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Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time – Discovering Revelation and Truth in Life's Mundane Details
Enlightenment is within reach -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you're searching for revelation and contentment, look no further than a handshake, a cup of coffee -- even your laundry pile. The most mundane details of life contain zen's profound truths, if you're of the mind to look for them. By awakening to and embracing the zen in your life, you'll listen, watch, eat, work, laugh, sleep, and breathe your way to truth -- every moment of every day.
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews
September 8, 2015
Another zen story tells of a student who asked his master,
“Please show me zen.”
The master said, “I have to go relieve myself.”
Upon returning, the master said, “Zen is like going to
the bathroom. I cannot go for you. You have to go for
yourself.”
“Please show me zen.”
The master said, “I have to go relieve myself.”
Upon returning, the master said, “Zen is like going to
the bathroom. I cannot go for you. You have to go for
yourself.”
July 8, 2018
This may have been one of the ones I read during my zen kick after high school, pre-college. They blur together. This is definitely one of the best, if only for the panoply of dope-ass zen aphorisms, many of which I wrote in sharpie on the walls of my room because I was punk rock, shut up.
Here are some:
"Seven times down, eight times up."
"Each day is a lifetime."
That's apparently a Japanese attitude called Ichi-nichi issho.
"This day will not come again."
-my mans Takuan
"One inch ahead and all is total darkness."
"Need a fire? Best strike a flint. Need water? Dig a well."
Hibi kore kojitsu: "Every day is a good day."
Our boy Hyakujo, whose students wouldn't let him work because he was so old so he went on a hunger strike til they gave his tools back. "No work, no food."
And near and dear to my heart, "Stealth cooking. When you're done, there should be no evidence you were ever in the kitchen."
And on the subject of food, one of my foremost obsessions:
"In zen monasteries, monks receive their meals with a chant reminding them of five things:
1. to be grateful of the meal, no matter how simple
2. to appreciate the effort of all hands, both seen and unseen, who labored to put the food on the table
3. to reflect on their own actions, and whether those actions make them deserving of the meal
4. to regard the food as medicine to sustain their health and ward off illness
5. to accept the meal as a means of attaining enlightenment."
Sounds reasonable to me. Zen on a whole sounds pretty reasonable to me.
Here are some:
"Seven times down, eight times up."
"Each day is a lifetime."
That's apparently a Japanese attitude called Ichi-nichi issho.
"This day will not come again."
-my mans Takuan
"One inch ahead and all is total darkness."
"Need a fire? Best strike a flint. Need water? Dig a well."
Hibi kore kojitsu: "Every day is a good day."
Our boy Hyakujo, whose students wouldn't let him work because he was so old so he went on a hunger strike til they gave his tools back. "No work, no food."
And near and dear to my heart, "Stealth cooking. When you're done, there should be no evidence you were ever in the kitchen."
And on the subject of food, one of my foremost obsessions:
"In zen monasteries, monks receive their meals with a chant reminding them of five things:
1. to be grateful of the meal, no matter how simple
2. to appreciate the effort of all hands, both seen and unseen, who labored to put the food on the table
3. to reflect on their own actions, and whether those actions make them deserving of the meal
4. to regard the food as medicine to sustain their health and ward off illness
5. to accept the meal as a means of attaining enlightenment."
Sounds reasonable to me. Zen on a whole sounds pretty reasonable to me.
April 12, 2018
A short book with a poignant introduction. The author passed from this life not long after its publication.
Its message is simple: Live mindfully and enjoy even the simple acts of life. For life consists mostly of the routine, the mundane and the tedious. When you are aware of the significance of these simple routine acts, performing them mindfully you are not missing out on most parts of your life.
The book is full of quotable quotes. My favourite is: Every day is a complete lifetime. This simple quote invites us to embrace each morning as a new birth and a chance to start fresh. Very uplifting and enlightening. I will be coming back to read more about Zen philosophy.
Its message is simple: Live mindfully and enjoy even the simple acts of life. For life consists mostly of the routine, the mundane and the tedious. When you are aware of the significance of these simple routine acts, performing them mindfully you are not missing out on most parts of your life.
The book is full of quotable quotes. My favourite is: Every day is a complete lifetime. This simple quote invites us to embrace each morning as a new birth and a chance to start fresh. Very uplifting and enlightening. I will be coming back to read more about Zen philosophy.
January 16, 2022
This book is a collection of very short passages (generally one or two pages) that treat daily activities from awakening (no pun intended) to going to bed as opportunities to reflect or practice. Many of these are thoughtful and entertaining, but having said that, many of them feel forced as well. One thing I did not like is the author's tendency to end with a common expression as a final thought for the passage. These often feel too cute for my taste. A striking example that I did like is in his Zen Flags passage, which ends with:
Still.
