Customer Reviews
Not useful at all - By: Cyril Smith, 05 Dec 2008 
Before I had read this book, I would have liked to have had some background on Joko Beck & the type of Zen she represents; that's what I'll try to doin this review.
When the 'first wave' of Zen teachers came across to the West - like D.T. Suzuki - the emphasis was very much on the more intellectual aspects of Zen, to the exclusion of many of the more difficult, disciplined aspects of Zen as it actually existedin Japan. So when Westerners actually went & trainedin Japan they encountered this disciplined element, & found it actually to be a crucial part of the training. And although Joko Beck didn't go to Japan, her Zen is part of this second wave, along with e.g. Philip Kapleau.
It is not to be radical to suggest that this second wave of Zen over-corrects the lack of disciplinein the first wave. It also emphasises the 'ordinariness' of Zen, to the exclusion of its more intellectual & obviously spiritual elements. While this is certainlyin line with a lot of Zen teaching, it is not the whole story. Dogen, for instance (the founder of Japanese Soto Zen), is very much an intellectual, akin perhaps more to Meister Eckhart than to say Philip Kapleau. So the emphasis on everyday discipline, to the active exclusion of the more spiritual, intellectual elements of Zen, is not quite as authentic as it would like to be.
This has two main repercussionsin the book. First, Joko Beck shows a real antipathy towards anything she perceives to be overly intellectual or high-falutin. While this ISin line with Zen's rejection of e.g. academic study for its own sake,in Joko Beck it becomes a straightforward assertion of ignorance (for its own sake!). This can be illustrated with a quote from her Foreword to 'Ordinary Mind' by Barry Magid: "Over time...the student sees that the answers to her life...don't liein some mystical la-la land butin her own mind & body..." (pX) To dismiss a student's mystical aspirations as a "la-la land" is plainly notin line with the mystical element that is certainly presentin Zen (think of D.T. Suzuki's "Buddhist Mysticism"), not to mention the fact that this is hardly a productive way to deal with any illusions a student might have about Zen practice. While I appreciate that this is not Beck at her best, this quotation does betray a tendency towards oversimplification, & to confuse Zen mindfulness of what exists, with mechanically paying attention to what exists.
The other damaging tendencyin Beck is her penchant for speaking with a tone of complete authority. Since what she is saying is just "obvious" to her, from her standpoint of ordinary (enlightened) mind, no space is left to dissent from her goading imperatives. This is religious orthodoxy at its worst, speaking not at the level of doctrine (as do many Christian fundamentalists, for example) but of everyday experience. The 'right' way of being is to 'just accept reality', whereas the 'wrong' way of being is to 'think' about reality. Presumably mindfulness itself - the mindful awareness of the thing, as opposed to the mechanically separate thing that Joko Beck asserts - would be just such a thought!
Saying that, all the positive reviews that this book has evidently received must have somethingin them. Certainly Joko Beck does have a certain wisdom. The book is probably useful for self-defining 'ordinary' people who don't want to be stretched intellectually. But if you think you're of a sensitive psychological makeup, or have an inclination towards thoughtful reflection, this book is liable to get into your head! I have found the work of Stephen Batchelor (for example) to be much more usefulin this respect, so perhaps you could look there.
Zen for the masses - By: Foxylock, 19 Sep 2008 
I bought this book as a last chance for Zen,having been bamboozled by other books written on the subject.I am so glad i took the chance on it.Charlotte Joko Beck blows away the air of mystery surrounding Zen & indeed life itself.This book is a breath of fresh air & deserves a place on anyones bookshelf.It shows with pure simplicity that you dont have to wear robes & shave your head to walk the path of Zen
A superb book! - By: L. Mateus, 23 Sep 2007 This is the first book I have read about Zen, & for me it really hit home! I'm not someone who follows any particular movement, I just simply like to read about what's out there, embrace what feels true to me & discard the rest. Charlotte has really addressed so many questions I hadin my mind, that I feel truly blessed to have come across this book. I already meditate & chant mantras, but this book has come into my hands at just the right time! With reference to a previous reviewer who said they couldn't understand the book. In my experience if you cannot relate to what's being saidin a book, don't read it. Because chances are you are not emotionally & mentally ready to receive the information contained within, until a later date.
I dont get it - By: Mr. J. Collins, 01 Sep 2007 I read the other reviews & thought this book sounded great. I practise martial arts & wanted to learn more about zen. Basically for me, I dont like this book because I dont understand it. I read the same lines over & over unable to fathom what she was talking about. Sorry Ms.Joko Beck. Maybe ill read it againin 20 years time & say oh i get it, but i doubt it.
One to refer to again & again - By: Roger Fitch, 01 Jul 2004 I am not a Buddhist, nor do i know too much about Zen. But this book, to me, is pretty good 'practice'in itself. The content is not over complicated & although quite frank at times, it is this honesty that gives a ring of truth. I read this book when i feelin an irrational state, be it angry,fed up , whatever. i feel more centered afterwards.
