Everyday Zen: Love and Work (Plus)

One of the best books I've ever read. It was difficult for me to finish only because it's so profound. Every few pages I had to stop and spend a few days thinking about what I'd just read. I feel like buying this book for everyone I know. Buy it for yourself; you won't regret it.

This book was OK but not an easy read. I am just beginning to learn about the Zen philosophy. I had to constantly go back to read a chapter over in attempts to understand the ideas that were presented.

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

Forget Buddhism. Forget religion altogether. Charlotte Beck takes a simple, straightforward approach to the question of why we suffer. Her answer sinks in layer by layer as she unveils the cause of our anxieties and frustrations. No punches pulled and no delicate promises. You may not agree with everything she says. I certainly don't. But you will see your self in a whole new way. Guaranteed.

The author conveys some worthwhile information yet the book simply is not a joy to read. Her view is worth reading, but I found that the material takes such concentration. If you are expecting a lighthearted approach to Zen, I suggest you look for another author.

Buy other books on Zen Buddhism. I kept struggling to make it through the final pages of this book, then moved on to other, in my opinion, better books on the subject. Especially toward the final pages of the book, the sentences were either poorly written or were restatements of earlier parts of the book. Some of the sentences made no sense at all. There are other teachers for me.

I was looking forward to reading this book but after the first 60 pages my patience wore thin and I had to put it down. The writing is unnecessarily convoluted, the examples given are at best trite (at worst condescending to the reader). This book is a fine collection of supposed nuggets of wisdom and truisms endlessly rinsed and repeated.

Example statement:

"What we have to join together these seemingly separate divisions [sic] of life is to walk the razor's edge; then they come together. But *what* is the razor's edge?"

There are some interesting thoughts in this book but they vanish in a sea of poorly written blah.

This item was given as a gift to a friend, who specifically requested it, and expressed great satisfaction on receiving it. Pricing, delivery and product integrity were all satisfactory. My rating it a 4 out of a possible 5 reflects only the fact that I lack first hand experience with the purchased item, and can only reflect the limited information conveyed to me by its recipient.

Some excellent points throughout and great explanations of things like subject vs object, but ultimately I really, really struggled with her tone. There's a kind of bittersweetness to her thoughts and they're about 70% bitter to 30% sweet.

Joko is to Zen Buddhism what strict no-fun-allowed nuns are to Christianity.

I found it discouraging the way she kept constantly harping on points like "this will be take years and you'll get nowhere" and then two sentences later say "but this is the only way to true freedom." I have no problem with hard work and I appreciate that anything good will take me years to accomplish. That's fine...but to dwell incessantly on how arduous the path was to me indicates a lack of balance. One concrete example of this: At one point she mentions how students will sometimes get a deep insight ("kensho") into their life when meditating...then she literally says that they don't make a big deal out of it and ignore it. It's like, come on...why the hell are you blowing off concrete progress along the path, Joko? And if insights (vipassana meditation literally means INSIGHT meditation btw) aren't worth making a big deal out of, then what is? I GET that such insights are not the primary purpose of zen practice and that putting too much emphasis on them can do more harm than good, but to blow things like that off just doesn't sit well with me. When someone needs to lose 50lbs and they lose 15lbs to start, we say good job keep going. Why not say the same thing for insights gained along the path to living more in the present moment?

She mentions at one point how people who have been on the path develop a good sense of humor. I've noticed that too! Listen to some of Larry Rosenbaum's talks on Dharma Seed...lots of wisdom, self-degrading humor, and very down to earth. I get absolutely zero of that from Joko. Just an abrasive scolding tone like other reviewers have pointed out.

On the one hand, it's refreshing to come across a teacher with a sense of urgency. Zen unfortunately really is a buzzword to most people here in the west. It's more connotative of hippies and incense then it is of a pragmatic philosophy to guide one's life. So I really appreciated her seriousness and tried to like it, but again, too bitter.