Moving.
This forced me to reflect on the meanings of these two words, and their meaning together.
Still.
Moving.
This forced me to reflect on the meanings of these two words, and their meaning together.
May 8, 2021
Very enjoyable, written in tiny snippets addressing Zen in all facets of life. Seriously, there's Zen ATM, Zen coffee, Zen drive to work, etc. The basic message is one that all can understand, (encompassing being aware in the moment, value of nature, gratitude, being mindful, spirit over material, etc.), regardless of your own religion. Though some of it was a little obscure, overall it was accessible and light reading, and I especially enjoyed the style.
June 10, 2018
Zen is where you look for it.
A simple, quick but entertaining and enlightening read, Sudo really makes the practice of Zen simple and possible. He shows that you don't have to sit in a monastery on a mountain in full meditation to understand the idea of Zen. All you need do is be present, always, in everything that you do. Be aware and open to all the experiences that life has to offer, even in things that we take for granted like showering or begrudge, like taking out the trash. Zen is everything around us, it is simply being present in the moment, every moment of your life and if you are that, then you have found Zen. A fantastic, enlightening, truthful, eye opening read that will stay with me for a long, long time.
A simple, quick but entertaining and enlightening read, Sudo really makes the practice of Zen simple and possible. He shows that you don't have to sit in a monastery on a mountain in full meditation to understand the idea of Zen. All you need do is be present, always, in everything that you do. Be aware and open to all the experiences that life has to offer, even in things that we take for granted like showering or begrudge, like taking out the trash. Zen is everything around us, it is simply being present in the moment, every moment of your life and if you are that, then you have found Zen. A fantastic, enlightening, truthful, eye opening read that will stay with me for a long, long time.
October 2, 2020
Regard each day with wonder, hope and gratitude, as you recognise the divine in the ordinary.
In this pocketbook, author Philip Toshio Sudo looks for zen in everything, from shaving and toothbrushing to sex and dream. I think only a truly enlightened person can have that kind of perspective. Some chapters have lovely observations and are very well written. Some made me chuckle, and a couple of them are just nonsensical.
What I loved the most is how Sudo ends every chapter with a perfect one-liner - the witty remarks are zen-like. 😊
In this pocketbook, author Philip Toshio Sudo looks for zen in everything, from shaving and toothbrushing to sex and dream. I think only a truly enlightened person can have that kind of perspective. Some chapters have lovely observations and are very well written. Some made me chuckle, and a couple of them are just nonsensical.
What I loved the most is how Sudo ends every chapter with a perfect one-liner - the witty remarks are zen-like. 😊
August 22, 2018
Feel-Good Insight
This book just made me feel good. The words are very thoughtful and inspiring and I had a few good laughs out of it. I recommend it because I truly enjoyed it. I’ll probably read it again a few times.
This book just made me feel good. The words are very thoughtful and inspiring and I had a few good laughs out of it. I recommend it because I truly enjoyed it. I’ll probably read it again a few times.
December 4, 2020
An Amazing Life affirming work
An amazing life affirming work. Every thing we do is Zen whether we are mindful of that fact or not. We have a choice to either live our lives with gratitude or regret. The practice of Zen reminds us of this!
An amazing life affirming work. Every thing we do is Zen whether we are mindful of that fact or not. We have a choice to either live our lives with gratitude or regret. The practice of Zen reminds us of this!
July 6, 2022
I appreciated the short passages. I found some sections to be more meaningful but struggled to find a connection with others. I liked the style the author was going for and do feel there were many great reminders.
February 26, 2025
Zen 24/7
This man is the author of this book filled with wisdom, humor, and stories which can bring such joy to anyone's life. He is gone too soon, but has left us a treasure and thus, he remains with us. Love this work and next up is Zen Guitar. What a joy.
This man is the author of this book filled with wisdom, humor, and stories which can bring such joy to anyone's life. He is gone too soon, but has left us a treasure and thus, he remains with us. Love this work and next up is Zen Guitar. What a joy.
June 8, 2025
Takes you through a day of typical activities and helps you find calmness, peace and zen through overlooked daily tasks and habits
Good to be reminded of how and why to ground yourself often.
Just be, just live, just flow with it
Good to be reminded of how and why to ground yourself often.
Just be, just live, just flow with it
June 28, 2017
lekker praktisch
March 21, 2018
Just okay, nothing really all that eye opening or different from what I've read before.
