Thank You and OK!: An American Zen Failure in Japan

by David Chadwick

David Chadwick, a Texas-raised wanderer, college dropout, bumbling social activist, and hobbyhorse musician, began his study under Shunryu Suzuki Roshi in 1966. In 1988 Chadwick flew to Japan to begin a four-year period of voluntary exile and remedial Zen education. In Thank You and OK! he recounts his experiences both inside and beyond the monastery walls and offers insightful portraits of the characters he knew in that world—the bickering monks, the patient abbot, the trotting housewives, the ominous insects, the bewildered bureaucrats, and the frustrating English-language students—as they worked inexorably toward initiating him into the mysterious ways of Japan. Whether you're interested in Japan, Buddhism, or exotic travel writing, this book is great fun.

Genres: Buddhism, Zen, Japan, Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir, Philosophy

481 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Mesoscope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the books I've read on Buddhism, this completely unassuming memoir by David Chadwick is by far the closest to my own experience.

After training for many years at the San Francisco Zen Center and Tassajara Chadwick moved to Japan for a few years to study in the traditional training. He herein recounts his experiences with seemingly limitless reserves of alertness, humor, warmth, and accuracy. He masterfully conveys the heart of his practice along with its inevitable bewilderment, and gives an evocative and entertaining portrait of the life of a gaijin wayseeker in Japan.

When Eihei Dogen said "The life of practice is a continual mistake," he surely didn't mean that with a wink, like "It's not REALLY a mistake." The essence of Zen is falling short, and by that metric this American Zen failure is a spectacular success.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting memoir of the author's time in Japan; I wasn't particularly interested in the zen-specific aspects, but much of the story is concerned with his own life, as well as the folks (and situations) he encounters in Japan. Recommended, although his jumping back and forth between his pre and post-marital periods was a bit disconcerting.
The influence of his teacher Katagiri Roshi plays a significant role in the narrative. I'd encountered "Roshi", as she refers to him (Chadwick calls him "Katagiri") in the autobiographical novels by Natalie Goldberg; her latest one The Great Failure specifically deals with her feelings about him after his death.

[Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just fantastic. It's equal parts Buddhist travelogue (well, a travelogue that takes place within a temple) and Japanese cultural analysis. The author seems clear-eyed and willing to question his own conceptions (except when it comes to some silly Buddhist orthodoxy) and it makes for wonderfully entertaining prose. Makes me want to live somewhere that I don't understand...

[Ashutosh Sahu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather dry and dull account of a mishmosh of topics interspersed with moments of hilarity, quotable quotes and a little bit of insight into the Japanese culture of the late 80's.

Above all, my takeaway is that everyone was wasting their time, from Chadwick, to Norman, to the 'Korean' monk, and most of the others there. As he only admits towards the end, the institution exists to perpetuate the institution, to raise the next generation of obedient monks, and above all to instill blind conformity and soul-destroying 'harmony' which is code for a dog-eat-dog racist mindset based on seniority.

The author tries very hard to belabor his prose, capture zen wisdom, and generally pad out the length. The interweaving of the two different time periods (his monastery life with his later married life still living in Japan) is, as he says at the beginning, because the monastery life is unbearably dull. All of the above is a failure... but at least he's honest about it in the title.

Perhaps 4 stars is generous. Most of, but not all, the monastery stuff is meaningless. I was much more interested in the daily life and culture of regular Japanese people. "Just Pretend" seems to be the key to their society, according to Chadwick.

[MQU · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure what I expected from this book, after I read the back cover and decided to read it. Maybe a travelogue, maybe an exploration of Zen Buddhism and how it’s practiced in Japan. It wasn’t particularly a travelogue and it was sort of an exploration of Zen Buddhism in Japan. Rather, it was a deeply personal series of vignettes that highlighted the author’s four-year stay in Japan, part of that time in a Zen monastery. The author’s tone is simple and very neutral and took me quite a while to sink into. It helped when I remembered that a key precept of Buddhism is to observe without judgement - which is exactly what he was doing in written form. In the end, I got to know some characters whose humanity grew on me, and I learned a little more about the author than when I started. A sentence late in the book rang so true that it brought tears to my eyes: I think we’re all just plodding along - and that is the true light.

[Lisa Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little fly-on-the-wall observation of the life of an American zen student living and working in Japan. The first half of the book deals mainly with life at a monastery. Lots of little head-scratching moments as he tries to maintain his natural curiousity and need to comprehend in a setting where nothing makes sense and he's often chastised for trying. The second half deals with life once his girlfriend arrives. The two settle into a home and Chadwick is teaching English as a Second Language to a group of adolescents and young adults. This is where it really picks up. Several laugh-out-loud moments as he tries to explain the obsession that the Japanese have with the English language and the often obscene and hilarious ways our words show up in their lives.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about this book that keeps pulling me back. The writing isn't spectacular, the story isn't gripping, and it's not the kind of thing I'm normally drawn to. However, I have read this book three times now, and I have a sneaking feeling that I'll probably read it again in the future. It's the kind of thing I read when I'm not sure what to read- when I want to read, but don't want to get sucked into a deep, heavy plot. It's just a nice, light read and I'm glad I picked it up all those years ago at Borders.

[Gabriel Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, I liked this book and there's much to enjoy about it but it's a bit of a baggy monster. It's a diary, essentially, and whilst Chadwick is deeply moving about his mentor Katagiri, one does wonder how it is that he managed to get away with an essentially beatnik attitude within the strict Zen monastic system. The best thing about this addition to the small mountain of extant Westerner-in-Japan memoirs is the lack of bitterness in the conclusion. Abruptly thrown out of Paradise (though for reasons that are nobody's fault) Chadwick uncomplainingly gathers up his stuff and goes.