My gut feeling is that while very smart, Joko was a fundamentally unhappy person and it unfortunately tainted her very sharp mind and ardent practice. At one point she makes a great point about how there's a big difference between being emotionally balanced and just numb even though those states may appear similar--I believe she was speaking from personal experience.

I found it interesting to read the one and two star reviews because thirteen years ago when I first tried to read this I was pretty much in agreement but now after thirteen more years of practice I find it a very useful, extremely relevant and even comforting read despite her strict school teacher style. I'm glad to have it to reread. There are some editing and even proofreading errors though and it is a bit sloppily put together but the message is totally worthwhile.

This book changed the way I think about life and the way I relate to people and myself. The first time I read it I was intrigued and it inspired me to meditate on a regular basis. After meditating consistently for about a year I re-read the book and was amazed that now I understood a lot more of what Joko was trying to say. After five years it was even more clear. Charlotte has a wonderful way of explaining difficult concepts and ideas. She uses practical day-to-day examples to reinforce her teachings. I have bought this book for about a dozen of my friends. That is how much I like it and how much I believe in its power to change us for the better.Rich Leyden

EVERYDAY ZEN is a fine book for the committed Zen practitioner. EVERYDAY ZEN eschews the paradoxical and sometimes glib-sounding tone of other Zen books. As such, it would seem to be a good introductory volume to Zen practice; yet, this reviewer found it not so.

In relating Zen to such mundane experiences as washing the dishes, Joko Beck presumes her reader to be far enough along the path to intuitively grasp her meaning, and if in fact the reader does, EVERYDAY ZEN is a pleasure to read, a kind of colloquial version of Dogen Zenji's How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment. The experienced Zen practitioner (whether Novice or Roshi) should understand that Zen IS intimately related to the mundane.

The newcomer, however, may find Joko Beck's "everyday" language to be even more impenetrable than the exotic phrasing of the Japanese masters. To say "Don't get angry" and "It's okay to get angry" in juxtaposition makes sense only if the reader is familiar with the shift in mental perception that Zen requires between the absolute and the relative. And if the newcomer is unfamiliar with the mechanics of zazen and the externals of practice (which this book does not address) then it all seems even more obscure.

As Kim Boykin states in her Spotlight Review, EVERYDAY ZEN is not the book to turn to in an existential crisis---it's liable to do more harm than good, if only in being particularly frustrating. Joko Beck does not counsel passivity, but she does focus "on things as they are." This approach might cause a reader in need of assurance to feel overwhelmed by life. Her teaching entitled "No Hope" sounds despairing to the lay ear, as do her editorial comments that, "No human being has ever been fully enlightened." A careful reading of EVERYDAY ZEN shows that Joko Beck is nowhere as nihilistic as she seems. Still, the beginner may be turned off by Joko Beck's almost aggressive insistence that it's all nothing special. Suzuki-Roshi says it's nothing special once you realize you are already there. The trick is in the realization.

EVERYDAY ZEN is a collection of Joko Beck's teisho (teachings) at the San Diego Zen Center, and she is definitely addressing a select audience as Master to Student. Despite it's "everyday" approach, it's undoubtedly geared for those of us who have already sat upon the cushion, not those of us who are considering it.

Strongly recommended if you have already done some sitting. If so, this is an excellent and straightforward discussion of living Zen in modern America.

The best book on Zen you will ever find. And this from someone with a shelf-load full of them. I recommend one chapter (lecture) each night before sleeping. No need to meditate; you will carry this around with you in your head each day. This book taught me how my fears have twisted my daily thoughts, my personality; it made me a better person. This the store copy was a gift for the daughter of a friend of mine; read mine in 2005, I guess it's time to reread it...
D.

I remember buying "Everyday Zen" in 1990 because of Robert Aitken's recommendation on the back cover. Still, I was pretty overloaded with Zen books; this one collected dust for a few months. When I finally did open it I was amazed; this was the first time I had encountered the radical suggestion: OUR LIFE IS OUR PRACTICE!!! It was a real eye opener. I reread it 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" was not something separate than 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 was in her book. There isn't a lot of drama in this practice. Our life becomes less of a soap opera and becomes more mundane. From that ordinariness emerge joy, compassion, love and all of the other aspects of our true nature. You might have fewer of the kind of lightening bolts of a traditional practice. Instead, you will have a grounded life which brings peace rather than pain into this world.

