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Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea
Fed up with teenage life in the suburbs, Jaimal Yogis ran off to Hawaii with little more than a copy of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha and enough cash for a surfboard. His journey is a coming-of-age saga that takes him from communes to monasteries, from the warm Pacific to the icy New York shore. Equal parts spiritual memoir and surfer's tale, this is a chronicle of finding meditative focus in the barrel of a wave and eternal truth in the great salty blue.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
152 people are currently reading
2989 people want to read
About the author
Jaimal Yogis
19 books229 followersJaimal Yogis is the author of numerous books including Saltwater Buddha, The Fear Project, and All Our Waves Are Water, which have been internationally praised and translated into numerous languages. More recently he has been writing children's books like Mop Rides the Waves of Life, which was named a 2020 Favorite by the Children's Book Review and one of the best sportsbooks for all ages by Book Riot. The next picture book in the series, Mop Rides the Waves of Change, comes out this July from Parallax Press and Penguin Random House, and his middle-grade graphic novel series, City of Dragons, also releases this fall, 2021, from Scholastic. Jaimal's award-winning journalism has appeared in publications like The Washington Post, ESPN Magazine, The Atlantic, and many others. He lives near San Francisco's Ocean Beach with his wife Amy and their three boys.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
August 7, 2022
Best one i've read in a while....totally jealous of the author, wish i was ballsy enough to run off to Hawaii with only $800. Also wish i could be as mellow, but in my defense, its tough to be Zen when you work retail in the south......i can actually feel my IQ dropping, and it hurts....
August 13, 2009
As a longtime surfer, I've often been floating happily atop the ocean, the buzz from my last wave making me feel as though I was in a dreamy, half-state, completely oblivious to life's problems, lost in bliss. That's why Jaimal Yogis' book Saltwater Buddha resonated so much with me. He gets that connection and captures the spirit of surfing and its inevitable ties to complete, unfettered happiness so brilliantly.
While many have written about surfing, this book is the first I've read that really explores the adventure and passion that wave-riding ignites in its disciples. Yogis drops all of life's conveniences to immerse himself in the pursuit of that next perfect wave while at the same time realizing that there is more to this than simply riding waves. For me at least, surfing represents one of the only ways I've felt spiritually connected to this world of ours, the ocean acting as a sort of conduit for true, unbridled passion and pleasure. Through a deeply personal narrative, Saltwater Buddha relates that essence perfectly.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves the beauty and vitality of the ocean. One of my favorite reads of the past year. Well done.
While many have written about surfing, this book is the first I've read that really explores the adventure and passion that wave-riding ignites in its disciples. Yogis drops all of life's conveniences to immerse himself in the pursuit of that next perfect wave while at the same time realizing that there is more to this than simply riding waves. For me at least, surfing represents one of the only ways I've felt spiritually connected to this world of ours, the ocean acting as a sort of conduit for true, unbridled passion and pleasure. Through a deeply personal narrative, Saltwater Buddha relates that essence perfectly.
I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves the beauty and vitality of the ocean. One of my favorite reads of the past year. Well done.
December 13, 2017
Reading "Saltwater Buddha" made me want to explore the world to find myself. In the middle of the book, I found myself wanting to run away and do something I'm passionate about and meet new people in interesting places.
This passage made me think. Deeply.
“Surfing is kind of a good metaphor for the rest of life.
The extremely good stuff - chocolate and great sex and weddings and hilarious jokes - fills a minute portion of an adult lifespan.
The rest of life is the paddling: work, paying bills, flossing, getting sick, dying.”
― Jaimal Yogis, Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea
Do yourself a favor: read this book! On second thought, get the book and read it on an adventure!
This passage made me think. Deeply.
“Surfing is kind of a good metaphor for the rest of life.
The extremely good stuff - chocolate and great sex and weddings and hilarious jokes - fills a minute portion of an adult lifespan.
The rest of life is the paddling: work, paying bills, flossing, getting sick, dying.”
