Book Review: Hardcore Zen

07 Feb

Travis |  February 7th,2010 | Random |  3 comments

I recently came to terms with two facts in my life:

  1. I read a lot and really, really, really have been wanting to write book reviews for my blog for YEARS now.
  2. I HATE writing book reviews.

What you see above is my solution.  I have officially joined the world of video bloggers thanks to my 3Gs iPhone and YouTube. I hope you enjoy it (and I hope I leanr how to make them better as I go along. ;) )

Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, & the Truth about Reality by Brad Warner:

I outlined the heck out of this book.  Lots of good stuff in it.  Here are some quotes I found particularly yummy:

  • “… if words are true, who cares whether the guy who wrote them has Shiho (a term for transmission in Zen – ed.) or Divine Inspiration or the power to fly faster than a speeding bullet?”
  • “Nothing can be separated from everything else.”
  • “If the meaning of life, the universe, and everything could be put into a few definitive words that everyone on Earth could agree upon now and for all time, someone probably woulda figured them out and written them down. But, even if they did, it would still be someone else’s truth – not yours.”
  • “Emptiness is that condition which is free from our conceptions and perceptions.”
  • “The universe desires to perceive itself and to think about itself and you are born out of this desire.”

He also has a chapter with an awesome translation of The Great Heart of Wisdom Sutra and his very excellent commentary.

All in all, as I said in the vid, highly recommended stuff.

Let me know what you think of the vid in the comments and how I can improve them going forward. Thanks!

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  • steve

    So good to see and hear you.

    I have no interest in the book and feel all Zen writings hould be limited to history and attempts of instruction. To embrace Zen is to throw it away, so with no belief held how can there be criticism?

    On the spiritual ‘superstars’, how human it is to view as special those who have realized ordinary nature!

    I can imagine BanKei’s laughter.

    Peace and goodwill to you and your own.

    s

  • http://www.religion.whybelievetoday.com jacque

    too funny — not everything — but the part about book reviews. I just decided to start posting notes on my site about books I am reading. Starting with a book I recieved as a gift recently “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures”… I have posted only this so far: “03/10/10 It’s coming….it’s coming. I just recieved this book as a gift from my local Christain Science Reading Room (thank you!). I have read the Preface and will begin reading the rest soon. Please check back to see my notes as I progress.”

    I think it is a great idea (book reviews) but I also HATE doing it | lol. Looks like we are in this one together; good luck! ;-)

    PS I am new to your site, but like what I see…I’ll be back.

  • http://www.traviseneix.com Travis

    Steve, I hear that laughter too. A funny thing that. The book does offer some history and some really good instruction, BTW. Just in a modern context, which is where we are after all. ;)

    Jacque, in this one together indeed! As you can see I have yet to put up another book review. Perhaps today… ;)

Travis Eneix

Dedicated to looking at the self.