Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, and Dogen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye

Brad Warner

In 2003, Brad Warner blew the top off the Buddhist book world with his irreverent autobiography/manifesto, Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, and the Truth about Reality. Now in his second book, Sit Down and Shut Up, Brad tackles one of the great works of Zen literature, the Shobogenzo, by thirteenth-century Zen master Dogen. Illuminating Dogen's enigmatic teachings in clear language, Brad intertwines sharp philosophical musings on sex, evil, anger, meditation, enlightenment, death, God, sin, and happiness with an exploration of the power and the pain of the punk rock ethos. He blends his plainspoken philosophy with a travelogue of his triumphant return to Ohio for a reunion concert of Akron punk bands. Brad melds the anti-authoritarianism of punk and Zen with a good dose of pop culture - challenging orthodoxy and questioning everything. Brad writes with a sharp smack of truth, the real heart of Zen, in teachings and stories that cut to the core of reality.

For more writings on music and spirituality please also see: Sounds of Freedom John Malkin's collection of interviews with spiritually active musicians.

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