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After I was the tenzo (Zen cook) for a practice period, I noticed that my judgments of the food served during sesshin dropped off. I knew how hard it was to get a meal to the practitioners and I was grateful for whatever arrived in the zendo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
So I confess to having some conflicted feelings about giving a book a negative review. I know how hard it is to write and I\u2019d much to prefer to lavish praise. But in this case, that would be mostly bullshit. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Last summer a friend told me that Brad Warner was writing book about sexual ethics and from his conversation about it with Brad, he expected it to be an important statement that would help mature what my friend sees as a sexually na\u00efve and moralistic American Zen community. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
So I had high expectations and was happy to be offered a review copy if I\u2019d write a review. But my expectations were dashed just by seeing the cover, glancing at the table of contents and notes \u2026 and then partially redeemed by reading the book through. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
First let\u2019s look at the above cover. Granted, Brad may have had nothing to do with it (usually the publisher chooses the cover without much input from the author) but it is thoroughly Hardcore<\/i> brand.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
And the artist successfully captures the tone of the book. Brad is surrounded by a bevy of young beauties, partially clothed. Listen closely and you can almost hear them cooing, \u201cUh, ah, Brad. You\u2019re so hot in your monkish attire.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Brad, of course, repeatedly makes clear in his writing that it is a lot about making money. Sex sells. If you want to make a living writing Zen books, Dogen commentary won\u2019t even pay for more than a year or two of one\u2019s favorite chai while you\u2019re holed up in a coffee shop writing your next book.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Color it pink, put some naked women on the cover, throw in a fat, punkish Buddha and ka-ching, ka-ching goes the digital cash register.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
I\u2019m thinking the cover targets \u2013 hopefully without success (because it\u2019d reinforce some of the darkest aspects of male sexuality) \u2013 youngish males and\/or those who are working through adolescent-sexual-issues hangovers. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
On the bright side, the artist did portray Brad wearing his robes correctly and that is new and refreshing, although as much a fantasy, I suppose, as the troupe of agape women surrounding him (alright, that was unnecessary!). \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Then there\u2019s the notes for which I\u2019ll give you just one of many possible examples. Brad writes, \u201c[Buddha] had everything he could possibly want \u2013 money, hot babes, power. We\u2019ll get into the hot babes bit a little deeper* later on in the book.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The note says, *\u201cHeh, heh! I said, \u2018Get into hot babes deeper!\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Oh, come on! My son is thirteen and I work with teenaged males so I get enough of this at home and at the job \u2013 and a lot more creatively. Onset-of-puberty \u201chumor\u201d does not contribute to an adult conversation about sexuality and instead creates cognitive dissonance \u2013 the subject is sometimes serious (i.e., the ethics of pornography and prostitution) as is Brad\u2019s message, but the \u201cHeh, heh,\u201d notes will be offensive to some and will trivialize the message for others \u2013 like me. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Adding to the puerile tone are many of the chapter titles, \u201cThe Piece of Ass Chant,\u201d \u201cAre Buddhists Allowed to Jack Off,\u201d and \u201cSaving All Beings \u2026 from My Dick.\u201d I\u2019m not making that up. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Now some of this is kinda cute and reinforces Brad\u2019s brash image but most of it does not contribute to the book\u2019s mostly loveless and nonintimate message. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
What is the message? A lot of it is selectively using Buddhism<\/a> to justify Brad\u2019s opinions, it seems to me. Some of his opinions I\u2019d say are healthy because I agree with them. For example, Brad preaches tolerance for sexual choices as long as the sex happens between consenting adults and nobody gets physically hurt \u2013 too badly. \u201cJust be careful,\u201d he says. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Okay, he\u2019s not singing \u201cGet it While You Can\u201d <\/span>with Janis Joplin <\/span>but this is hardly a breakthrough idea. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Brad also weighs various sexual choices in context, considering the myriad circumstances, rather than simplistic sexual commandments. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n\u201cI would say,\u201d writes Brad in his \u201cYou Celibate, I\u2019ll Buy a Bit!\u201d chapter, \u201cthat I\u2019ve found that what\u2019s most important to most people is to live as stable a life as possible. If you understand that you want that, then sex has to be handled carefully. It pushes a whole lot of buttons, whether or not you want to admit that. Pay attention, and be willing to accept things you don\u2019t really want to accept.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
I\u2019d say that\u2019s good advice, clearly spoken. Throughout, Brad emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and their consequences while he questions cultural mores that are repressive, whether toward people having same-sex relationships or going polyamoric (lots of lovers) or consuming pornography. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Earlier in the \u201cYou Celibate, I\u2019ll Buy a Bit!\u201d chapter, Brad briefly takes up the precept, \u201cDo not misuse sexuality,\u201d and notes that his teacher, Nishijima Roshi has rephrased it as \u201cDo not desire too much.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Brad continues, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t put forth what I\u2019m about to say as the<\/i> definitive definition of misuse of sex. But one clear indication that you\u2019re desiring too much is when you fuck someone even though you aren\u2019t even that into it.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hmm. Well, I agree that this isn\u2019t the definitive definition. And I keep wondering, does the final \u201cit\u201d refer to the \u201cfuck\u201d or to the \u201csomeone?\u201d The double-level message here gives me a cognitive dissonance attack every time I look at the sentence!\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Had enough? Well, let me give you some virtues of the book before you surf on. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The chapter, \u201cWomen, Evolution, and Buddhism,\u201d is strong (ironically) and Brad uses some Dogen material from \u201cProstrating, Attaining the Marrow\u201d very nicely. On blaming women for men\u2019s lust, Brad writes, \u201cWe\u2019ve all got our own specific objects of greed, and it\u2019s up to us to deal with that. It\u2019s not up to other people to shield us from temptation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The earth isn\u2019t shaking in ten directions, but still \u2013 a nice, solid perspective.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The strongest chapter, though, is \u201cWhen Good Spiritual Masters Go Bad.\u201d Rather than an authority figure, Brad likens the Zen teacher to an artist who has worked through some of the issues in the art of living and invites his\/her students to study along. \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Regarding sexual relationships between a teacher and a student, he says,\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201c\u2026Teacher-student romantic relationships will always be a part of the landscape of Zen and other spiritual traditions. It\u2019s important to understand that these relationships do happen and to understand that when they do, the reasons are always various and complex. Sometimes the relationship is clearly abusive and wrong, but not always. In fact, I\u2019ll also be so bold as to say that most of the time there is nothing any more sleazy or abusive going on than goes on in any other romantic relationship. It\u2019s also vital that members of the community examine the real reasons behind whatever feelings they have about the matter. This is after all, what the practice is for \u2013 self-examination rather than the examination of others.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Brad might have what it takes to write a really fine Zen book, even a fine book on Zen and sex. This isn\u2019t it. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\nAnd if he does write just such a swell book, I will probably have to pay for a copy of it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n