The is part 2 of review of Brad Warner's book "Zen Wrapped in Karma..." Part 1 can be found here.
Reading the last 60% of the book did no change my opinion of it. It is still readable, good book where Brad does his best to describe a tough year in his life from Zen perspective. He gives plenty of good tidbits about what Zen is:
"It may look like we're doing nothing when we sit zazen. But actually we are exposing ourselves to ourselves. Lots of us who do this don't like what we see. I don't like what I see a whole bunch of the time. Yet we persevere until no rock is unturned, and every squishy little bug underneath has seen the light of day."
There are some pretty strong words in the book about how progress in zen is not instant, and how it cannot be bought or achieved by using gizmos. This is entirely reasonable if one thinks about how much time is required to rewire those neurons in the brain :)
Some highly reasonable words on balance:
"When things are too exciting, that's a problem. Just because something is exposed to view doesn't mean you have to look at it. Just because some experience is available does not mean you need to have it... "
There are some very practical consideration against trying all possible experiences. Such as lack of time to try it all. But Brad gives here a different reason:
"Every high has a corresponding low. You don't believe that, I bet. Most of us don't. We think someday we'll find that one special high that lasts forever... Those who hope for purity and righteousness always toy and destroy that which disturbs them. They think the disturbance comes from outside themselves. This is a serious problem. Wars, suicide bombings, and all sort of other nasty things start from the premise that we can destroy "evil" outside ourselves without dealing with the evil within... Whenever I look carefully at the things that disturbed me most deeply, I never found them outside me. They were always right there. And that's where they'll always be found."
There are quite a few interesting cultural notes. On LA culture:
"It's always really interesting to watch famous people trying to get noticed and then acting all annoyed when it happens."
On hard rock folks:
"... even metal musicians are essentially nerds in black leather."
The description of interactions with journalists is the best I've ever seen:
" I talk to them [journalists] for half an hour, and they distill what I've said down to three or four words that they get completely wrong. those sound bites live on, and months later someone gets up in my face and demands to know how I could have said such a thing."
One of the best parts of the book is a little culture clash between westerners in Japan and a Japanese host:
"At some point he told them, "Feel free to use the place as you like." This is a standard Japanese phrase that actually means something more like, "Don't f*ck with my place, or there'll be hell to pay.""
Given the subjects he's writing about and unconventional choice of
words, it's easy to see how somebody would misconstrue his writing for
an egotistical immature drivel. This kind of misunderstandings can easily happen when one focuses his/her attention on words and not the meaning.
Granted that the meaning is somewhat "exotic", and the true
understanding requires some thought and probably "mediation" practice.
The book ends with a twist:
"As for enlightenment, that's just for people who can't face reality."