Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Zen and Dogen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye »

In Sit Down and Shut Up, Brad Warner tackles one of the great works of Zen literature, the Shobogenzo by 13th-century Zen master Dogen. Illuminating Dogen’s enigmatic teachings in plain language, Warner intertwines sharp philosophical musings on sex, evil, anger, meditation, enlightenment, death, God, sin, and happiness with an exploration of the power and pain of the punk rock ethos. Riffing on his triumphant return to Ohio for a reunion concert of Akron punk bands, Brad uncovers the real heart of Zen, in teachings and stories with a sharp smack of truth,.

Publishers Weekly

Warner, a Zen priest, author (Hardcore Zen) and former punk rock bassist, has a very distinctive voice. It may be off-putting to some to think about Buddha and a bunch of Zen masters, including esteemed 13th-century Japanese Zen master Dogen, as dudes riffing on "whiz-bang-with-cheese-on-top-enlightenment." But for the patient, curious and those for whom Warner's slash-the-crap style is their cup of green tea, this Zen punk book offers provocation and reward. Warner ambitiously presents something close to textual commentary on a key text by Dogen while teaching on anger, sex, loving-kindness, dependent arising and other familiar Buddhist themes. The topical chapters are tied together by Warner's narration of a punk band reunion. The author's knowledge of Japanese from his years of living in Japan adds to his credibility, since it allows him to better explore the nuances of Japanese Zen. Though he might be disappointed to hear it, Warner is probably less provocative than some of the first-generation Asian teachers who transplanted Zen to America. Still, Buddhism has long enjoyed baffling "crazy-wisdom" teachers and paradoxical koans, and Warner's punk iconoclasm fits in nicely. (May)

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Why Dogen Matters     1
"Genjo Koan"     15
Proper Posture Required     30
Four Points of Zazen     38
Zazen by Alone     50
The Colors of the Mind     61
Kill Your Anger     71
Zen and Stress Management     80
Buddha Never Metta Man He Didn't Like     91
Cleaning Up Your Room     106
Evil Is Stupid     112
"Hyakujo's Fox"     124
The Twelvefold Chain     132
Sex and Sin     143
The Futile Pursuit of Happiness?     153
The Day They Shot a Hole in the Jesus Egg     164
Death     174
God     185
It! The Thing from Beyond the Realm of Mind     192
Buddha Is Boring     201
Bad Hair Day     209
The Same Difference     220
Enlightenment Is for Sissies!     227
The Eight Truths of Great Human Beings     235
The Ultimate Truth     245
Acknowledgments     252
About the Author     254