― Jaimal Yogis, Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea
Do yourself a favor: read this book! On second thought, get the book and read it on an adventure!
August 3, 2024
Sometimes a book falls into your lap that seems to put words and answers into the direct thoughts and questions you’ve been having lately. One of my favourite “memoirs” I’ve ever read probably.
November 18, 2023
I think this nudge might seal the deal on retirement dreams of owning a bed and breakfast on beach and surfing daily 🏄♂️
January 23, 2009
I am not a reader. This is one of only a small handful of books I have simply read cover to cover in a sitting. Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5 was perhaps the other such book. I can't focus once I figure out what is going to happen next and I fall out the reader's trance. Saltwater Buddha may not be made into a movie but if you are interested in spiritual growth, as it happens in a real life, this is a page turner.
Poetic intensity of the prologue is a promise mostly kept. It is the knack of the surfers, teetering on a plank in a constant state of falling down a slope of water, to gracefully make it look easy. Jaimal Yogis also makes vivid his struggles and emerging with sure and effortless sounding prose. It would be a disservice if the work were cataloged as merely an autobiography.
The reason, to resort to my own limited understanding, why zen eludes the typical American is that saying things like "it is so much less than you think" confuse a western mind, and confront the analytical habit, grown out of Greek philosophy, of penetrating reality by taking it into pieces. Jaimal manages to depict in the anecdotes that comprise his adolescence and young adulthood, how we westerners put our own minds in our way so thoroughly that we miss what is there. Jaimal's formal study and practice of Buddhism show up as a respectful knowledge of the sages of Zen traditions coloring many of the passages. But the merit of the book is very much how life outside the temple can be connected to and illuminated by practice.
Jaimal explores his hunch that the affinity for water is a primal human impulse with enough conviction to bring Elaine Morgan's works to mind. His rhapsodic exploration of water as metaphor for life affects me. I pick up the vibes easily as I read and his mode echoes in me as if these were my own thoughts: If it were not for the ripples, water would become a mirror and we would see exactly what it reflects. Instead we see only our own turbulence at the surface, image distorted, and the water itself lent a character it does not own but can transmit. But zen is knowing there is water.... Well, you would have to read yourself to see what you pick up.
A gentle protest against the trite co-opting of zen as a motif in media and marketing, runs through the book. The "Inner Tennis " for surfers this book most definitely is not. I would hope readers would not stop at the title just because such unfortunate and uninformed associations are so common.
The siren song of the surf seeps into his dreams. Jaimal's impulses to shed his conflicts by dropping out to go surfing, as if maya could be run away from, reminded me of Karen Armstrong's descriptions of the ascetic option in the early Hindu religion. This going off to the woods or begging has deep roots older than Buddhist tradition.
Jaimal does not say his life is more significant than any other. Rather, in an unassuming self awareness, he laughs at himself throughout the book:
"I figured I was destined, like Siddhartha, for spiritual greatness."
But it is the soul of good writing to transform the personal into the universal...why else read? The mundane, carefully observed, mounts into a praise of existing.
Chapter six gives a good example of how the quiet of the zen mind is not the quiet of a cloister or of the orderly life...it is on another, handier plane.
On page 76 he is bemused at himself trying to pass for a Buddhist monk at an age when his peers had gone off to college. But of all the things fanciful and unattainable on his wannabe list, there is one he has managed to do after a fashion in this book: "Write poems with wandering Taoists."
Surfing gets the upper hand. He sets us up to appreciate his own fall by observing others warped to hostility by confusing well being with possession of waves. He reaches page 156 with surfing morphed into an attachment more than the Zen practice he had earlier envisioned. But by page 229 the lust for wisdom with which Jaimal began his journey has ripened into a freedom from lust. The thrill of wisdom settles down into well adjusted living words:
"But it seems like the idea of paradise is just on the horizon, always, while life is here, under my feet, now."
