Review by Booklist Review
Warner takes up where he left off in Hardcore Zen (2003), though not without reminding us, in the opening sentence, that before he was a Zen monk, he played punk rock bass. The teachings of hardcore punk--no drinking, no drugs, hard work, "and a commitment to what was true"--meshed remarkably with the teachings of twelfth-century Zen master Dogen, he found. Like Zen, punk rock asked questions rather than provided pat, comfortable answers, and like his band mates, the Zen teachers he knew seemed real. As before, Warner writes in an open, appealing, and friendly manner. He seems about as honest as they come, and he shares his personal history and opinions freely. And he discusses the principles of Dogen. "Buddhism is not a philosophy you just read about," he says. "It is a philosophy you do." Part autobiography, part Buddhist philosophy, part punk rock memoir, Sit Down and Shut Up is as unique as the man who wrote it. --June Sawyers Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Warner, a Zen priest and filmmaker now living in Los Angeles, was also a member of an obscure punk band named Zero Defects-hence the subtitle of his new book. Although it is a kind of sequel to Warner's Hardcore Zen, it may even better address the growing interest in accessible, contemporary reality-friendly Buddhism. Warner's chapters address subjects such as God, death, sex, anger, and evil from the perspective of ancient master Dogen but with a hip and modern twist. Warner's intimate, funny, conversational style goes a long way toward imparting his many sensible messages. Deserving of a wide audience; for most collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
