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A review by thehappybooker
Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate: A Trip Through Death, Sex, Divorce, and Spiritual Celebrity in Search of the True Dharma by Brad Warner
4.0
Bizarre in the best sort of way! Brad Warner (no relation to me) is irreverent about all the detritus that accumulates around religious practice while affirming the worth of the core wisdom. He's convinced me that I could call myself a secular Buddhist without being in danger of being trendy or being obliged to be all airy-wispy and breathless with impending enlightenment. I could just be being. Nice!
Brad understands that the hardest Buddhist concepts for Americans to truly 'get' are (1) Buddha is not a god and should not be worshipped (2) we need to quit believing in rugged individualism and realize we're intertwined (3) not everything has to be goal-oriented (4) emptiness is a good thing (5) even after 'enlightenment' - however that is defined - we'll still make mistakes (6) there are many schools of thought and teaching, so quit thinking you have it all figured out.
I don't share his taste in music, art, entertainment, his work ethic, or his ability to bare all his faults and failings without shame or self-justifying commentary. But he's fearless, and I highly admire that.
Warner's repeated references about his books supporting his travel and teaching get a bit wearing ("ka-ching!" is a common footnote), but I loved this book so much that I bought a used copy of "Sit Down and Shut Up" to keep reading.
Update later: Don't read "Sit Down and Shut Up." It's annoying and doesn't have wild stories and interesting ideas.
Brad understands that the hardest Buddhist concepts for Americans to truly 'get' are (1) Buddha is not a god and should not be worshipped (2) we need to quit believing in rugged individualism and realize we're intertwined (3) not everything has to be goal-oriented (4) emptiness is a good thing (5) even after 'enlightenment' - however that is defined - we'll still make mistakes (6) there are many schools of thought and teaching, so quit thinking you have it all figured out.
I don't share his taste in music, art, entertainment, his work ethic, or his ability to bare all his faults and failings without shame or self-justifying commentary. But he's fearless, and I highly admire that.
Warner's repeated references about his books supporting his travel and teaching get a bit wearing ("ka-ching!" is a common footnote), but I loved this book so much that I bought a used copy of "Sit Down and Shut Up" to keep reading.
Update later: Don't read "Sit Down and Shut Up." It's annoying and doesn't have wild stories and interesting ideas.