A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea - Saltwater Buddha

Life is the ultimate question that goes unanswered. Riding the wave of life can be thrilling if you let go of fear, accept adversity, learn from mistakes and be thankful for the ride. Peace can be found in books such as this that remind you of the journey we are all on. Enjoy some time on the crest of the wave, it provides a great view of what is.

The place where I learned about Yoga has a motto: "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." That could sum up the story of Jaimal Yogis and his quest for balance while learning to surf, but Saltwater Buddha is much more than that, as repeated readings have shown me. A lot of books on spirituality are...how should I say this? Kinda dry, spoken in lofty syntax. (You can always tell by the lack of contractions--"I cannot," "I am arriving," etc.) Saltwater Buddha is written in a much more relaxed way, as though a friend is telling you about an adventure that helped define the course of his life. It's a hero's journey type of tale, complete with a journey, failure, and triumph, but without any heroics, other than people facing their feelings and fears. Which makes it so much better than fiction. I wish I'd had this book in my aimless, groundless twenties, but having it in my meandering middle age has been pretty awesome too. And whenever it feels like my personal ocean has gone flat, I take advantage of the lull and re-read Saltwater Buddha. Something new is always revealed.

The place where I learned about Yoga has a motto: "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." That could sum up the story of Jaimal Yogis and his quest for balance while learning to surf, but Saltwater Buddha is much more than that, as repeated readings have shown me. A lot of books on spirituality are...how should I say this? Kinda dry, spoken in lofty syntax. (You can always tell by the lack of contractions--"I cannot," "I am arriving," etc.) Saltwater Buddha is written in a much more relaxed way, as though a friend is telling you about an adventure that helped define the course of his life. It's a hero's journey type of tale, complete with a journey, failure, and triumph, but without any heroics, other than people facing their feelings and fears. Which makes it so much better than fiction. I wish I'd had this book in my aimless, groundless twenties, but having it in my meandering middle age has been pretty awesome too. And whenever it feels like my personal ocean has gone flat, I take advantage of the lull and re-read Saltwater Buddha. Something new is always revealed.

I picked this up after reading Kook. Comparatively this is a much faster read, more like reading a set of polished journal entries with a narrative woven through them than a constructed work. It works very well for this story. As a reader we get to follow the author through his journey as a budding surfer and Buddhist while along the way he finishes his (formal) education and travels back and forth between Hawaii and California with some time in New York and a few brief periods in Europe. The author as written is infinitely likeable and human, making the story very encouraging for those struggling with decisions and learning and the way. While Kook took my curiosity about surfing and make it more respectful and cautious, this invites the reader into Buddhism and provides a patient perspective on learning a variety of skills.

I read this book on a flight recently and enjoyed it, but it could have been a bit better. It's a super-quick read and, I'm guessing, will be interesting to folks interested in surfing or Buddhism. As other reviewers have noted, it is well written and filled with introspection and quotes, most of which hit the mark. For me the main problem with the book - and maybe any memoir meets religion kind of book - was the ending. I was really into it for the majority of the book, but the last 10 pages or so, it was as if the author felt compelled to provide more meaning - or more of a neat ending - than he was able to pull off. To his credit, he did not present himself as some kind of boddhisattva or something, but it still felt forced - particularly when you consider how young the author seems to be. For most of the book though, the transitions between Buddhism & everyday life / surfing seemed well done and will likely only annoy academic types or people committed to specific points of view with regards to Buddhism. For my part, I enjoyed it.

Jaimal Yogis' coming of age story, Saltwater Buddha, captures the essence of that sense of connectedness that many of us feel when we commune with water. Humbly spoken, as if it were a tale being told around a campfire with friends, we accompany Yogis through the highs and lows of following his dream to surf big waves and therein find a more meaningful life. We learn about the ocean, we learn about surfing, and we learn about Buddhism and meditation. Because of Yogis' down-to-earth storytelling, we learn about these things in a widely accessible and human way. And yet, it's not simply a book about surfing or Buddhism... it's a lot more than that.

On a deeper level, Saltwater Buddha reveals what it is to have the courage to follow one's own convictions, to chase dreams tirelessly, and to never let go of those dreams no matter the cost. This admirable story is not a message about following your nose and then having it all fall into place once the decision's been made: rather, it was an honest account of the highs and the lows, and the reward of deep joy that follows the bold actions of an adventurous spirit.

Jaimal Yogis has shown that it's possible for one to follow Buddhist principles without necessarily leading a monastic life - I found this deeply encouraging.

