Hardcore Zen by Brad Warner

Great, another lofty, incomplete, 'Zen' book I thought to myself when I picked up this book. So many people write about Zen and enlightenment these days that it's almost never worth the time to read any of them. But Brad Warner has done something different.

Coming from a background in punk rock and Japanese monster flicks, Warner is not your average Zen Buddhist. He breaks it down very simply, "Question Authority."

It's not your mother's Zen. It's not the Zen you've read about, or even study. It's real Zen. The 'who gives a fuck' of religions. This is the Zen Buddha might have wanted. It's definitely what he taught. Weigh all things against your logic, and then take truth from there. There is no future, there is no past, just right now. There is no heaven, there is no Hell, paradise and torment are right here, and we have to choose where we belong.

Warner talks about the classical themes throughout the book, using his own background and knowledge as an angle for the writing, even including quotes from punk bands at the start of each chapter. And Warner is no hypocrite. He let's you know right off, that you shouldn't believe what he says either, unless you find some truth of your own in it.

In summary, Hardcore Zen was an excellent read, with a fresh perspective, but if you are looking for enlightenment, read something else.