcire Zen that Brad Warner’s running a 5 hour workshop in Manchester starting at 12:30 today.............it’s 147 miles to Manchester, we need to stop for gas, neither of us smoke so we don’t need a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’ve got photochromic lenses in our glasses. Hit it.
    Please say Howdy!

    Gassho J

    Stlah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by David View Post
    On a slightly oblique note to this, I’ve just seen on Hardcire Zen that Brad Warner’s running a 5 hour workshop in Manchester starting at 12:30 today.............it’s 147 miles to Manchester, we need to stop for gas, neither of us smoke so we don’t need a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’ve got photochromic lenses in our glasses. Hit it.
    We're on a mission from god



    sat today

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    Please say Howdy!

    Gassho J

    Stlah
    Passed your regards on, a bit like saying howdy but with a touch of British reserve

    Sat today/LAH
    Last edited by David; 10-08-2017 at 04:08 PM. Reason: Forgot sat today again.
    I yam what I yam, that's all that I yam.
    Popeye.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Nengyo View Post
    We're on a mission from god



    sat today
    You got it, spot on. Great film.

    Sat today/LAH
    I yam what I yam, that's all that I yam.
    Popeye.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •