Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate: Ein Zen-Trip durch Tod, Sex, Scheidung und die Suche nach dem wahren Dharma

by Brad Warner, Rainer Scholz

Für alle, die unerschrocken wie der Buddha selbst sind.
Wie hilft ein echter Zen-Meister - nicht die milde lächelnden Cartoonfiguren, sondern ein echter Meister - anderen Menschen, wenn er mit seinem eigenen Schmerz beschäftigt ist? Wie meditiert er, wenn seine Welt auseinanderbricht? Ist seine Meditation in diesen Momenten etwas wertvolles oder nur eine Flucht?

Brad Warner schildert in schonungsloser Offenheit ein Jahr seines Lebens, in dem seine Mutter und seine Großmutter starben, er seinen Traumjob verlor und seine Ehe scheiterte. Gleichzeitig beschreibt er gewohnt witzig und wortgewandt, wie die Lehren Buddhas ihm halfen, mit all diesen Ereignissen fertigzuwerden und auch ein mildes Nicht-Eso-Lächeln zu entwickeln.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Philosophy, Memoir, Religion

278 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Brad Warner is an ordained Zen Master (though he hates that term) in the Soto lineage founded in Japan by Master Dogen Zenji in the 13th century. He's the bass player for the hardcore punk rock group 0DFx (aka Zero Defex) and the ex-vice president of the Los Angeles office of the company founded by the man who created Godzilla.

Brad was born in Hamilton, Ohio in 1964. In 1972, his family relocated to Nairobi, Kenya. When Brad returned to Wadsworth three years later, nothing about rural Ohio seemed quite the same anymore.

In 1982 Brad joined 0DFx. 0DFx caught the attention of a number of major bands on the hardcore punk scene. But they soon broke up leaving a single eighteen second burst of noise, titled Drop the A-Bomb On Me, as their only recorded legacy on a compilation album called P.E.A.C.E./War.

In 1993, Brad went to Japan to realize a childhood dream to actually work for the people who made low budget Japanese monster movies. To his own astonishment, he landed himself a job with one of Japan's leading producers of man-in-a-rubber-dinosaur-costume giant monster movies.

Back in the early 80s, while still playing hardcore punk, Brad became involved in Zen Buddhism. The realistic, no bullshit philosophy reminded him of the attitude the punks took towards music. Once he got to Japan, he began studying the philosophy with an iconoclastic rebel Zen Master named Gudo Nishijima. After a few years, Nishijima decided to make Brad his successor as a teacher of Zen.

In 2003 he published his first book, "Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies and the Truth About Reality." In 2007 he followed that up with "Sit Down and Shut Up," a punk-informed look at 13th century Zen Master Dogen. His third book is "Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate."

Reviews

[Frank Jude · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found Warner's first book, Harcore Zen a refreshingly voiced read, and shared it with many students and fellow practitioners. Having been in a few punk/alt bands myself, and writing a lot about it back in the late 70s/early 80s, I resonated with his perspective.

By his second book, Sit Down and Shut Up I began to wonder if he'd become a victim of his persona. I found his tone at times a bit warying. AND, there were some real blunders in his understanding of some aspects of Buddhadharma. However, the second half of that book was genius, and his take on Dogen -- again -- refreshing! I gave it four stars.

With this new one, I wonder if he's blown his wad. It is certainly his weakest effort yet. I'm sorry to have to say this, because I actually share much with him in both his perspectives (especially on 'enlightenment,' spiritual 'idealism' and the whole 'Zen Master' thing -- which in a take on Frank Zappa's form of self-promotion through self-abnegation, he still milks for all its worth. "The Zen Master mystique is a bunch of shit, and hey, I'm a Zen Master!") AND his life experiences.

I am sure that Warner must have felt he had to get this stuff out of his system. But there isn't really all that much that is terribly interesting. It could have been a really good, tight essay.

Also, he continues to spread the inaccuracies that Buddhism was originally all about meditation and that gods and ritual came in later. Even a cursory read of the Pali Canon will show you that the Buddha and the early sangha believed in all that shit. This is also one aspect of his notion that he speaks for "Buddhism." Of course, his training is in the Japanese (Soto) tradition, and there are many times when what he says for "Buddhism" is just plain inaccurate -- even if I agree with his perspective, it's a good idea to mention that it's his perspective and not the Buddhist tradition's take on things.

SO, I won't be recommending this one to anyone. But his other two are still valuable reads, and I am hoping this one is just a temporary aberration.

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2007 was not a good year for Brad Warner: his mom passed away, his dream-job went bust, a lot of people he'd studied Zen with suddenly hated him and his marriage fell apart. His third book, "Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate" is a memoir about how he experienced that year and how his Zen practice helped him go through it.

It is not Warner's best book, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth reading. I think that it was very important, and probably also quite cathartic for him to write this, to put his flaws out there, because the pressure of being a "religious authority figure" was probably starting to get to him in a bad way. But more importantly, for his readers, this is a very good reminder that slipping off course, losing your focus and making mistakes is not the end. You can fuck up, acknowledge your mess, clean it up, carry on and become a better person because you have learned from it.

One of the first things he mentions in this book is crucially important to all students of Buddhism: your teachers are human beings, which means they are flawed and occasionally, even if they try their very best, they fuck up. Warner doesn't use this as an excuse to justify some of the not-100% exemplary behavior he describes in the book: it's a real warning to help students tell the real teachers from the phony holier-than-thou ones. It's a warning against projecting unrealistic expectations on a teacher, and surrendering your power to that kind of person.

"Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate" is not really a teaching book like "Sit Down and Shut Up". The autobiographical parts are much longer, often painfully confessional. Warner sneaks some teachings and reminders in there, but mostly, he vents. He talks about how difficult it is do deal with a parent dying, with a marriage coming to a frustrating and sad end. He talks about the fact that while his Zen practice helped him cope better than he would have had of he hadn't had twenty years of zazen under his belt, it was still brutal and unpleasant. Zen practice makes it impossible for you to deny that you are responsible for the effects of your actions, so you tend to handle rough patches much more lucidly than when you are in a confused and unfocused state of mind, but loosing your mom to a degenerative disease is still a tragedy.

There are great moments of insight in this book, and while it is nowhere near as tight as his previous works, I still enjoyed reading "Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate" because while it is important to try our best every day, we also can't beat ourselves up if we slip and make a mess from time to time. What matters is not that we never makes mistakes, but rather how we deal with them, and this book is really about fucking up, cleaning up and moving forward.

One of the final chapters ("In Which I Vow to be an Asshole Forever") wraps up that shitty year of Warner's life with his realization that when something truly needs to be said or done, you should just do it and not give a fuck. You should behave morally towards everyone, but you shouldn't be afraid of others' judgement. Be careful but don't be timid, because things end. Jobs, marriages, lives. So the bottom line here is: sit zazen and live right here, right now.

For Brad Warner fans and people who'd like to know what it's like having real-world problems while trying to hold the Buddhist precepts.

[Jen Madsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am happy to say this book disappointed me. Let me explain. I've been interested in ordinary Zen since reading Charlotte Joko Beck's Nothing Special about eight years ago. Being raised in a tradition that insists true authority lies outside one's self and perpetuates the myth that human beings can transcend their humanness and achieve some kind of holiness that entitles them to tell other people what's good for them, I find myself still in the unfortunate habit of hoping someone out there has all the answers. Warner insists in his first two books that there ain't no one out there, even Zen masters, who have it all. There is value in finding a good teacher, but the best ones don't take on responsibility for your life even when you give it to them willingly. He takes it a leap farther in this book by revealing himself as a human being, warts, farts and all. Readers can take this book in a number of ways. They could, for example, read about this Zen priest's own thoughts of boredom and resistance to practicing zazen, be put off by vulgar language and references, judge his straying from Buddhist precepts and conclude that this is not a "true" teacher. OR, a reader could see what Warner is actually doing here: blowing the lid off the illusion that anyone can be that idealized, pure master many of us would like to believe exists. This is ordinary, everyday Zen. Can Brad Warner teach you something about this practice? Yes. I find my disappointment in his failures to live up to the ideal hardly different than my disappointment in my own self. Is this what I am, all I turned out to be? Well, OK then. Nothing to do but get on with living.

A few good quotes:

"As for enlightenment, that's just for people who can't face reality."

"We don't need to be conscious of absolute reality. The only thing we need to do is give up the notion that our images of reality are real."

"You won't understand life and death until you're ready to set aside any hope of understanding life and death and just live your life until you die."

