In this episode I am joined by Brad Warner, Zen teacher and best-selling author of ‘Hardcore Zen’ and ‘The Other Side of Nothing’.
Brad recounts his unusual childhood, his passion for Punk rock ethics, and reveals what thwarted his teenage desire to become a born again Christian.
Brad describes his first encounter with Zen, shares the secret of his decades of daily practice, and explains why he is at odds with the culture and institutions of mainline American Zen.
Brad also discusses his awakening experience, the significance of dharma transmission, his new book on ethics, and what Dogen’s mysterious metaphors have in common with the TV show ‘Ancient Aliens’.
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Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/155-hardcore-zen-brad-warner
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
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Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
00:48 - Brad’s writing process
01:54 - ‘I’m not saying it was Aliens, but it was Aliens’
03:25 - Brad’s unusual upbringing
06:22 - Finding Zen and moving to Japan
09:38 - Punk rock ethics
11:38 - Trying to become a Christian
14:39 - Practice vs belief
18:09 - At odds with institutional Zen
20:57 - Brad’s Zen vs American Zen
25:08 - American Buddhist politics
26:25 - The secret of Brad’s daily meditation practice
36:01 - Meditation consequences permanent or temporary?
39:11 - The danger of stopping practice after awakening
40:56 - Nishijima Roshi cutting Brad down
46:36 - Brad’s awakening experience
49:37 - Receiving Dharma transmission
54:01 - Links to SFZC
55:09 - Dharma transmission wars and institutional power
01:02:06 - Secret lineage of transmission
01:05:06 - Will Brad give dharma transmission?
01:09:35 - What if Nishijima Roshi had moved to the USA?
01:13:41 - Does Brad have a teacher now?
01:17:15 - Brad’s new book about ethics and non-duality
01:25:13 - Dogen’s elusive metaphors
01:30:44 - Brad on race and being a foreigner
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To find out more about Brad Warner, visit:
- http://hardcorezen.info/
- https://www.youtube.com/c/HardcoreZen
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