As a worked example of how one can grow through Buddhist insights, this little book is bound to help at least a few sentient beings. Each person would have their own particular pathway into Zen Buddhism so anyone else's path must seem like an abstraction. But in that sense, abstractions from others are all we can exchange and so this sharing of Jaimal's path is for the rest of us an amble in the vicinity, an inviting introduction to its effects and appeal. The author has a mind born with spiritual habits and a brain able to write prose pictorially vivid and spiritually telling. I found it a pleasure to go along on this man's adventure.
Poetic intensity of the prologue is a promise mostly kept. It is the knack of the surfers, teetering on a plank in a constant state of falling down a slope of water, to gracefully make it look easy. Jaimal Yogis also makes vivid his struggles and emerging with sure and effortless sounding prose. It would be a disservice if the work were cataloged as merely an autobiography.
The reason, to resort to my own limited understanding, why zen eludes the typical American is that saying things like "it is so much less than you think" confuse a western mind, and confront the analytical habit, grown out of Greek philosophy, of penetrating reality by taking it into pieces. Jaimal manages to depict in the anecdotes that comprise his adolescence and young adulthood, how we westerners put our own minds in our way so thoroughly that we miss what is there. Jaimal's formal study and practice of Buddhism show up as a respectful knowledge of the sages of Zen traditions coloring many of the passages. But the merit of the book is very much how life outside the temple can be connected to and illuminated by practice.
Jaimal explores his hunch that the affinity for water is a primal human impulse with enough conviction to bring Elaine Morgan's works to mind. His rhapsodic exploration of water as metaphor for life affects me. I pick up the vibes easily as I read and his mode echoes in me as if these were my own thoughts: If it were not for the ripples, water would become a mirror and we would see exactly what it reflects. Instead we see only our own turbulence at the surface, image distorted, and the water itself lent a character it does not own but can transmit. But zen is knowing there is water.... Well, you would have to read yourself to see what you pick up.
A gentle protest against the trite co-opting of zen as a motif in media and marketing, runs through the book. The "Inner Tennis " for surfers this book most definitely is not. I would hope readers would not stop at the title just because such unfortunate and uninformed associations are so common.
The siren song of the surf seeps into his dreams. Jaimal's impulses to shed his conflicts by dropping out to go surfing, as if maya could be run away from, reminded me of Karen Armstrong's descriptions of the ascetic option in the early Hindu religion. This going off to the woods or begging has deep roots older than Buddhist tradition.
Jaimal does not say his life is more significant than any other. Rather, in an unassuming self awareness, he laughs at himself throughout the book:
"I figured I was destined, like Siddhartha, for spiritual greatness."
But it is the soul of good writing to transform the personal into the universal...why else read? The mundane, carefully observed, mounts into a praise of existing.
Chapter six gives a good example of how the quiet of the zen mind is not the quiet of a cloister or of the orderly life...it is on another, handier plane.
On page 76 he is bemused at himself trying to pass for a Buddhist monk at an age when his peers had gone off to college. But of all the things fanciful and unattainable on his wannabe list, there is one he has managed to do after a fashion in this book: "Write poems with wandering Taoists."
Surfing gets the upper hand. He sets us up to appreciate his own fall by observing others warped to hostility by confusing well being with possession of waves. He reaches page 156 with surfing morphed into an attachment more than the Zen practice he had earlier envisioned. But by page 229 the lust for wisdom with which Jaimal began his journey has ripened into a freedom from lust. The thrill of wisdom settles down into well adjusted living words:
"But it seems like the idea of paradise is just on the horizon, always, while life is here, under my feet, now."