"Life is contradiction. Deal with it."

Aw, just read the book already!

[Me · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read and/or listened to all of Brad’s books. Somehow this turned up last.

I have been in the Buddhist community on and off again for thirty years. Usually I would go to the center that was nearest to where I was living. Over the years this included Tibetan and Japanese traditions.

I became so disgusted by much of it. Sex and power scandals (if not crimes), psychopaths in the hierarchy, and other plain nonsense. I gave up reading dharma books and attending teaching. One day on a whim I picked up one of Brad’s books. I am glad I did. No fake nonsense, no flying lamas and no pretending he is a archetypal guru from outer space and enlightenment land.

He is very open about his life which was refreshing. It gave me a different perspective on looking at teacher, student relationships. I believe now that it can be acceptable but there is a fine line between power exploitation and acceptable relationships. I don’t know if I could manage it or would want too.

Brad talks about death of his Mom and Grandma. I like the way he approaches it.

Overall, I recommend this book. I would make it the last one of his to read . I truly enjoyed it.

[Ruzz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't read hardcore zen, the book that made it possible for this abomination to be written and now having read this, i may not.

there are gems of insight, but like the title suggests they are wrapped in ego and dipped in shit. sorry, karma and chocolate.

this book was not about his trip through death, sex, nor divorce. this book was a rebuttal to the world that he feels is parked watching his every move and thought. of course, no one actually is, but thats the virtue of narcissism; blissfully centering the universe, everything is about "you".

i gave it one star, when felt it ought have none because the book does achieve it's stated goal which is to show that even being a zen master does not free one from the foibles and struggles of being a modern human (unless you retreat the world). Indeed, he deftly illustrates through his own emotional immaturity, childish philosophy and reactive activity that he surely is a conflicted about himself and life as most people are.

i've chosen on the whole to ignore the zen master part because it makes the context of reading this book unbearable. i'm not well versed enough in zen buddhism to speak clearly on exactly what's wrong there, but i can speak personally and say going to him for advice on finding clarity would be like going to lindsay lohan for movie career advice. he may have the title (though it seemed the equivalent of becoming an internet ordained preist to me) and he may have some wisdom trapped in all that teenaged rabble, but neither of these qualifies this guy to give advice on anything but how not to write your third book.

interestingly, if this book was a blog, and slightly less skewed towards the "look at me look at me" impetus of someone who found notoriety by momentarily filling a book niche and wanting those halcyon days back it would be a good read.

moreover, if he offered up any sincerity as a human, about his aspirations to advance the state of his humanity, and contrasted them with his obvious struggles against himself it could be a great blog/book. unfortunately, it reads much more like a rebuttal, or justification for his current state than any striving to achieve another.

[Clive F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at random in a bookshop, based the cover, the title, and my patented method of opening at a random page about 1/3rd of the way through, reading the page, and seeing if I wanted to continue. I did, and, with some mild caveats, I'd recommend it to you, too.

Brad Warner is a teacher of Zen Buddhism. I practice (and to some small extent, teach) a secular version of Tibetan Buddhism, which is rather frowned upon by some of the Zen Buddhists as being a corruption of the original teachings. But Brad (I'm sure he won't mind me calling him Brad) ain't that guy. As well as being a Zen teacher, he is a punk rocker from the 1980s (one of the chapters describes him hanging out backstage at Ozzfest - a giant heavy metal festival), still plays with his band, lived in Japan for 11 years, worked for a movie company, has a bit of a crappy relationship with his wife, and so on. He's a real person, living his real life, just like the rest of us.

This book is a brave attempt to show a true view of a couple of fairly crappy years in Brad's particular life, and how he coped with them. The subtitle says it all: "A Trip Through Death, Sex, Divorce, and Spiritual Celebrity". He does this not by "being all Zen" about it, but by being a real, genuine, fully-engaged, human being.

Ultimately, that's the message of this book: we're all genuine, complex, brilliant, screwed-up, happy, sad, flawed, self-contradictory, human beings. He's no different from the rest of us. He's just perhaps a little bit more aware of it than some - thanks to his 25 years of practice. In the end, this is what Buddhism tries to show you, I think.

