Nothing Special: Living Zen

 (38 customer reviews)

I am a buddhist.I have read a single talk out of this book every night for over a year. These are concise dharma talks. Zen is pretty new to the US, and many of the traditional Zen stories have to do with monks having exotic experiences. It is easy to get caught in these dreams of 13th century Japan. Joko brings us back from our dreams of a far away practice to doing our dishes while the kids yell in our house in Denver. She offers a sober message of being just here. You wont find a heartwarming Hallmark message here. Joko is as direct and harsh as reality. It is no fun to follow the teachings back to our drab old smelly life, so don't look for the book to be a fun escape. It is the opposite -- which is why it is so good.
The book is comprised of a series of talks from Joko and some questions from her students. Joko is an American and so the message couched in the familiar language of our culture. IT is not like reading Dogen, and is more accessible. I would recommend this...Read more

For years I was obsessed with Zen books. However, it wasn't until I came across Joko's books that I encountered the radical suggestion: OUR LIFE IS OUR PRACTICE!!! It was a real eye opener. I reread "Everyday Zen" three or four time in a row. My teachers in Rochester were pretty unimpressed; they thought that Joko was for people "who weren't ready for Zen." (One of them really did say that!) I thought otherwise; her work addressed the disconnect between a practice created for those in monasteries and the "self-centered dream" of our lives. It baffled me that people would be having "openings" in the Zendo and then treat their family like dirt after a retreat. She taught that working with our family "issues" (noticing our thoughts and resting in our physical experience) was not something separate from our practice on the cushions in the meditation hall. No duality.

I ended up working with Joko for about five years. She was (and is) every bit as remarkable in real life as she...Read more

This is the best book on zen practice that I have ever read . . . and I've read many books on this subject! Beck demystifies the process of living a compassionate life. Other books on this subject have left me feeling baffled and inadequate. Beck's approach helped me find some clarity. I HIGHLY recommend it.