Cultural Oddity

On wisdom

    "If you see through this world and let go of it -- that's wisdom."

    Youtube clip "The Essense of Zen".

The characters in the clip characterize "not letting go" as "bumping with reality". What a colorful characterization!

Review: Zen Wrapped in Karma... (part 2 of review).

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."

Review: Zen Wrapped in Karma... (part 1 of review).

                                                            If you don't know where you are going,

                                                            you'll wind up somewhere else.

                                                            Yogi Berra

Brad Warner is an unusual guy. He was a punk rocker, and he was in the Godzilla-style movie maker. Now he's an ordained Zen priest, who also writes books. And the books are actually ok. They are about as readable as punk rock is un-listenable, in my view at least.

His recent book is "Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate". The Amazon shows mixed reviews. Some mention awful sins, such as "self-justification, ... obsession with celebrity" and what comes across as infantile immaturity. Some praise him for "clear and accessible" explanations of Zen and for "keeping it real".

Well, I've only read 40 % of the book up to now. So far, I found the author to be honest and clear. It is very easy to read, and his Zen vewpoints and stories grow organically from the life episodes.

There is a good introduction into dichotomy of "expect nothing" (Zen) and necessity of planning (business-wise). I say "introduction" because I strongly suspect that this is a much-much deeper topic than the realm of the book. After all, it really helps business-wise to have good goal and to work toward them. Otherwise you might  "wind up somewhere else" according to Yogi Berra. That is, otherwise you are very inefficient. And yes, zen instills readiness for reality, which could be different from your goals. This brings about necessary flexibility. A match made in heaven :)

A few citations are strong:

"One of the basic human desires is the desire to be dominated. Dictatorships and cults arise from the desire of certain communities to be dominated by some powerful figures. Our primate relatives often live in small packs dominated by one unquestioned leader. Maybe this is how we're programmed to respond. In any case, a dictator doesn't come into power by his personal force alone. He comes into power when people want to be led, when people want to transfer responsibility onto some supposedly greater person.

It's very convenient to be told what to do. You no longer have to think for yourself. You no longer have to make your own decisions. This can be a tremendous relief. It's why some of the smartest people in the world ofter fall prey to the kookiest cults. They're just tired of t being responsible for themselves. "

This claim is very interesting. I've seen very similar considerations applied to women in the context of ethological musings.

An interesting cultural passage:

"Hey, America, stop with frikkin' excuses already! One of the most valuable things I learned while I was in Japan was how to stop making excuses. Over there, making excuses for anything at any time under any circumstances is seen as unacceptably childish for anyone above the age of three...

But here in America everybody's just full of excuses. Enough, already! Tell me you don't know the answer, and then go out and try to find the answer. I do not want to hear a bunch of lame-ass reasons why someone else made it impossible for you to do what you were supposed to be doing."

Seriously!

(More to follow once I finish the book.)