I find the title of this book to be a bit misleading - it implies a sort of general applicability characteristic of perhaps the large majority of books on "zen" and "Buddhism" which have overwhelmed the market in recent years. Love and work, who wouldn't want to resolve these two koans. Joko Beck, in this book, gives us much more than a series of little chickensoup feel-good stories about love and work. In what is essentially a compilation of her talks for sesshin students, she tries to goad us into what really cannot be expressed, cannot be talked about - into the awareness of the moment. This book therefore cannot be *read*, it has to be *felt* with that mixture of gratitude, abandon, sensitivity and faith that one works on during the sesshin. One therefore cannot use it to "learn" something about zen. As a tool for zen practice, however, i have found it over the years to be invaluable. i come to this book again and again for inspiration and support - i 'd rank it, together with S. Suzuki's Beginner's Mind as the best book on zen practice available to us today. What (arguably) makes it even more valuable to us are its syncretic elements: Everyday Zen is written by a Westerner who sees her life from a perspective of an American, yet it also possesses the sensitivity to the workings of one's mind, the ferocity needed to face the mind's endless evasive maneouvers and a dedication to cultivation of awareness that matches that of any Japanese zen master, indeed, that of any spiritual master anywhere. In short, if you want to practice zen as opposed to "studying" it, this is a book for you.

This was the first book recommended to me when I attended my first Zen Practice session, and I see now why. This book is actually a collection of dharma talks-loosely grouped within topics such as "Feelings," "Relationships", or "Suffering."

Joko Beck has an engaging, chatty style which allows the beginning Zen student to really understand the concepts she's discussing. While often quoting the masters-Dogen Zenji, Jesus or Buddha-she places their comments in the context of daily zen practice. She also includes excerpts from several interviews with students, and these allow the reader to better engage the text. I, for one, certainly admired Joko Beck and her students in their grasping for answers!

Although more advanced students may crave a text which is a little more "technical," I think all Zen practicioners could benefit from reading at least parts of this book, and since the excerpts are only loosely-connected to each other, you really do not need to read this book cover-to-cover to get a good sense of Zen practice.

Definitely recommended!

I'm not familiar with this type of Zen Buddhism so about a third of Joko's explanations brought up a lot of questions for me. There's definitely more "good" than "bad". The book is transcribed from her lectures and classes so there are some chapters that end with Q&A from students. I'm glad learned more about it so that I know this type of practice is not for me. My favorite part is learning that in this type of meditation, you wouldn't close yourself off to the external world. It's about hearing everything around,acknowledging that your body hurts, and waiting for the emotional breakthroughs.

Dear readers, if you were drawn to this book as I was then you must also seek insight and a better quality of life. I have many books on Zen and books related to self-inquiry in general. Everything ranging from Thomas Cleary's translated classics to Allan Watts, D.T. Suzuki, Krishnamurti, to the mammoth book, Zen and the Brain. Not one of them spoke to me as intimately as this book did. This is wisdom for the people of our age. In some of the passages within this book, I found myself thinking "of course!! that makes so much sense!!" In summmarizing the book, its primary message is to just "live your life and do not seek the truth anywhere else." I especially admire Joko Beck's groundedness. She is not an egomaniac guru who puts herself upon a pedestal and challenges the words of other teachers. Her attitude is something like "Nothing to gain, nothing to lose. If you want to hear a little about the insight that I have then listen, if not, continue on to the next book. It's up to you." So if you have been searching as I have then please consider reading this book before spending another dollar on any Zen self-help book. I promise you that you will not be able to turn away from the priceless wisdom that are within these pages.