As a worked example of how one can grow through Buddhist insights, this little book is bound to help at least a few sentient beings. Each person would have their own particular pathway into Zen Buddhism so anyone else's path must seem like an abstraction. But in that sense, abstractions from others are all we can exchange and so this sharing of Jaimal's path is for the rest of us an amble in the vicinity, an inviting introduction to its effects and appeal. The author has a mind born with spiritual habits and a brain able to write prose pictorially vivid and spiritually telling. I found it a pleasure to go along on this man's adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2009
Jaimal Yogis's voice is as fluid and inviting as the waves he describes with vividness and eloquence. Saltwater Buddha draws you into itself immediately the way the surf pulls at your heels at the shore. As a collector and connoisseur of metaphors, I was inspired by the transcendent life lessons provided by water, waves, and the sea. It's the most enjoyable book I've read in years. What's more you will learn everything you need to know about Buddhism from reading this accessible work. While living on Lake Champlain in Vermont is not exactly being land locked, reading Saltwater Buddha makes my heart miss the sea. It also awakens in me a desire to surf. I thank Saltwater for reawakening the ocean spirit within me. Arnie Kozak, Ph.D., author of Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness
March 14, 2013
I put this on my short-list of books to read before TEDx Monterey next month. Jaimal Yogis clearly knows the art of writing; his prose is fluid and succinct. But - to be honest - his story comes off as a little bit shallow and formulaic. And I definitely didn't get the sense of zen or calm enlightenment that I expected. I had planned to give this to my child to read before the talks, but I changed my mind. I think Jaimal's book romanticizing that lost-adolescent-coming-of-age stage a little too much.
September 19, 2021
This is probably my favourite book. Ever. It has ousted The Tao of Pooh as my go-to, comfort read. It's a fast, simple read, but every time I do read it, I find something else that I hadn't noticed before. The Buddhist book for when you don't want to read a Buddhist book...for the finger pointing at the moon really isn't the moon.
July 22, 2014
I enjoyed the stories of this writer. I also appreciated how he didn't get bogged down in every detail but gave us the big picture of what he learned. The book could have been 500 more pages, however he got his story and point across in a very easy to read and easy to understand way. Any of you love the ocean and adventure, this is a fun and enlightening read!
November 19, 2021
At first I didn't think I would like this. It just seemed like a spoiled rich kid taking his lack of motivation and calling it zen, but he definitely grew on me. By the end I was much more empathetic towards him and did get a few little inspiring nuggets out of this one after all.
May 22, 2022
Although I really enjoyed this book, I found myself questioning his credibility. He opens the book by comparing himself and his journey to Buddha. I found his views a little self centered at times but thought the quotes and lessons were of extreme value.
July 29, 2012
A fun summer read with a simple inspirational message - just be happy being yourself.
October 3, 2013
Slow start, strong finish here. Good read overall though. How his editor let them publish Rockaway being part of Brooklyn is beyond me, though.
December 8, 2018
Quick, fun story of a boy finding his way to adulthood via lessons from surfing and Zen Buddhism.
September 5, 2021
Jaimal weaved easily digestible nuggets of Buddhist philosophy in his journey with surfing, which entertained even a none surfer (or a swimmer for that matter) like myself. There was nuance and nothing felt sensationalized or forced, and perhaps that’s why I’m giving it three stars. There wasn’t a titillating climax or cathartic denouement because one is usually not afforded such poetic luxuries in real life. His story full of peaks and troughs was presented as an ordinary one, because in his finite wisdom J. Yogis teaches us to ride the tides of every day life, for it is all cyclical and ephemeral just like surfing a wave.
September 25, 2025
If you are a surfer or even if you simply love the ocean, this book is a smooth and easy Summer ride that will get you hooked since the first page.
The coming-of-age story of Jaimal Yogis: a surfer, a Buddhist, and a journalist.
A diary of sort that begins the day he left his parents and bought a one way ticket to Hawaii.
The first half of the book reminded me a bit of the movie North Shore, but there’s a mix of Zen and Buddhist gems that add a layer of spirituality and meaning to it.
Easy to devour, a delightful and unpretentious read.
The coming-of-age story of Jaimal Yogis: a surfer, a Buddhist, and a journalist.
A diary of sort that begins the day he left his parents and bought a one way ticket to Hawaii.
The first half of the book reminded me a bit of the movie North Shore, but there’s a mix of Zen and Buddhist gems that add a layer of spirituality and meaning to it.
Easy to devour, a delightful and unpretentious read.