December 25, 2019
Actually a fun read. The format is short paragraphs of wit. One can pick it up, read a little bit and put it down and move into a different activity.
January 25, 2021
Simple truths simply stated. Very quick & breezy read with lots of good perspectives on life.
October 23, 2021
Zen for the masses :)
Can be a little entertaining at times
Very nice illustrations
Can be a little entertaining at times
Very nice illustrations
March 13, 2022
very good book, lots of great lessons, info. worth reading over and over
February 2, 2025
Seems like a good beginner book for everyday zen concepts. I like that it makes it clear there isn't one "true" path to zen.
February 20, 2017
A nice, chatty little book.
Just ruminations about life and small lessons in being mindful. Very well written.
It follows a style of Zen that quotes at least as many Daoist sources as Buddhist...something that I found very nice. Interestingly, it misused (I think deliberately) a metaphor of Buddha's: he used it to show the foolishness of deriving pleasure from or growing attached to bits of this world, and the necessity of separating from them. This author used it to say that enjoying the simple pleasures, to immerse yourself in this world, was the only way.
I suppose I didn't give it more stars because I found it only minorly helpful. There were a few nice points. Honestly, most of it was either nothing new (from my Christian background of appreciating things and allowing oneself to feel gratitude and acting in the present and taking the future with a grain of faith), or just mild, pleasant observations that only carry you so far.
A few things were indeed helpful. I'll begin the long, slow process of trying to implement them. And the tone of the book is both kind and charming.
Just ruminations about life and small lessons in being mindful. Very well written.
It follows a style of Zen that quotes at least as many Daoist sources as Buddhist...something that I found very nice. Interestingly, it misused (I think deliberately) a metaphor of Buddha's: he used it to show the foolishness of deriving pleasure from or growing attached to bits of this world, and the necessity of separating from them. This author used it to say that enjoying the simple pleasures, to immerse yourself in this world, was the only way.
I suppose I didn't give it more stars because I found it only minorly helpful. There were a few nice points. Honestly, most of it was either nothing new (from my Christian background of appreciating things and allowing oneself to feel gratitude and acting in the present and taking the future with a grain of faith), or just mild, pleasant observations that only carry you so far.
A few things were indeed helpful. I'll begin the long, slow process of trying to implement them. And the tone of the book is both kind and charming.
January 25, 2017
Nice easy read. Zen toothbrushing might be my favorite page (8): "No need to concern yourself with building a habit over time. Just do it today."
Other gems:
We all must die. We cannot choose our time. The Way of Zen is the resolute acceptance of death.
Every day is a beautiful day.
Love will endure through those whom we have loved.
Life is sorrowful, but to be lived in joy.
Find joy in the commonplace.
Zen: Awaken to our true nature, to the timeless essence at our core that connects us to everything and everybody.
When you wake in the morning, stretch your arms to the sky and breathe deeply. Fill your insides with the emptiness around you. Breathe easy. You're alive.
Other gems:
We all must die. We cannot choose our time. The Way of Zen is the resolute acceptance of death.
Every day is a beautiful day.
Love will endure through those whom we have loved.
Life is sorrowful, but to be lived in joy.
Find joy in the commonplace.
Zen: Awaken to our true nature, to the timeless essence at our core that connects us to everything and everybody.
When you wake in the morning, stretch your arms to the sky and breathe deeply. Fill your insides with the emptiness around you. Breathe easy. You're alive.
March 4, 2010
This book opened with a touching preface. It's cute, humorous, short, sweet, and easy to read. Yet, it contains potential to evoke profound thoughts. I was deeply moved by it, to the extent that my moment-to-moment experience of reality showed signs of transformation in the following days. I highly recommend it as a book to read just for fun, or as a down-to-earth and sweet introduction into this elusive concept called Zen.
June 25, 2009
Everyone should have this book bedside. Finding Zen in the most mundane, everyday things is so meaningful for those with hectic, busy lives. Taking the time to find humor and significance in a simple task is so motivational.
June 29, 2009
Really got me to start thinking about life differently. In terms of the present moment.... life changing book
January 3, 2013
Fantastic book. Amusing yet extremely insightful. Easy to read and packed full of easy-to-understand lessons. I highly recommend it, especially for beginners and those curious about zen.
March 12, 2013
A very pleasant way to start or end the day. The introduction gives the book an aura of epicness that the banality of the book itself would otherwise not have.
May 5, 2020
This book really does help me to have a peace of mind. Very effective. I read certain parts based on what I'm dealing with in a day. I love it.
June 29, 2014
Fantastic introduction to Zen
Displaying 1 - 28 of 29 reviews