I've read quite a few books over the past few months in my search to "understand Zen" (yes, I *know* that's a contradiction in terms!). But "Everyday Zen" is really the first that helped me see how Zen can operate in the midst of my modern American life -- outside of a monastic environment, dealing with business and family and the other assorted miseries of the late 20th century. Her style is forthright and no-nonsense; excuse the sexism, but it's almost as if you had a plain-spoken old aunt who simply told you the truth about the birds and the bees when everyone else was hemming and hawing and quoting Robert Browning. I recommend this book HIGHLY to anyone new to Zen who struggles, as I do, with how to place it into a modern context

I have this book for 20 years now, and i read it 3 times during those years...
It never gets old....
For me, reading this book is not like "reading a book"...
It feels different.
it's like shaking my own hand,
Or like... kissing my own lips.
It is like the writer and reader are one and the same, this is how it feels to read this book again after 20 years.
No book like it...

This has been one of my favorite books on Zen since it came out. It has been a tremendous source of encouragement to me and a reliable guide when I feel my own practice waning. What I love most are her personal stories and the way she weaves them into the Zen teachings. As others have pointed out, she never presents herself as anything other than a fellow traveler with worries and troubles just like the rest of us. It's therefore very accessible.

Another recommendation that fits this bill would be "Being Zen" by Ezra Bayda. From the same school of Zen, it's just as honest and the teachings are just as plain-spoken. Newer books on Zen I've enjoyed and have been recommending are "Hand Wash Cold" by Karen Maezen Miller and "Buddha in the Classroom" by Donna Quesada. Although the former applies her Zen practice and directs her writings to domestic life and the latter to her teaching life, in each case--as with "Everyday Zen"--there are no holds barred when it comes to personal stories of suffering and triumph, and the Zen teachings in each case are richly intertwined with those stories.

I have always been curious about Zen for a few reasons. But, it's mostly because many of the books I read refer to it. This is a good book to read if you're just plain curious like me. I thought that some topics in this book were easy to comprehend, but then there were others where I had to go back and reread paragraphs two or three times until it sunk in. Being a Christian, I enjoyed the parallel references to Christianity. And, it didn't seem like the author was trying to convert me to Buddhism. She writes in a tone that encourages understanding. I can't honestly say I completely understand all of Zen after reading this book. But, I can say that I'm enthusiastic about wanting to learn more. That's not because I'm interested in converting to Buddhism but because I am fascinated by the similarities between Zen and living a Christlike life. And, on a less serious note, I really enjoy baffling my friends and coworkers with the Buddhist parables mentioned in this book.

This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. I have an avid interest in Buddhism (all sects), and I came across the book in an eastern philosophy class I took at University. If you are interested in Zen Buddhism, this is a beautiful introduction although at some points not the easiest. However, I believe that a careful reader and practicioner will be able to unravel it. This book has certainly began a gradual change in my life for the positive, one which I hope I can keep up, and I believe that anyone who takes the time to really read and practice what she suggests, I think they will benefit you tremendously. Good luck and practice well!!

Good book by a real practitioner. It lightly touches every significant aspect of life. Very easy read. It also explains what Zen practice is and what isn't. There are too many books on as quazi-buddhism, unnecessarily complicating Zen with self-invented garbage. Zen is simply about being.

It is written in simple language and may be read by anyone. Everyone is a beginner in Zen, anyway.

Most importantly, the author does not present her writings as the absolute truth. Zen is about questioning, and Beck repeats it over and over again.

If anything, the book requires an open mind. As it is said, "On a withered tree, a flower blooms".

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!

This book will strike some people as too simple, but there is a lot of truth in what the author has to say. For many Western people, Zen is never going to be a monastic career, and none of the truths central to it, are lost by being lived out in the fruitful bathos of daily life. Indeed, it might be there that most of us are going to discover what's truly important in life - and, what's unimportant. Where else is there - to look?

My only reservation about the book, is that it tends to play down peak experiences - born of Zen practice, which are,in a sense, akin to what you might experience in a Zendo. Still,

if the great potentiality of Zen is to be found in 'chopping wood, carrying water' - why not begin in your own back yard?