I absolutely loved this book. It felt as though Yogis was sharing the pages of his personal diary, and I devoured every word. Thank you Jaimal for such a wonderful tale.

When the little postcard popped out from Wisdom Publications I immediately had a flash-back from when I used to read Thich Nhat Hanh books. Then I started reading and it all made sense. This book is actually a nice read but I can't help to recall the spoof of Boys in the Hood - Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood when Marlon Wayans would say 'MESSAGE'.

This is a Buddhist book wrapped in a surfers story so please be aware of the publisher. This isn't 'Kook' or a surf travelogue. (Loved Kook by the way).

This is an extension of a Thich Nhat Hanh book and his teachings.

That said, it's still a nice read and the message is actually pretty awesome. I used to read his books when I was in my mid-twenties and it still does put a smile on my face.

But just be aware of what you're buying.

More and more we're seeing books published that parallel one's lifestyle with the teachings of the Buddha. Jaimal's life as a surfer and Zen practitioner meld together as if they were meant to go hand in hand. It's not just the surfing and the Zen, his life in general parallels someone we all know, Buddha.

While a youngster, like Buddha, Jaimal became dissatisfied and went on a search to find something larger than himself. When faced with adversity and thoughts of potential failure, rather than give in he overcame the obstacles. In certain cases, he excelled right past them, focused and aware of his intentions.

Saltwater Buddha is a quick read, or better yet, pulls you right in like a rip current. Rather than fighting the current though, this ride is enjoyable and it's hard to put the book down. I think I read it in 3 sittings.

Maybe I'm blind, but what I really enjoyed was the fact there wasn't a major hype behind Jaimal and this. He has no "famous" Buddhist teacher parents, and like I said, unless I'm blind, I didn't even know who he was. I did see a short trailer on YouTube via The Worst Horse pumping the book up a bit, but that was about it.

You don't have to be a surfer, which I am not, to understand where Jaimal is coming from. His writing style breaks it all down and speaks in such a way that I felt like I could get on the board and know what to do, but I don't and know better so I'll stay away. What I'm saying though is, he makes you believe you can truly do anything you put your mind too. And when you fall down, it's ok to get back up and move on, to not give up and try again.

The book is honest and authentic and I appreciate Jaimal writing a book like this. I look forward to reading more him and to going back to Saltwater Buddha when I need a little extra inspiration.

I first read this book something like 6 years ago, and I've made a point to come back to it multiple times since then. Jaimal Yogis tells a fascinating tale that not only serves as a compelling autobiography but also allows for Buddhist teachings to be contextualised in a really relatable way. I'm not particularly religious or even spiritual, but there's something about the way this book is written that desperately makes me want to understand Buddhism more deeply.

Amazing book! Going through school I never enjoyed reading, in fact I despised reading. Then a couple of years ago a buddy handed me this book and told me just to read it, and that I would love it. Sooo, it sat on my dresser for about a month and one night I couldn't sleep so I figured what the hell, I picked up the book probably around 1 or 2 in the morning and couldn't put it down until the sun was up. I just could not stop reading. I finished it in two sittings! In fact I loved it so much I returned the book to my friend and bought a copy for myself. It may have been cause I felt a little lost in life when I starting reading it and by the time I was done, I wouldn't say I found my way cause that sounds like a cliche but I will say it gave me a little confidence that everything would be ok.

All in all, great feel-good book, great author, perfect read for anyone.

Saltwater Buddha by Jaimal Yogis is an autobiography of his life's journey, as well as homage to his Buddhist beliefs and his love of surfing. Jaimal Yogis was a troubled teen, with a wandering spirit that was drawn to adventure. Leaving home his junior year of high school, Yogis learned to surf and fend for himself on the shores of Hawaii. Once his parents tracked him down, Yogis' path lead him physically to several diverse places such as France, Northern California and Long Island. Spiritually, Yogis' path lead him to Zen Buddhism.

To say that Saltwater Buddha is outside of my comfort zone, is an understatement. This book is all about surfing, a young person's quest to find himself and Buddhism. I am a scrapbooking middle-aged suburban mom. Even so, I did like this book. Yogis' descriptions of the perfect waves were lyrical. His honesty about the struggles to find himself was inspiring. Yogis' openness to the many adventures of life was engaging, especially his stories about caring for an ailing Christian man and his adventures surfing of Long Island. Yogis is a gifted writer.

