Charlotte Joko Beck offers a warm, engaging, uniquely American approach to using Zen to deal with the problems of daily living—love, relationships, work, fear, ambition, and suffering. Everyday Zen shows us how to live each moment to the fullest. This Plus edition includes an interview with the author.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Amazing book... read it! Comment: My words would not do justice to this book. All I can say is that it has been one of the most down to earth books I have red about Zen.
Would recommend it to people that practice and to those that don't ... yet. Customer Rating: Summary: Beginners Mind Comment: Anyone who has spent time reading and thinking about this stuff will know the term beginners mind. For those of you who do not and for those of you who do.... it is the idea that when you believe yourself to be an expert or to "know" you may be in deeper trouble then when you started. You have through gaining certain experiences closed your mind to the experience of the open mind of a beginner.
I am writing this because I take this book as someone would take a pill to get rid of a headache. I go back to it over and over again to start again or to get encouragement, or to settle down or to start over again and again or to dispel my experts mind.
To discourage anyone of whatever level of experience from possibly finding this book helpful in the relief of suffering, in response to the mundane trials of everyday life or the "existential crisis"..... would I think not be in the spirit of this life some have chosen to pursue.
The hardest thing sometimes for the expert to do is to let the beginner discover for themselves. Customer Rating: Summary: Everyday Is Just About Right Comment: Charlotte Joko Beck's teaching here is unmitigated wisdom. I do not sit regularly, but I do practice reflection on a daily basis (using a journal), and with regular writing forays. Perhaps the most useful lesson here is Beck's discussion of the "witness" experience, becoming an observer of moment-by-moment thoughts, emotions and bodily reactions. It is the closest thing to Zen in my experience, from what I can gather... so I am quite thankful for that... and for this book! Customer Rating: Summary: Great book Comment: Very practical and accessible. I've read a lot of zen books and I like the simplicity and yet substantive approach to the subject. It's a really good read. Customer Rating: Summary: A Modern look at Zen, Wonderful!! Comment: This very well written & appropriate for today's world is easy to read & very meaningful!! I bought a half dozen more for Christmas/Chanukah presents. It's been around a while, now I know why, can't wait to read it again & see what else can be gleaned now, & now, & now, etc. ;-)
It also has meaning to Martial Artists who exist in the moment!
Dr Dave