One of the best introductory book on Zen practice. Very practical, applicable guides to life-centered living. Joko helps the reader integrate Zen lessons into everyday living. She illustrates how meditation and practice are not only on the cushion but in our daily lives, that the real practice is not during sitting but involved with our actions. We sit not to be better at sitting but to be better at living.

Charlotte Joko Beck has written a brilliant introduction for Westerners on the practice of Soto Zen. Soto is the Zen school that practices "just sitting", and is similar to (but less structured than) the mindfulness practices that are so popular today. This book illuminates the value of Soto Zen and offers invaluable instruction in the practice of meditation and the philosophy of Zen. Her approach seems influenced by the work of Krishnamurti, and this adds a helpful, contemporary feel to her teaching.

I have been a practicing Zen student for 32 years, and I think this book is the best.
If you think you are going to get enlightened and all your problems will be solved, you probably won't like this book, because it may shatter your dreams. Do you want that?
For the rest of us, who have no such illusions, this book tells us how to be more kind, and how to enjoy our messy uncomfortable lives more and more and more. Thank you.

This is not a sustained argument or thesis. The reader should know something of Buddhism and something of Zen practice in order to understand what she is talking about. This is a collection of talks that Joko Beck--who has impeccable credentials--gave to her students, followed by short question/answer sessions. As such, it covers a lot of ground, and not every talk will speak to your present concerns. Nonetheless, it is a gem which has now stood the test of time in a field littered with books on Zen, many of which do not bear reading. I believe that it will ultimately enter the American Buddhist cannon.

This book has changed my life. Suffering deconstructed effectively. No riddles, no koans. Incisive, tough, human, compassionate. It works.
Also recommended: "Thoughts without a Thinker" by Mark Epstein, not as simple, but explains the link between Zen and therapy

Pure wisdom: no nonsense, no
appeals to authority, no pressure,
no dogmatism. The author even says
that she doesn't want people to believe
her, but rather wants them to experience for
themselves. Simply one of the best
books I've ever read

This book was given to me and sat in my cupboard for about 6 years before I read it! I wished I had picked it up and read it sooner, it really has had a profound impact on the quality of my life and those around me I'll bet! I'm just rereading it again after another probably 6 years and again finding its exactly what I need at this time. Would and do recommend it to anyone!

This is the sort of quiet, wise wisdom one searches long and hard to attain while enduring many hardships along the way. This little book puts life in perspective and joy back in the heart where despair sometimes has a tendency to reside/hide. Beautifully written, inspiring and pragmatic.

I bought this book 7 years ago in 1993 and have dipped into it every few months ever since. It's a great roadmap for the difficult job of letting go of your self amongst the traffic of daily life. If you have some will to serve others in addition to serving your self, then this book may help you to increase that in your daily routine. It's written in a way that transcends Zen Buddhism enough to be very useful to people practicing other religions too, and even quotes parallel teachings from Christianity and Sufism(Islam). Direct, Simple, Honest.

Charlotte Joko Beck tells us how we create ourselves our own suffering, and the solution that zen proposes.
The reality of everyday life doesn't satisfy us, so we prefer the pursuit of ideals. We don't see any more reality as it is, which brings confusion, and then more suffering.
Zen proposes to look inside oneself, instead of wanting de change reality. The practise of meditation makes clearer our difficulty to stay in the present, our selfishness and our desires. It develops the knowledge of oneself, our altruism and the detachment regarding our desires.

The book is organized in a series of talks where Joko shares her wisdom with her students. Unfortunately, I found that the tone of the talks lacked compassion and understanding for the complexity of the world. Thicht Nacht Han tells us not to create us/them dualities, but this book is replete with them. Further, the book overwhelmingly emphasizes the importance of sitting, but *ignores* the importance of everyday ethical practice in providing the groundwork for a joyful life of awareness. I find that it did not provide much help for ordinary people trying to deepen the practice of their everyday lives. Perhaps this is a problem with Zen Buddhism in general. A much better book is Sharon Salzberg's "Lovingkindness".