Saltwater Buddha is a very quick read. The writing in Saltwater Buddha is more stream of consciousness, rather than long developed chapters. For example, on Page 80, the entire page consists of one sentence, "It was awful." As dramatic writing, these short bursts of thoughts are effective, but they really do shorten the book and give it a jumpy feel. In contrast, Saltwater Buddha drones on at times about Buddhist history and philosophy. To be honest, I did skim several chapters where Yogis explained the intricacies of Buddhism.

Just finished Saltwater Buddha by Jaimal Yogis and absolutely loved it! As someone who has often thought about what it would be like to "leave it all" and go on an epic quest chasing waves, Jaimal's memoir provided me with some interesting perspective. This book is also filled with deep wisdom about the energy of the ocean, being present in life, and how surfing can provide a lot of lessons that are practical for real life. Check this one out, fellow surfers.

This book came into my life unexpectedly. And as always, it's just the right one for this moment! From the first pages, Jaimal caught me in his light but personal recounting of his life story.

I'm not a practicing Buddhist - although I'm spiritual and familiar with some of the principles. And I'm barely a beginner surfer. Nevertheless, Jaimals open heart narrative speaks greatly to me. I can find myself in many of his stories, his experiences are wonderfully human and his writing drops you right into his heart. It bursts with quotes and I'm usually rather annoyed with feeling like I *should* read them and not necessarily seeing the value but not in Saltwater Buddha! Jaimal has an uncanny talent to pick the right quote for the right chapter, and they're always clear, understandable, unpretentious and wise.

Plus, no kidding, I got a bunch of helpful tips for surfing. Nothing technical, just notes on the mindset and the power of thoughts and beliefs. Can't wait to try it out in the water (um, no monster waves yet, please!).

His tone is never preaching, never whoo-whoo, never boring and never superficial. Always light, full of humor, inspiring and wise. It's a beautiful story about growing up, full of life. And it's much more than that: It is about finding yourself. In the good moments and in the midst of the daily grind. In calm waters as well as in turmoil. It's about accepting yourself for who you are and making the best out of job and other duties. Of just enjoying the ride!

Jaimal Yogis has been an accomplished writer. I have read some of his works in some surf publications, and I was glad that he wrote a book recalling his journey towards Zen by way of surfing.

I first picked up this book because I am trying to learn and practice Buddhism. Also, I am part of surf culture, and felt that this book would combine two of my biggest interests. NOTE-> I am not a big reader, so this is from the perspective of a student bogged down with homework who rarely has time to read for fun.

Beginning with the vibrant cover art (by Phil Pascuzzo), this book captivates the reader with a fun,informal tone. Jaimal tells the story of his life as it relates to finding enlightenment through Zen Buddhism. His tail of growing up by the beach and traveling around the country in search of enlightenment through surfing is one that it personal and fascinating.

What I liked best about this book is that it is a quick read that packs a punch of emotions. Jaimal does a terrific job of intertwining his surfing and buddhism. He also does a great job of breaking down some of the buddhist terms he uses throughout.

I loved this book, and highly recommend it to anyone who surfs, lives the surf life, and/or has an interest in buddhism/spirituality.

Terrific read!

I started surfing about 3 months ago. That was also around the same time I started seriously looking at Buddhism. It is amazing that I discovered Jamail Yogis's book while going through a vaguely parallel experience.

Coming from this perspective, Saltwater Buddha is an amazing book that blends personal memoir with spiritual insight. It is thoughtful, well-written, and an entertaining read. The last point is worth emphasizing - a spiritual journey may be very interesting to the person going through it, but it will not necessarily resonate with others. Yogis has accomplished the task of translating his inner journey into a narrative that holds the reader's attention and can speak to people from varied spiritual backgrounds.

From a purely descriptive perspective, the book is about a man's intellectual, emotional, and spiritual maturation. Yogis lived a life that many of us dream of. Several times during his life he followed his impulses and went to Hawai'i to pursue his passion for surfing. However, these excursions to Hawai'i were bracketed by emotional growth and learning to take responsibility. As easy as it would be to lose oneself in a tropical paradise, Yogis realized that he needed to balance his passion with the more mundane aspects of life. The book traces his journey back and forth between these twin forces.

At the same time, Yogis is going through significant spiritual growth. Whether it is through private meditation or a stint in a monastery, his spiritual education moved through both formal and informal channels. More significantly, much of his spiritual growth came out of his movement between passion and responsibility. Life is often the greatest spiritual guide. For him, it was surfing that had one of the largest impacts on his journey. Not only did it serve as a metaphor for many of the formal principles in Buddhism, but it also served as spiritual practice.

