The Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and BeingA reader-friendly guide to Zen Buddhist ethics for modern times In the West, Zen Buddhism has a reputation for paradoxes that defy logic. In particular, the Buddhist concept of nonduality — the realization that everything in the universe forms a single, integrated whole — is especially difficult to grasp. In The Other Side of Nothing, Zen teacher Brad Warner untangles the mystery and explains nonduality in plain English. To Warner, this is not just a philosophical problem: nonduality forms the bedrock of Zen ethics, and once we comprehend it, many of the perplexing aspects of Zen suddenly make sense. Drawing on decades of Zen practice, he traces the interlocking relationship between Zen metaphysics and ethics, showing how a true understanding of reality — and the ultimate unity of all things — instills in us a sense of responsibility for the welfare of all beings. When we realize that our feeling of separateness from others is illusory, we have no desire to harm any creature. Warner ultimately presents an expansive overview of the Zen ethos that will give beginners and experts alike a deeper understanding of one of the world’s enduring spiritual traditions. |
Contents
What Am I Doing Here? Part 1 | 9 |
What Am I Doing Here? Part 2 | 20 |
The Ethics of Action | 28 |
The Noble Eightfold Path | 41 |
Right View | 45 |
Can You Do What Is Right without Belief? | 55 |
Right Thinking | 63 |
Right Speech | 71 |
I Vow to Refrain from Intoxicants | 195 |
I Vow Not to Dwell on Past Mistakes | 204 |
I Vow Not to Be Covetous | 214 |
I Vow Not to Give Way to Anger | 219 |
I Vow Not to Disparage Buddha Dharma and Sangha | 224 |
Dont Be a Jerk | 231 |
Same Brad Different Day? BeingTime | 244 |
Dogens Weird Ideas about Space | 260 |
Right Action | 76 |
Right Livelihood | 82 |
Right Effort | 89 |
Right Mindfulness | 94 |
The World of Demons | 106 |
Right Balanced State | 117 |
The Heart Sutra | 127 |
The Zen Buddhist Precepts | 137 |
The Buddhist Confession Booth | 148 |
The Three Devotions | 158 |
The Universal Precepts | 164 |
I Vow Not to Kill | 169 |
I Vow Not to Steal | 177 |
I Vow Not to Hold Excessive Desires | 182 |
I Vow Not to Lie | 190 |
Some More about Space | 270 |
Superconscious States and Miracles | 278 |
Who Walked My Dog? | 285 |
One Bright Pearl | 305 |
Dogens Letter to Himself | 319 |
Your True Body Is the Universe | 329 |
I Am My Own Bad Hair Day | 337 |
Our Actions Are the Universe | 346 |
The Dharma King | 353 |
Why Buddhas Need Other Buddhas | 360 |
No Choice | 368 |
The Human Project | 374 |
How to Do Zazen | 384 |
About the Author | 387 |
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The Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and Being Brad Warner Limited preview - 2022 |