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

Like author Brad Warner, I practice a form of Buddhism which has its roots in Japan. Unfortunately, the school with which I have been associated for the past 20-some years has ZERO ability to laugh at itself, even when the group or its leader says or does something absurd. We in the SGI (soka gakkai international) take our mission for world peace VERY SERIOUSLY and although we can make jokes about others, we never, ever joke about our sect or its leader. Never. Ever. We can only strive joyfully together and warmly encourage each other to unite with the heart of our leader in Japan. A recipe for boring prose if ever there was one. What a huge relief it was, then, to encounter this book, where Warner actually uses his own, clear, funny, insightful voice to discuss Buddhist perspectives on life, death, compassion and consciousness. He interweaves these topics into a sort of travelogue of his return to Akron, Ohio to appear with a reunion show of punk-rock bands from the 80's. This helps to "ground" the concepts being addressed, but in a day-to-day way which is more interesting than a typical corporate cube experience. I and a few friends have been on a bit of a Dogen "kick" for awhile, and "Sit Down and Shut Up" is an extremely valuable commentary to support that effort. All the other commentaries I have read have been earnest but plodding, and I have had about all the earnest, plodding prose I can handle for the next fifty lifetimes. Warner takes his subject seriously, but he doesn't take himself too seriously, and that is a huge relief. With all this praise, I must point out that Warner does make a few errors. For example, in his discussion of the Lotus Sutra's parable of the Burning House, he does not mention the super-dooper-cool prize (i.e., the great white ox cart, i.e.,"Buddhahood") that all the children get when they leave the burning house. Another massive blunder (and I can proof your next book for this kind of stuff if you want, Brad) is his shocking claim that "be excellent to each other" is what Bill and Ted said to the future people in "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey". Everyone knows this scene occurred in the "Excellent Adventure". You have to be more mindful of stuff like that, Brad - don't forget to wind your watch. All in all, I have recommended this book to a number of people and will continue to do so. I hope that Brad continues to write and I look forward to visiting his zendo one of these weekends.

Previous reviewers of this book have highlighted just how clearly Brad Warner has rendered the language and teachings of Dogen, making them accessible in way that few previous commentators have. Given that Dogen's style - at least in English - manages to be simultaneously impenetrable, poetic and surreal, in other words a bit like, say, the Joyce of `Finnegans Wake', or the arcane lyrics of Mark E. Smith, this is a remarkable achievement. But I think Warner also deserves credit for the clarity with which he illuminates more mainstream Buddhist teachings. In particular, his chapter on the twelve-fold chain of causation made a lot more sense to me than any of the explanations I have come across in academic works on this topic, while his comments about anatta and the Heart Sutra nicely complement the more formal presentation of this kind of thing that you get in mainstream introductory textbooks. In other words, both this title and `Hardcore Zen' are great for teachers and students of Buddhism in high schools and universities, as well as those whose spiritual path is Zen. Finally, I loved the humour in this book and the frequent pop culture name-checking (the Ramones, Lucy Liu, Paris Hilton, Keith Richards etc), which reminds me that those who like the punk rock approach to religion should also check out Michael Muhammad Knight (author of Blue-eyed Devil and The Taqwacores: A Novel), who is currently inspiring a nascent Muslim punk movement through his writings.

One of the most insightful books I have read on a classic buddhist text. Dogen Zenji one of the greatest Zen Masters to come out of Japan is extemely difficult to read and comprehend. Brad Warner delves into the work of Dogen Zenji and with Brad Warner's sometimes particular language style clarifies the teachings of Dogen. The book deals with issues that confront all of us in this extremely hectic world. The book is useful for all Zen and other Buddhist students and practitioners whether they are beginners or more advanced.

For all you Dogen fans who are fascinated by what the guy writes but never have any clue what he is saying, you have found the right book. I liked Brad Warner's first book, but I read it once and did not want to read it again. This book, however, is very different. He is attempting to explain, in simple language, one of the most profound books of time, and he does a really good job. It is not a book to read on the beach, but one you carry with you, to read a few chapters at a time and ponder.