Most of the surfers that I know acknowledge the spiritual impact surfing has. While they may not recognize it inside a specific dogmatic framework, they are certainly aware of the connection between surfing and some larger cosmic mystery. One reason that Yogis's book is so fascinating is that he looks at surfing through the lens of a particular spirituality. This helps to give structure to thoughts about how surfing impacts people.

Looking at surfing through the lens of Buddhism is not, obviously, just a literary device used by Yogis. However, this particular perspective is what makes Saltwater Buddha unique and engaging. Buddhism is capable of embracing so many different paths of spirituality and surfing was one of the paths for Yogis. The structure of the book reflects this interconnection - spiritual insight is interwoven with the narrative of his life. Each piece serves to illuminate the other.

This is, of course, how life is actually experienced. We do not experience inner and outer experience as separate things. Instead, our spiritual/emotional/intellectual life is completely intertwined with our experiences in the world. We find meaning in the events of our lives and those same events give validation (or challenge) our worldview. It is difficult to capture this in an effective way and even more difficult to convey this to another person in a structured and coherent way. Again, this is a task that Yogis has admirably accomplished.

I have purchased several copies of the book because I plan to give them to friends; to both surfers and nonsurfers. I have found that Saltwater Buddha gives expression to many of the experiences I am having myself. I have found it so difficult to explain my experiences to people that don't surf - which makes Saltwater Buddha even more impressive. Yogis has found an effective way to give voice to the deeply emotional and spiritual aspects of an activity that many dismiss as idle fancy. We should all be thankful for this gift.

I am confident that this book will open your eyes to a different world; even if you have no interest in surfing or Buddhism.

I reluctantly read Saltwater Buddha as required reading for a philosophy class. This turned out to be one of my all time favorite books. I'm from Michigan- I don't surf, this book is about much more than surfing. You'll find yourself immersed in zen while reading, you'll find yourself transformed.

reviews are subjective, and a reader's opinion may never be as close to the author's intention; however, that is the joy of of opening up to new experiences and gaining insights into some else's life. What Jaimal Yogis does,at least for me, is open his heart about his life and experiences leading up to his present day - enlightenment through serendipity.

It is a very insightful and easy read,and the short chapter breaks allow you to put down the book and ponder for a while; which is good since in today's world of over-consumption of the internet and TV, it's good to see someone from the "digital age" taking a stance on "silence and observation" with the world and within yourself. And, being a surfer myself, his hilarious and soulful explanations of the surf culture, and what it means to him, allows a window of opportunity for anyone to enjoy life a bit more.

KUDOS!!!!

A tale of seeking wholeness & understanding in his love for all things liquid, .Jaimal skillfully compares his own life story with the tale of Siddhartha, sharing parallel insights along the way that are often quite humorous, yet deeply insightful. I am reminded that we all must carve our own unique path through life & do so with awareness & understanding, I am moved and inspired by his story.

I rarely finish a book but reading Saltwater Buddha all the way through was just automatic for me. I grew up in a surf town and surfed for about ten years straight. Those were, beyond question, some of the very best years of my life and I feel extremely fortunate for having had them. Looking back, I've often said that me and my surf buddies were Zen practitioners back then and just didn't know it at the time. I guess that just shows how deeply immersed we were, haha. It was easy for me to relate to the feeling of oneness with the ocean described in the book. I also sense the ever-present pull the ocean environment has on me. I'm landlocked right now, yet I always have the urge to get back to the ocean. The feeling never goes away. No matter where I live or how old I get, I consider myself to be a surfer. Great book, I'm looking forward to the movie. Thanks Jaimal.

I'm not a practising Buddhist nor, unfortunately, am I a competent surfer. I suppose you could say that I dabble in both. I can't recall whether it was the Buddhism or the surfing that prompted me to buy the book but whichever it was, I'm glad I did.

As other reviewers have said, I don't think you need to engage in either activity to enjoy the book. What Jaimal does extremely well is to convey the emotions that both sensations bring in an extremly enjoyable and entertaining way. The guy has obviously led a very interesting life, leading me to question why I have devoted mine to Chartered Accountancy!

One piece of advice. If you take this book as holiday reading, make sure you take other books as well, for you will surely have finished this by the end of the first day...it really is that good.

Happy surfing. Happy reading. Be happy.

Every now and then in life you come across something that just resonates with something deep inside of you. It's hard to explain what it is, but you feel so connected to that moment in time. It may come disguised as a love-at-first-sight encounter with someone, or it maybe just a song that connects you with your surrounding as you drive a convertible on a sunny spring day. However that moment may come, your whole being somehow instinctively knows it's special; it feels so truly effortless, beautiful and true. This is how I came to meet Saltwater Buddha.

For 18 years I had been in the corporate environment living the so called good life; I had the red sports car, never worried about money, I lived on a tropical white sandy beach, had beautiful blondes and brunettes and more sex than any man could want in a life time. And yet within all this so called "success" my world felt hollow and void. The only time I felt really fulfilled was when I was in the water. Surfing and, especially bodyboarding, gave me this incredible peace and joy that some how quenched my soul. It wasn't long before I realized that I couldn't continue with that kind of life long career and lifestyle. So I did what the water element in me does best, I flowed around it and moved on.

It's been 28 months since I flowed past that part of my life. I moved back to the USA, read many good books and spent all my money on charitable causes. And even though I financially went broke, I felt this incredible sense of peace and a feeling that something much bigger & bolder is awaiting me. In fact, so secure was my feeling, that with my last few dollars to my name, I came across Saltwater Buddha and bought it without hesitation. Right from the start, as I began reading the book, I felt like I was transported back to my ole tropical surf breaks, sitting on my board, waiting for THE wave of the day and for that "only-a-surfer-knows" sensation of racing down the face of a wave. This book has become somewhat of a pure connection to my life and the signifcance of what being in the ocean means to me. If you're some young charging ripper looking for a surfing suspense fix in a book, this is not it. This book is really about our relationship to our experiences and how they come to shape us. It's a book about our awakenings and how we connect to them. I highly recommend this book to you; may you find comfort in its words like I have. Thank you for reading my review, I wish you peace and good waves in your journey. D

I really loved this book for so many personal reasons. I appreciate the writer's down to earth outlook on Zen and I felt he made the highly complicated yet simple philosophy of Zen Buddhism approachable and meaningful on an instinctual level. I also found his love affair of surfing so inspiring and although I have tried surfing before and I find it to be exhilarating and down right scary, he made me uncover my own desire to seek the sea again. I love the ending in which he speaks of being lost and being ok with that feeling. The best lesson I took away from this book was his analogy of paddling out and the true work of life. This book is such a gem.

Saltwater Buddha is on the short list of great surfing books. As in my own life surfing plays a central role but the larger story is one of self discovery. Truly a great read regardless of how much time you've spent paddling in waves.

The most poignant thing about the book was that Jaimal Yogis took the time to step back, and put his life in front of the camera, so to speak. I have absolutely no doubt that people will relate to this book because his documented family conditions represent exactly what has happened to the American family: It has been shattered, and it has created adverse conditions for children. Some kids grow up just fine due to adversity (yay :) ), however some suffer and cannot break their cycle of suffering because of it. Jaimal shows how one can be triumphant in these adverse conditions, despite the multi-front plagues afflicting suburbia.

Jaimal gives Zen philosophy tidbits that are powerful. I found myself very amused at the plentiful Zen missives in there, especially an anecdote about a monk confronting a samurai.

Finally, one of Jaimal's most important messages was to all surfers, and their need to avoid "localism" and exercise patience for each other. Thanks to Jaimal for writing about that so vividly. If we could all just forget about that guy who ruined our stoke, and blow off a drop-in, and simply just get the next wave, then we all can be happier, healthier people, which is arguably the main point in surfing from where I'm standing :)

This book is a must have if you surf, or are considering taking the sport up.

This book is unbelievable. I'm lucky enough to have spent most of my life in the ocean and as a surfer I have to say Jaimal's got it down! I made the mistake of starting it at night and was so giddy to surf that I could hardly sleep. He breaks through all the roadblocks that can keep people from truly enjoying their surfing. There's so much more to surfing than just riding waves and Jaimal finds a way to describe that bond/love affair/addiction/oneness with the ocean that surfers are blessed/cursed with. I can not say enough good about this book, get a copy! If you're a surfer get 2- one for you and one for anyone in your life who doesn't surf and doesn't get it- they will after reading this book. Can't wait for his next one...

Revolutionary for me. Shared it with my whole family and we all loved it. Would recommend his entire collection to anyone looking to improve their awareness and understand more about how to be in the now.

I really enjoyed this book. I went into to Barnes & Nobles not looking for anything specific and ended up walking out with this book. Once you start reading Saltwater Buddha, it's almost impossible to set it down. I felt as if i was immersed in the story, and truely felt as if was on a surfing journey with Yogis. I would recommend this book to everyone. It's a great book to learn about Buddhism as well as surfing. The book also gives great insight, Im going into college as undecided, but this book helped me to realize that it is okay that i'm not sure what I want to do yet. Yogis did a lovely job writing this book, and I would definately suggest it to anyone looking for a good read.