June 5, 2020
Fantastic book about choosing a way of life. There are so many different ways. There’s religions, relationships, and then there is Surf. I fell in love with surfing back in 1997 coming from Wisconsin I was 28 years old. I lived and breathed it every day I could. I was obsessed with it and this book shows that same passion for a Northern California surfer. Jaimal did a great job on this book. Well worth reading.
February 18, 2024
A journey of a surfer, trying to find meaning in other parts of his life with the help of spirituality. This book is also a tribute to water, the substance that brought us to life and sustains it.
Beautiful writing as well 💙 one of my new favorites
Beautiful writing as well 💙 one of my new favorites
January 31, 2020
Exceeded my expectations, incredible journey, very well written, highly recommend, I’m a fan of Jaimal’s now
February 20, 2023
Think I wanted more from this one
July 31, 2024
yeah so this book changed my life
August 8, 2024
Very fun and easy read. Thought it would feel cheesy but the author seems like a good surfer. Talked about a lot of things that are relevant in my present life. Samsara is Nirvana.
September 20, 2025
Obsessed beach Ken searches for meaning to life
August 12, 2024
Easy read but I can’t say I gained anything from reading this other than learning more about what the person who recommended this book to me likes
December 16, 2025
Entertaining and easy read. Always love a surf book with a presence in my beloved Santa Cruz
July 12, 2024
“We all love the highs, the rush, the perfect rides. But here's the thing I've learned: Listen to the low tides too, accept them, surrender to them—and cherish them as well. They too are rich.”
“And still: The tides come in. And still: The tides go out.
And the sea remains ever full.”
too good.
“And still: The tides come in. And still: The tides go out.
And the sea remains ever full.”
too good.
August 17, 2020
It was an easy read that feels more coming-of-age than a spiritual journey, using zen Buddhism and surfing as a springboard. I probably would have found it more profound if I had read it at a transitional stage in life.
May 29, 2009
I just finished reading Saltwater Buddha and it is probably the most enlightening book I have ever read. Jaimal Yogis provided helpful answers to questions I have recently been struggling with. I am finishing my sophomore year in high school and have been starting to discuss college with my parents. I have been considering not going to college which understandably makes my parents very nervous. Many of my friends and high schoolers around the country are stressing themselves out and wigging out about getting into college so much that they are completely burnt out. Once they do get into college they have no energy left to be happy with themselves. It’s just a negative competition that turns students against each other and I don't want to have any part in it. Especially when college just feeds you right into mainstream society which is also nothing I would like to be a part of. But Jaimal provided an answer, "Maybe there is no rat race to escape." He was able to go to one of the best graduate schools and get a solid job but still remain the kind of person he wants to be. I'm afraid to get sucked into a system and be another player in the rat race. It reminds me of one my favorite things Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Maybe I too can go to a good school and have a solid job and remain me. I can also enjoy the process and hopefully show others that it can be enjoyable, just like paddling out.
Lately due to some big changes in my life I have felt rather lost at times, but he reassured me, "Lost is just a dream. Undecided is just a perception. "Everything will work out for the best. Things will come together.
The similarities to Jaimal's life and Siddhartha's story are amazing. He had to become what he most disliked in life, a rich indulgent businessman, in order to attain a further understanding that ultimately lead to his enlightenment. Jaimal also had to become surf Nazi in order to further understand himself and come closer to the person he wants to be. He also found that his greatest teacher was the river and Jaimal found that his is the ocean.
Lately due to some big changes in my life I have felt rather lost at times, but he reassured me, "Lost is just a dream. Undecided is just a perception. "Everything will work out for the best. Things will come together.
The similarities to Jaimal's life and Siddhartha's story are amazing. He had to become what he most disliked in life, a rich indulgent businessman, in order to attain a further understanding that ultimately lead to his enlightenment. Jaimal also had to become surf Nazi in order to further understand himself and come closer to the person he wants to be. He also found that his greatest teacher was the river and Jaimal found that his is the ocean.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews