The Other Side of Nothing

February 28, 2022
Zen priest Warner (Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen) brings a lighthearted approach to enlightenment in this modern guide to Zen Buddhist morality. For Warner, Buddhist ethics stem from the concept of nondualism, which contends that there are no individuals, “just one undivided nondual something of which you and I are aspects.” As such, he notes, “Because I am everyone and everything in the universe... to act unethically is effectively the same as punching myself in the face.” Warner explores the Buddha’s four noble truths, which suggest that one stops suffering when one stops desiring what one doesn’t have, and the ten grave precepts, which include vows to not kill, steal, or covet. The author enlivens the ancient teachings with humor and pop culture references, using a meme, for instance, to explain the paradoxical Diamond Sutra and the 1968 Monkees film Head to illuminate the idea of “right belief.” Warner’s plainspoken style makes the mystical comprehensible as he insightfully interprets Buddhist teachings for modern readers. This accessible and funny primer is an ideal introduction that cuts through the jargon.