I did enjoy this book, and it's definitely entertaining enough to be worth your time to read. I was hoping, perhaps, for a little more on the Zen stuff, and a little less of the autobiography, so I'd give it three and a half stars, rounded down to three for lack of core content. Still, I'll look out for others of his - they sound like a blast!

[Marla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Warner's first two books and gave them each 5 stars. I stand by that. I have every intention of rereading both. I liked the way he said to question everything...find your own path...reality is now. This is not a book about Zen. This is an autobiography about a really bad year Warner had. I empathize. But this book isn't about how he worked through it. It's an angry, mean-spirited diatribe. It's a rant against his ex-wife whom he describes as cold and emasculating. It's a rant against fellow Zen Buddhists who he thought were his friends but disappointed him. All they did was call him out on his behaviour (writing a column for a porn site). It's a rant against his employer. I saw little compassion for the dying in this book. There is no respect for anyone or thing. His humor wasn't funny, it went too far and was in poor taste. He spends the whole book defending his behaviour as being "real". There's an early rant in which he says "Americans, stop making excuses!" And then he makes excuses for all his own bad behaviour. The underlying message in this book is great, that Zen Masters (or members of any spiritual organization) are just people...with the same urges and making the same mistakes as everyone else. So here, we see that he has made some poor choices (I'm not sure he would agree, however). Ok. He's human. I get it. I never thought he wasn't. Yet he doesn't really tie it up with how he's grown from it, how he made it meaningful to himself. One of his last chapters is titled "In Which I Vow To Be An Asshole Forever." He's succeeded so far. This book is a manifestation of that. He says over and over how he's "real". Yes, he is. And he's proven even real Zen Masters can benefit from a little therapy.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Sit Down and Shut Up. I enjoyed Hardcore Zen.

The thing that I don't like about this book is that it doesn't play to Brad's strengths. It's indulgent and was no doubt cathartic to write, but he seems to be fighting a battle that only exists within a small minority: I know that 'zen masters' and monks aren't superhumans. I don't need a detailed account of his life to realise that's the case. I didn't have any preconceptions that needed blowing apart.

Maybe others do. But I hope Brad's next book will be as exciting, accessible and rewarding as the first two. He had a good thing going for a while.

[Hardial · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Sit Down and Shut Up and I was liking this one too. Brad Warner writes engagingly while still getting you thinking about Zen and what it means in real life. I found Sit Down in particular got me reenthused about my own meditation practice, and this one was heading that way too.

Like the last book though, my enjoyment of his writing really got derailed by his late-90's early-2000's problematic mindset that just does not withstand the test of time. His casual objectification of women, quips about fat people and "hobos", and lazy comments about all prisoners probably being rapists and murderers just wrecks his credibility when you're reading this book 15 years later, when that type of language is no longer acceptable (and with good reason). It discredits the other things he says about himself in the book, about being cool with how other people live their lives and not doing unnecessary harm.

In Sit Down I just recall one throw-away comment about wishing Lucy Liu would sit in his lap that made me have this weird feeling and disconnect from the otherwise good message and learning I took away from his writing, but this one was a whole ebook page that I could not stop thinking about for the rest of the book:

"I woulda followed that little piece of tail anywhere. Of course I know that no woman is a mere 'little piece of tail.' But every man, and I mean every one of us humans with penises, from His High Holiness Dharma Master Love Peace and Crumbcakes right on down, has times in his life when all the nice spiritual thoughts in his beatific mind fizzle into fluff and the only thing he can fixate on is a nice piece of tail. You may want to believe there are men for whom such urges arise and pass like clouds floating through a clear blue sky. It never happens that way, I'm afraid. Never."

I find myself wishing that now that he has also passed through the time of reckoning we have all had with toxic masculinity and Me Too, he looks back on this and realizes how trapped he was by the harmful gender essentialism of the times, and recognizes that he does not have to pretend for an audience that no amount of self-realization and inner work can protect him from his own dick, and indeed he has a choice to not view women as objects. It's ok to be enamoured of someone outside of your marriage without simultaneously disrespecting them and claiming that your entire gender would also be completely under the control of their sexual organs and cease having any semblance of choice in what happens next.

Otherwise, the book was entertaining. I would still recommend Sit Down and Shut Up more, just for the more thought-provoking and inspiring thoughts about Buddhism and Zen, whereas this is more of a personal memoir with a peppering of the good stuff.

[Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a blog post on Vividness titled "Buddhist ethics is a fraud", in which the Tantra Buddhist and MIT artificial intelligence expert David Chapman sets forth his theory on how modern Buddhism became a "collection of self-aggrandizing strategies for gaining social status within the left side of the Western cultural divide", Brad Warner's book is mentioned with zest. And since "Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate" is a title that one can't simply ignore, I decided to give it a try even though I expected to find only sandalwood-scented material for bald monks at best.

But Warner's account of his life, mingled with Zen Buddhist remarks, torn down the unrealistic expectations I had about what's it like to be a Buddhist. This was the first time I read Eastern philosophy grounded to real life issues. And if this book has taught me something, it's that so-called Zen masters are mostly bogus (no news here), and that true masters aren't endowed with spoon-bending mind powers. Far from it, they can have real-world jobs (or, say, play drums in a punk-rock band, write op-eds for "Suicide Girls", and produce cheesy Japanese monsters movies), and be as susceptible to failures as you and me.

And boy, how susceptible they are. In Brad's words: "you may be thinking that if a Zen master isn't able to withstand a bit of pressure he's not a very good Zen master. [...] But Zen is a philosophy for the real world. And in the real world even Zen masters sometimes aren't that strong." I loved to read this and other confessions, like how sometimes his lower back hurts while sitting zazen, and all he thinks during the meditation retreat is stand up and run away flailing his arms in the air; or how he sometimes gorged on vegan dumplings; or how he couldn't help falling in love for one of his students. His account of his fallibility despite practicing Zen Buddhism for 25 years is refreshingly human.

"When I say that Buddhism worked, I don't mean that it was a magic solution to my problems. Nor do I mean that any miracles happened or that I was able to erase all doubt and fear from my mind through some kind of special power. What I mean is that Buddhism, especially Dogen's Buddhism, provided the most truly realistic and practical way of dealing with life. It isn't spirituality, but it isn't materialism either."

Particularly, Brad won my devoted sympathy with his lashing out toward the McEnlightenment movement, which promises a shorter route to cosmic understanding through psychedelic drugs. I've been a firm believer that spiritual growth is the process rather than the end, and taking the shortcut will negate at least half the benefits. It's just like cardio. Running isn't about increasing your aerobic capacity only -- the prolonged activity frees up headspace, trains your focus, strengthens several muscles in your body, and cheers you up. If there was such a thing as "Instant VO2max Increase Through Quantum Therapy or Magic Mushrooms", it would be worse than cheating. It would be plain stupid.

"Try riding a bus drive by someone opening their doors of perception with LSD. [...] I just wonder why "opening the doors of perception" seems to include inability to operate a motor vehicle. Shouldn't a true opening of the doors of perception make you a more competent driver? After all, you're supposedly perceiving everything more clearly, right? [...] I won't deny that drugs can sometimes seem to open up areas of the consciousness we don't normally open and that they can do so very quickly. But they are a very bad way to do this. Whenever you use a drug to achieve some desired effect it's like tuning a piano with a sledgehammer. If your aim is good maybe -- maybe -- you'll get the one string you're aiming at in tune".

So becoming enlightened to endure hardships, whatever "enlightenment" may be, is not the goal one should have in mind when practicing zazen. Like Brad says, "zazen is not based on achieving some goal created by thought. It aims to free us from everything that thought has constructed. This is a far more vital concern." And more:

"The best way of life is to live the way you want to. But living the life you really want to live is not the same as living the life you /think/ you want to live. If you don't know the difference, you very well might be better off living the life everybody else thinks you should. [...] Before you can live the life you truly want to live, you need to find out what you truly want. That takes patience. You need to look straight into your own mind and weed out your real desires from the false ones you've created out of thought. I only know of one way to do that, and you should have figured out by now what that is. Yep. You got it. Lots of zazen."

