Don't Be a Jerk

And Other Practical Advice from Dogen, Japan's Greatest Zen Master

By: Brad Warner

Narrated by: Brad Warner

A Radical but Reverent Paraphrasing of Dogen's Treasury of the True Dharma Eye

"Even if the whole universe is nothing but a bunch of jerks doing all kinds of jerk-type things, there is still liberation in simply not being a jerk." - Eihei Dogen (1200 - 1253 CE)

The Shobogenzo (The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye) is a revered 800-year-old Zen Buddhism classic written by the Japanese monk Eihei Dogen. Despite the timeless wisdom of his teachings, many consider the book difficult to understand. In Don't Be a Jerk, Zen priest and best-selling author Brad Warner, through accessible paraphrasing and incisive commentary, applies Dogen's teachings to modern times. While entertaining and sometimes irreverent, Warner is also an astute scholar who sees in Dogen very modern psychological concepts, as well as insights on such topics as feminism and reincarnation. Warner even shows that Dogen offered a "Middle Way" in the currently raging debate between science and religion. For curious listeners worried that Dogen's teachings are too philosophically opaque, Don't Be a Jerk is hilarious, understandable, and wise.

©2016 Brad Warner (P)2016 Brad Warner

Makes Zen approachable!

Making it something a tad less mystical, this book presents a complex, yet simple concept in a way that anyone can enjoy.
thank you Brad!

Great Book!

I liked this so much I bought the actual book for future reference.
I am looking forward to reading more of Brad Warner's books in the future.

Accessible Dogen

This is the most easily accessible introduction to Dogen's writing. Brad Warner makes Zen approachable.

Brad Warner at his best

Great synopsis and "translation" of Dogens book Shobogenzo. Easy to understand in modern terms. highly recommend it to any practitioner of zen!

OUTSTANDING

In my studies of Buddhism, I have read many books and again Brad Warner is unique.
It took me a while to finish. I read and listen to the book. I also have Shobogenzo, the Shasta Abbey translation.
Since the author frequently refers to Shobogenzo chapters, I listened and read as I went along.
I HIGHLY recommend listening to Brad Warner’s books and to Shobogenzo.
So glad that Brad narrates his books.
Now on to the next one!!
My thanks to all involved, JK.

Approarable and fun without loosing sight of the point

Excellent delivery, well paced, and read by the author. The book is personal while also being playful.

Awesome

Down to earth but not watered down. Whether you are a casual meditator or steeped in Buddhist philosophy there will be something for you in here. Brad Warner as narrator with a soundtrack made just for this book, he delivers a practical and fun dive into the philosophy and practices of Dogen. He uses modern and occasional slang words in the translation but explains why whenever there is something that seems outlandish. I come from the Tibetan tradition myself but didn’t find the “Hardcore Zen” thing to dilute the meaning at all. It was refreshing to have something so contemporary and oriented within subculture after many books that don’t bridge that particular cultural gap between traditional Buddhism and the modern culture.

I’d say get it. It helped me understand a few things. Dogen (and Brad) word things a bit differently than I am used to in the Tibetan tradition and it helps me understand some of these ideas in a different way than I am used to.

Enjoy.

Very accessible, very fun

I'm a fan of Warner's work. He makes Buddhism accessible and places it in a modern context, keeping it fun and interesting the entire time, while not seeming to water it down or make it something it is not. This work was no exception. I'm fairly certain that his paraphrasing of Dogen was intended for someone just like me and hearing him actually read some of the more amusing parts of the book had me laughing more than a few times, very enjoyable.

The drawback to the audiobook was that it referenced a lot of other material and I don't find audiobooks as a good way to go back and follow up on things like this. One might be better served by having a paper or ebook edition available for references. I know that is what I did.

Brad at his best

Brad explains the complex in a fun and engaging way. This is a great place to start getting into to Dogen.

First time reading Dogen and made it through!

Thanks Brad for your time and effort on this. Your modern colloquialisms kept me on my toes. Not having read Dogen before, there are a few chapters that are very tough to get through (at the end), but I figure it does the job of getting us out of our head and a little more into or heart. :)

side note: my preference for a bibliography would be a link, not audio. I skipped it.