This is the second book by Beck that I have read. I like her style of writing, which is both concise and practical. In this book, she strips away all the artifice that Zen practice sometimes basks in, through no fault of its own, and gets to the core reason for undertaking such a discipline. In other words, there is nothing the least bit romanticized or esotericized about Zen here, and that is as it should be.

I found this to be a straightforward, clear, human account of zen as a practice of sitting and noticing your thoughts and moods as they arise, and the discipline and difficulties involved. It doesn't contain much history of zen, nor describe much about the posture of sitting, which seems to be important for some.

I purchased "Everyday Zen: Love & Work" for my husband for Christmas (2006). He has enjoyed other Charlotte Joko Beck books in the past. So, I decided to buy another one of her books for him. This book is good, it has many interesting ideas and thoughts to convey but, my husband still favors "Nothing Special: Living Zen." I believe he would recommend that book, if a reader is interested in introducing themselves to or wants to read another one of Charlotte Joko Beck writings. Although, "Everyday Zen: Love & Work" is readable and worth checking out. A notation: to

readers, you may just want to start with one of her other works first, before reading this one.

This is one of my favorites!! I can read it over and over and is a great companion to FREE YOUR MIND by Sensei Tony Free Your Mind: The Four Directions of an Awakened Life

Joko Beck writes compellingly on practice and real life. These collected Dharma talks spell out beautifully why one might want to add traditional Zen practice to modern western life, therein bringing center and no-thought out into all aspects of being.

This is one of my favorites!! I can read it over and over and is a great companion to FREE YOUR MIND by Sensei Tony Free Your Mind: The Four Directions of an Awakened Life

Joko Beck writes compellingly on practice and real life. These collected Dharma talks spell out beautifully why one might want to add traditional Zen practice to modern western life, therein bringing center and no-thought out into all aspects of being.

In a nutshell, Zen is meaningless without meditation. It is the basis of Zen. Charlotte Joko Beck's books are not instruction books on how to meditate, nor are they an introduction to the basic ideas of Zen Buddhism. Her books are also, I think, not very conrete.

Let me preface by saying I'm new to Buddhism. I found this book often hard to follow. The author seems to go on tangents and often does not expound on her thinking. She will start with one analogy and jump to another and then end with talking about something different. This is probably because these were talks given by the author. Talks sometimes don't transcribe well to written words, which is the case here. Take, for example the passage "True Suffering and False Suffering." The authors starts by telling a story about her friend, then she moves on to a friend giving her an article about suffering, then on to Shakespeare, then to a Sufi story, all in just a few pages. This may work well as a talk, but in a book this is just painful to follow ramblings.

There does seem to be interesting philosophical points that the author makes, but it's beneath a sea of (sorry to say) garbage.

In my opinion, this book is poorly written. It's author has fundamental misunderstandings regarding mind/body/spirit, and yet approaches the subject as though she has the truth in hand. The approach feels oddly like an elementary school teacher leading her students to the blessed truth. I don't know; it's just...too dogmatic, and from time to time there are concepts presented which will make you (as an intelligent reader) WINCE! I mean, actually WINCE! It's soooo poor, that I THREW it away rather than leave it for another reader to stumble upon at my local coffeehouse. Save your money. (THAT'S a concept you can take to the bank!)

Like the reviewer Michael from Seattle below, I found this book ultimately dissapointing. Although it does have a lot of practical wisdom, in the end she basically says all we can hope for is a life of "hard work" and "practice", constantly navel gazing our issues "for years" in the hope of the final realization. She obviously has not stepped into "The Mystery" Itself and therefore isn't able to write about it. In the end she leaves the reader/seeker at a train station, watching from the sidelines as the train swishes by time after time. The seeker is never seemingly able to actually get on the train, reminding me of Harry Potter unable to find the portal into Reality. Dejected, the seeker is resigned to a life of "hard work" and "practice." If this is what Zen is, no thank you... One would be served better by reading books like Adyashanti's Emptiness Dancing, Leo Hartong's Awakening to the Dream and Eli Jaxon-Bear's Sudden Awakening.