Being a Buddhist, it seems, isn't the same as being prepared to every hindrance life throws at you. Reading about Brad's ups and downs, you learn that Zen masters are everything but prepared, just like all laymen including you and I. The difference, according to Brad, is that zazen makes you recover faster when something throws you off the beaten path. It's easier to decouple your mind from the funneled vision that blocks your reasoning. Decoupling is akin to thinking about your thinking. It's about getting a god's-eye view of the situation. Curiously, this is the base of ACT: acceptance-commitment therapy. From Wikipedia:

The objective of ACT is not elimination of difficult feelings; rather, it is to be present with what life brings us and to "move toward valued behavior". Acceptance and commitment therapy invites people to open up to unpleasant feelings, and learn not to overreact to them, and not avoid situations where they are invoked. Its therapeutic effect is a positive spiral where feeling better leads to a better understanding of the truth. In ACT, 'truth' is measured through the concept of 'workability', or what works to take another step toward what matters (e.g. values, meaning.

Put it bluntly, ACT is about dealing with your feelings face-to-face, not sweeping them under the rug. All sensations and thoughts, however good or bad they might be, are just part of you. Let them come, acknowledge them, and let them go. Well, if this is not a direct influence of Buddhism, then I don't know what it is.

Brad's style of writing, plus a plethora of good life advice and the sheer moral maturity he demonstrates throughout this short biography made me want to read all his other books. Maybe I'll even create a new tag on Goodreads called "new-agers-will-hate-it".

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Maybe in some sense there were things I could have handled differently, better. But “could have” is an illusion, and illusions are mostly useless. This is what I did. And only what I did really matters."

[Tomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,6*

[William Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me longer to finish “Zen, Wrapped in Karma, Dipped in Chocolate” than it should have. Why? Because I liked it so much and wanted it to last longer. I put off finishing it despite being three quarters of the way through. (Also, I was overwhelmed with school responsibilities and reading, but the former statement is still true).

This is the third book by Brad Warner that I’ve read. Many years ago I read “Hardcore Zen”, his first book, and loved it. I still recommend it often to those wanting to learn about Zen without pretense. His writing is down to earth, real, humorous, and he demonstrates the real life of someone dedicated to Zen, with out its dirt and muck.

This book is about a really bad year for him (about 8 years ago now, but he write it as it was happening). Basically his mother died, followed by his grandmother. His marriage dissolved, and his job was at risk, as well as unrewarding. He just discusses going through it, what Zen lessons there are, how he sometimes applies them and sometimes fails, and how he still experiences life with all its ups and downs.

I highly recommend this book if you want to voyeur into a Zen “master’s” life (he says in another book no self respecting Zen teacher calls himself that, it is usually reserved for dead masters). Seeing that a Zen master also suffers, and has mixed feelings, and isn’t always calm and Buddha-like, is refreshing. Especially in this age of Deepaks and Eckharts, who seem to purport they are somehow always in a state of serenity and to not be is some sort of failing.

In closing, there were so many quotes I loved, but this was from the final chapter: “This book stands as yet another failed attempt to convey what no one has ever succeeded in conveying.” But it comes a lot closer than many.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brad Warner continues his self-expository look at Zen practice in his third book. His first book, Hardcore Zen, told how he came to Zen after being a hardcore punk and served as an introduction to zazen and Zen ideas. His second was an exploration of the Shōbōgenzō, a work written by the Zen teacher Dogen in the 13th Century.

In Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate, Warner relates the stories of the difficulties in his life in 2007, a time when his mother died after a long fight with Huntington's Disease, his marriage fell apart, his job also fell apart, and his grandmother died. He tells these stories to show how his Zen practice and experience helped carry him through the year. Warner's most practical goal is to humanize Zen practice and what it can do for the practitioner. His experience with Zen Buddhism does not grant him some sort of magic immunity or detachment from these painful experiences. What it does his help him to understand and deal with his pain by providing perspective on his part and his role in the world. Warner maintains and explains his skepticism about those Zen practitioners who do promise a quick way to enlightenment or who take themselves entirely too seriously. He isn't afraid to point out that even they are human and subject to human ego and frailty.

This is not an academic text on Zen Buddhism. Although you get some perspective on Zen and its development, what you do get is what seems to be an honest account of Warner looking critically at his life and the world of which he is a part. His open account of his own errors and mistakes and his own ability to be open about his life makes the book worth reading.

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brad Warner, once a singer in a punk band, and lately, a rep for a Japanese monster-movie maker, is not your typical Zen Buddhist teacher, which is one distinguishing factor of his books to date. He lives his life as most of us do, attempting to field, as capably as he can, what life throw to him; trying to do the right thing, to figure it out as he goes along. What else can Buddhism be in the 21st century? In fact, what else, really, has Buddhism ever been but this?

Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate is, in brief, about a year in Warner's life in which he was thrown more than his usual share of curve balls. He writes about it in a colloquial way that's likely more accessible to most readers than many of the more "traditional" books about Buddhism. If you're interested in Buddhism, It helps to read this kind of book from time to time to keep things real. Warner hews to age-old Buddhist principles and never makes light of the seriousness of the undertaking, he simply doesn't see the need to be ponderous about it. As a Zen practitioner, he believes that zazen (sitting meditation, to Zen Buddhists) is pretty much the answer to everything, insofar as a non-goal-oriented practice such as zazen can be an answer. Through a consistent meditation practice, Warner suggests, we learn to handle what comes our way with greater equanimity. And that, I agree, is a very big deal.

[Juliane Roell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this through in just two sittings in less than 24 hours.

I enjoyed following Warner's story, but read it through very quickly, as it wasn't very dense. Frank Jude Boccio writes in his review (2 stars): "It could have been a really good, tight essay." That's what I felt throughout most of the book: It could have been much shorter and tighter. But maybe it wouldn't have been a book then.

Sometimes it read like free-writing without editing afterwards. Many parts could have been shortened or cut. Editing could have turned the book more into a Dharma book than the biographic rant with bits of Dharma teaching that it is now. (I think Warner wanted to write a rant, and there is nothing wrong with that. I just think his experiences could have provided more value when written down more carefully or systematically.)

I have a much better impression of Brad Warner than I had before and I am happy about that. He writes honestly and I feel him to be less arrogant than I thought him before.

The main point that sticks with me is the message of being-yourself-completely which he gets across very clearly (including the difficulties of doing just that).

I enjoyed reading this but I don't think that there will be much sticking or that I will keep it for a second read.

[Mike Rutschky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Brad Warner's masterpiece. This book is like the third season in a crazy sitcom about Brad's life, and it's the best one so far. The author lays it all out there to prove that even being a "Zen master" doesn't make you exempt from pain and suffering, and that you just have to take that crap head-on and own up to the part you played in all of it. I came away from this book feeling very inspired and ready to deal with my own troubles in a much more proactive way, not to mention more committed to my own zazen practice.

[Stuart Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

The novelty of Warner's books was starting to wear off by the time I got round to his third effort. Add to that the fact that this one is more autobiographical than his previous books and less Zen-oriented. Then factor in that some of the big emotional upheavals that are used to hype up the book didn't really bother him that much when you actually read the book and even the things that did bother him seem to get resolved more through blind luck than anything he got from his Zen practice. Overall I found it rather disappointing.

[Carolyn Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book, though I can't explain why. I'm not sure I can recommend it because i can't imagine who to recommend it to. I think it is a book you must simply fall into at the right moment and it was the right moment for me. I cleaned out my meditation closet and started doing my zazen again after reading it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't decide if this guy's an ass or not, but I feel like I learned a bit about Zen Buddhism from a guy with his middle finger up at convention rather than someone thinking he was better than most of us - and I liked that. I will go back and read some of his earlier stuff, for sure.

[John]

Author does a good job explaining "the zen scene" without ever getting too bogged down, nor being too much of a wise guy.

[Moni Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I enjoy Brad Warner's way of explaining things. It resonates with me. Looking forward to reading more of his books.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a confessional memoir than his previous books, it was still interesting and enjoyable.

[LisaZen · Rating 1 out of 5]

En valinnut tätä kirjaa tutustuakseni zeniin tai buddhalaisuuteen tai hengellisyyteen, vaan saadakseni edes hieman käsitystä amerikkalaisen buddhalaisuudesta juontuvan hengellisyyden luonteesta ja maantieteellisestä levinneisyydestä. Jonkin verran kirjoittaja kertookin eri meditaatiokeskuksista ja niiden taustasta, muttei mitenkään syvällisesti. Enimmäkseen kirja on kirjoittajan omaelämäkerta. Warner näyttäytyy varsin kärkevänä henkilönä, joka mm. näyttää suhtautuvan kielteisesti muihin hengellisiin traditioihin, esim. kristinuskoon. Vaikka hänen tavoitteenaan onkin vain osoittaa, että zen-mestaritkin ovat vain ihmisiä, niin odottaisin silti miltä tahansa hengellisen perinteen ohjaajahenkilöltä yleistä suvaitsevaisuutta hengelliseen työskentelyyn yleensä, oli suuntaus mikä tahansa. Kirjoittaja vaikuttaa marisevalta kakaralta, jolla on aina huono päivä. Teksti ei sinänsä ole huonosti kirjoitettua, mutta jos sillä oli minuun mitään vaikutusta, niin lähinnä se tartutti tyytymättömyyden ja tympeyden ja kiukun henkeä. Ei kiitos!