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This turned out to be so much more than I anticipated. I picked this book up looking for a bit of interesting but light reading, something to fill time with. I figured I’d enjoy it, given my longstanding interest in Zen, but I didn’t expect to five star it. This is such a wonderful, playful, somewhat (refreshingly) irreverent take on Zen, full of genuine compassion, struggle, and heartfelt warmth. I loved every moment, and I’m so grateful to have read it. (It’s also dispelled a long and frankly dumb tendency of mine to bypass Western writing on Zen. Hardcore Zen is now up next.)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing isn't great, but this is a relaxing read. Another plus is the author's outlook - he is a willing student of Japan, of the Japanese monastary, and of Japanese life, so he rarely (if ever) stands between his reader and the story he has to tell.

Don't bump anything down on your list to read this one, but if you happen to, say, be stuck in an airport without a fresh book (last one just ran out), and it's what you come across at Border's, pick it up.

[Jane Stonebrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by David Chadwick's biography of Shunryu Suzuki ("Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki"), I traveled to Japan to visit some of the sights and cities where roshi grew up. While traveling I read "Thank You and OK! An American Zen Failure in Japan" by Mr. Chadwick. It is my feeling Mr. Chadwick is a gifted writer, however it is quite evident he was inspired by his writing material.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This summer for my ten wedding anniversary, I was supposed to go to Japan. Obviously, that's not happening, so I've decided to read some of my husband's favorite works on Japan, Zen, and U.S. Americans in Japan. Although I don't know how much of this experience still applies (Chadwick lived in Japan in the late 80s), it was delightful to read, especially for insights into Zen practice and Zen temples and the Japanese language.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A total delight. Painless way to learn a lot
about Japan, Buddhism-behind-the-scenes, what an
interesting melting pot when "our culture" and
"their culture" meet and greet in the specialized
life of a monastery. Down to earth and accessible
on every level from kitchen details to dealing
with your guru and with your would-be English-
speaking students.

[Nihal · Rating 2 out of 5]

At last, I got to finish this book that settled on my night stand for months.
It's actually not too bad, it's just sometimes it was too boring to continue. Some of the commentaries on the Japanese culture and its contrast to the American culture were quite interesting, especially as Japan is high on my list of places to visit.

[Linus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read on Zen, ever, and I have been studying the topic for three decades. Its a wonderful story of a Western Zen teachers adventures and misadventures living as a monk in (mainly) a small temple in Japan. At times laugh out funny, at times incredibly sad and poignant and all around a brilliant read. Highly recommended to any Zen students out there, who are looking for a break from Dogen, Rinzai, Ucchiyama and Okamura!

[Danny Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chadwick is entertaining at times, but I would've liked to have gotten a lot more backstory on his entry into the Zen world in the u.s. prior to departing to Japan, as well as his mindset in making the decision to make the leap. He sort of glosses over these areas in broad strokes.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting diary of a western zen student in Japan in the 80s. a lot of inside baseball that might be hard to follow if you have no background in zen or know some of the figures from the San Francisco Zen Center. I recommend reading Crooked Cucumber first.

[Joshua Milburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at Japanese culture, particularly Zen, from an American. Highlights the differences and friction points as well as compromises via scenes from his daily life, in and out of the monastery.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a past intense Zennie, I can’t help but love this book and relate to it!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book four times now. Of course it is one of my favorites.

[Mr. Wakiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insight into Buddhist temples and the life there.. always interesting to see that religious leaders are mortals as well

[Chelsea Smart · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an aspiring . . . Buddhist something, I found this read interesting and disappointing. I didn’t get what I wanted but enjoyed the ride.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you aren't interested in what it was like for an American to live in Japan in and out of various Zen Buddhist monasteries during the late 1980s, then this book is not likely to be for you.

It's also not really about the 'spiritual' aspects of Zen Buddhism, or a wider commentary on Japan. It's David Chadwick's documentation of his day-to-day experiences living in two different kinds of alien culture, the relationships between him, his wife, his fellow monks, neighbours and language students.

An engrossing, friendly and insightful read.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book holds my record for longest time between starting and finishing a book. It was like a long book of short stories (1-4 page short stories) so I just kept picking it up and reading a few pages here and there between other books. I lost track of some of the characters by reading this way but was still able to enjoy it. I especially liked the parts about his experiences with Japanese culture as an American, but I would also recommend it to people interested in Zen.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went to the bookstore looking for some Zen Buddhist texts and found this irreverent personal memoir by David Chadwick about the period he spent in Japan in 1988-90 as a Zen Buddhist priest. It was the perfect thing to be reading to let off steam and constantly remind myself that we're all human in the same ways no matter what religion or culture we have.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching, entertaining, philosophical, hilarious, well-written, thought provoking, and infinitely share-able. I have given this book to my teen-aged son, his friends, my friends, my siblings, and casual acquaintances. I re-read it from time to time and savor it's joys.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book although it took awhile to get used to his mellow style. Sparked my interest in Zen and Buddhism and encouraged me to keep up with my Japanese language study. A Japan I haven't really read about before. Very interesting!

[Clintweathers]

At some point, every student of Zen gets really f'n tired of reading about Zen.
When that happens, they start reading biographies of Zen practitioners.
This is one of the best.
Chadwick brings a humanity and practicality to the practice that you won't find anywhere else.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about zen in Japan and japanese culture.

[Renate · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting insights into Japanese culture and Zen buddhism