City Dharma: Keeping Your Cool in the Chaos

Jeon takes us through stories that are as fresh and surprising as they are illuminating in their outcome and their message. When is non-violence the wrong choice? How do you thwart an obstinate, power-mad beaurocrat? How is poker a spiritual pursuit? How do you end a relationship? At the same time, Jeon blasts through the illusions of New-Age spirituality; that happiness and sucess are just a few affirmations away and creating your reality is as easy as creating a mental picture. What he does offer instead is a way to go through life engaged but not obsessed, compassionate but not blind A wonderful, illuminating read even for the non-spiritual among us.

I heard Arthur Jeon speak on NPR and was so amused and inspired I went to his website, citydharma.com. I read excerpts from the book without intending to buy it, as I've read a lot of spiritual books and feel like I have had enough. But his excerpt was both real and deep at the same time---I could relate and I ended up buying the book. Most of the spiritual books I've read are about two things, changing yourself or believing something unbelievable. City Dharma doesn't ask you to do either. And it doesn't ask you to go sit on a mountain. City Dharma quite simply asks you to wake up from the trance of your reactive conditioning, endless story, and neurotic thoughts so you can experience your connection with your true nature IN THIS MOMENT. This is called waking up and he teaches that you can be "awake" no matter what is happening, lessening the suffering we create for ourselves.All this isn't communicated in a way that is esoteric, dry or precious. The book is broken up into chapters including work, violence, noise, relationships, status envy---all the stuff we encounter living in the modern world. The examples in the book are funny and obviously from real life and the applications of his teachings are immediately relevent. They have given me a different perspective and stick well after the reading.Like all the best spiritual teachers I've encountered, from the Dalai Llama to Thich Nhat Hahn, this book is both profound and humorous. Light but deep. I'm convinced those two qualities go hand in hand with true wakefulness.

This is truly a user-friendly dharma book. Jeon takes us on a romp through cities from Santa Monica to Johannesburg with stories of real life difficulties and resolutions that are full of humor and wisdom. With not an ounce of spiritual mumbo-jumbo or new age belief, Jeon manages to deliver an authentic spiritual experience. A must-read for the discriminating seeker.

A good friend of mine gave me this book, perhaps as a not-so-subtle way of telling me I need to keep cool in the choas of my own life. What I thought was an amusing joke from a friend has turned out to be a truly helpful gift -- Arthur Jeon's insights and stories are practical, smart, and easy to work into your life. The book is quick and fun to read and several times a day I find myself thinking about what I've read and reacting to my world a little differently. Somehow Jeon's taken all the great teaching of Eastern Thought and turned them into an easy-to-get manual for adding meaning and fun and reducing stress in our crazy Western World. Highly recommend!

This is a delightful collection of "case studies" in dealing with the human condition. It is an inspiring and entertaining read. Yes, humor does belong in spiritual seeking and Mr. Jeon is right on target with his "comic" consciousness. Its up to date, reflects our world here and now (not 2000 thousand years ago) and yet stays in line with the essence of all the Great Teachers and Avatars (Christ, Buddha, Krishna etc.) Highly recommended!