It Came from Beyond Zen!

October 2, 2017
Warner blends accessible language and irreverent humor in his second paraphrase of the work of 13th-century Buddhist monk Dogen (after Don’t Be a Jerk). Warner parses both highly philosophical and fairly straightforward works of ethics and shows the range and depth of Dogen’s Zen teachings by staying true to the original meanings while excising stumbling blocks for modern readers. “We deal with contradictions between science and religion by allowing them to operate in completely separate arenas. allows us to fully integrate them,” Warner writes. “Once you get it, you’ll never be the same. Once you go Dogen, you never go back.” Each chapter opens with a brief introduction, followed by the paraphrase and a commentary from Warner. Among the topics covered are bringing “enlightenment practice” into everyday life, the four all-embracing virtues (free giving, kind speech, being helpful, cooperation), and “dream within a dream” tenets of Buddhism. The commentaries can get bogged down by Warner’s explanations of translators’ choices, and his tendency to pit complicated Buddhist mysticism against straw-man Christian concepts wears thin and serves no real purpose. Though more straitlaced seekers might be put off, Warner’s slightly silly but still serious renditions create a charming and readable (though not particularly systematic) exploration of Buddhist approaches to the good life.