Revolutionary for me. Shared it with my whole family and we all loved it. Would recommend his entire collection to anyone looking to improve their awareness and understand more about how to be in the now.

I really enjoyed this book. I went into to Barnes & Nobles not looking for anything specific and ended up walking out with this book. Once you start reading Saltwater Buddha, it's almost impossible to set it down. I felt as if i was immersed in the story, and truely felt as if was on a surfing journey with Yogis. I would recommend this book to everyone. It's a great book to learn about Buddhism as well as surfing. The book also gives great insight, Im going into college as undecided, but this book helped me to realize that it is okay that i'm not sure what I want to do yet. Yogis did a lovely job writing this book, and I would definately suggest it to anyone looking for a good read.

This wonderful book follows the author from the day he ran away from home aged sixteen in order to learn to surf in Maui right through to becoming an award-winning journalist years later. It's an honest account of his ups and downs and spiritual awakenings which are precipitated both through his experiences in the water and his Buddhist faith. In his musings on the sea the author is poetic and reminds me in many ways of perhaps my favourite writer about the ocean Thomas Farber. But this is also a personal Odyssey in which the writer has followed his dreams and listened to the quiet whispers of his soul as if they were carried on a gentle offshore wind. It's an inspiring and thought-provoking book which may well have you returning to it again and again. You can buy the book on the store.co.uk here.

I came across this book coincidentally and serendipitously in the book store which was a true blessing. This is an incredible philosophically fused personal story/account that you'll guarantee connect with in some way whether you surf or not and regardless of your religious or spiritual orientation. A vivid, realistic, intriguing and engrossing text from a very insightful and articulate journalist now author. I had the pleasure of meeting Jaimal at a local book signing and eventually sharing my experience with his book which was just as enlightening as reading the book. This is truly a must read despite what your typical literature genre is.

"Saltwater Buddha" is one of the greatest testaments out there for spiritual surfers. For someone who has been surfing for 10 years, I still learn something new every time I paddle out about myself, the world, my spiritual side, etc. and reading this book was like paddling into the wave: every page, I learned something new about surfing, life, and the world around me. J truly writes to the heart and soul of each and every person whose ever experienced a wave and a board. Thank you J for your insight, your spiritual guidance and most importantly, just an awesome book with which I can always look to for inspiration.

I read Jay DiMartino's reveiw here [...] and immediately tracked through to the store to buy the book. I have also viewed Jaimal's video and now follow his blog. I am drawn to Jaimal's story and his desire to follow his heart in travel, yoga, meditation and surfing. Being a relative late starter at all of those disciplines I loved the story and Jaimal's ability to tell it simply. I felt his pain, i laughed out loud and i held my breath with him. I have been so affected by this book that i have since been to my first yoga class!
It is a must read that i wont be lending out anytime soon.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Saltwater Buddha and Jaimal's account of surfing as metaphor for life as well as spiritual practice. It was a colorful adventure for me to take along with him. His accounts of learning to surf in Hawaii and finding purpose in his life through mediation and surfing deeply resonated with me. His writing is in a style that flows like the tide that easily transports one from wherever they are to the idyllic waters of Hawaii, the black abyss of the North East and the dusty streets of New York City. Thanks Jaimal! I can't wait for your next book.

This book is a pleasure to read from beginning to end. It is packed with wisdom and insight yet is small and approachable at every level. It is always a great comfort to be reminded that the path is not necessarily arrow-straight and that all paths lead to the summit, however much they may meander. The journey is the destination. I look forward to more writings from Mr. Yogis.

Here Jaimal Yogis makes a notoriously difficult subject accessible and reader-friendly without watering it down (haha), a real accomplishment. This book is a fast and fun read, and a great introduction to Zen. I came into it as someone who has practiced meditation for some time, but has never surfed, and greatly enjoyed it. Jaimal is an incredibly likable narrator, and his descriptions of the enlightened "surf bum" life made me want to buy a surfboard and head for the coast.

I love how the author juxtaposed surfing with spiritual balance. Learning to surf is a really humbling experience, and when you are out in the water so many things are taking place. It is an interesting experience to go through the motions of letting go of fear, respecting what is so much bigger than me, and trying to come out of it wanting more.
This book is an inspiration for anyone that is learning something new, and trying to get past challenges. I highly recommend this read !