Lueskelin zeniä ja buddhalaisuutta käsitteleviä kirjoja viimeksi 30 vuotta sitten. Parhaana niistä pidän edelleen Alan Wattsin klassikkoa, joka on julkaistu suomeksi yksinkertaisesti nimellä Zen (The way of Zen). Se riittää minulle tästä aiheesta.

[Crysta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a few good points. I liked the theme of "You're human, you're going to mess up. Try your best anyway, then forgive yourself, learn, and move on." The main point is to show that zen masters are just people, which did not feel surprising or groundbreaking the way the author seemed to think it would be. Maybe a lot has changed since 2008 when he wrote it? Or maybe I lucked into better sources of information earlier than his intended readership.

One recurring theme really bothered me. The author rambles over a few chapters trying to explain why it's actually cool for him to sleep with his students and other women half his age since his wife isn't sleeping with him anymore. Now this is a topic that has been done to death by older men trying to justify their actions, and they all have their own little takes on it. For this guy, it comes down to if you're not literally lying to your students and claiming you can give them enlightenment through sex then there are absolutely zero power dynamics to worry about, it's really awesome and also the sex was great so who cares anyway. Whew! Thank goodness that potentially tricky topic was so easily tied up! Blegghhhh

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of the author and knew nothing of the subject but was amused by the title. This was an easy, enjoyable, and engaging read. The theme here is that somebody can succeed as a Zen master even as he does not succeed in the rest of his life. In other words, he addresses the myth that being a Buddhist and knowing Zen, means your whole life falls into place, and you always make the right decision. He chronicles a single year, and the narrative goes back and forth between him being of no value at all to his marriage or his employer and him being of great value to those who want to deepen their understanding of Buddhism. He does a good job at this. I especially appreciated that he did not manufacture some sort of Hollywood ending where everything works out at the close. Here, he is still heading for divorce and (likely) unemployment. I do not mean to sound like I celebrate his struggles, it is just that anything else would have made his story less authentic. Sometime things just don't work out.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Years ago, I read Brad's first book, Hardcore Zen, and found it to be a useful introduction to Zen Buddhism in a modern, relatable way. Perhaps my younger self had a more positive perception of Brad's writing, but I found this book to be overwhelmingly disappointing. The book is an autobiography of Brad's life around 2007-2008, following his trials and tribulations. After studying Zen for 25 years or so, you would think that Brad would have the mental and spiritual skills to deal with his challenging life situations in a thoughtful way. Yet, he reveals how his marriage stagnated through a lack of communication and engagement, how he cheated on his wife multiple times, his sloppy application and approach to Buddhist teachings, and how he seemingly stumbles through life with the same emotional reactions that any of us would. If years of Buddhist practice and meditation lead to the life that Brad lives, it's difficult to understand why anyone would follow his path.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Brad's best work. It comes off a little immature for the most part and just reads like one long rant. It's almost as if he's trying too hard at times to accomplish his mission of making people see Zen teachers as real people. There isn't much contained in this book I would consider real advice or much that comes remotely close to being helpful. I get he went through a lot that year and needed to vent, but the most he can say regarding zen is that it really helped in each situation. That's about it. It's still entertaining and a fairly short read though.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging book; predominantly autobiography, with plenty of Buddhist thought. I can't particularly fault the book in any major way, and Brad Warner helps to clarify that at the end of the day, we're all human, we're all exactly where we are supposed to be, and almost all of the time we're actually the ones that out ourselves there.

[Mr. Wakiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I waver on this book. There are moments of pure beauty and then moments when I wonder if Warner is paying attention.

The first book I read of his "Don't be a Jerk" makes me wonder each time I see him being a jerk. It seems you don't get to balance out being a jerk with tenderness.

Still an interesting book and one of my favorite buddhist writers, but...