Customer Reviews

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

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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've tried surfing a few times and, to be perfectly honest, I'd usually rather lie on the beach or go for a swim. I'm also lukewarm on Buddhism in any kind of strict sense. But Saltwater Buddha kept me riveted and laughing the whole way through. Not only is it funny, the insights sprinkled through the narrative gave me fresh perspective on my own life. It's the kind of book I wanted to start again as soon as I finished.

If you are a new surfer, read this book.
If you are a master surfer, read this book.
Read it like you were a kid again and like you are discovering all this for the first time.
Give it to your non-surfer friends.
Give it to your buddies who have yet to realize the real gift of surfing despite their pro status on the waves.
Give it to your comrades who could have written it themselves.
Give it to your landlocked nephew in Montana.
Translating the wisdom of water and of Zen in his own life, Jaimal Yogis shares lessons that reach far beyond surfing.
Romantic and real, simple and deep, Saltwater Buddha reminds each of us that living with compassion and zeal each moment
is what makes a meaningful life.

My copy of the book has already had a taste of Saltwater itself... a couple of days ago, some strong island winds blew it into the Caribbean ocean when I put the book down for a second, and I saw it floating away. I was about halfway through the book and was just at the point where the author was wrestling with his fear about the big wave at Third Bay. Rom had already taken a wave.

I tried scooping up the book but couldn't reach it, and every second it just got farther and farther away. As I quickly went through my options I realized if I didn't get the book now, there was a good chance I wouldn't be able to finish the book this week. I'm in Jamaica right now for the week, so I'm guessing it would be hard to get the book through Amazon or Kindle. And my fiancee is already excited about reading the book, too. So I stripped down into my underwear and dove into the ocean to get it. Granted, I wasn't in deep water or anything, but it's not like jumping into a swimming pool.

I swam back with the book, both of us wet and salty. After some hair dryer action and half a day of island sun, the book was almost dried out and the pages didn't stick together. Fortunately, I was able to finish reading the book.

Considering this is the first time I've ever dropped a book into the ocean, I think it's funny and fitting that it happened to be Saltwater Buddha.

I'm not a surfer, and a lot of times philosophy feels like mental masturbation to me. However, I finished this book in two days and plan on reading it again (that's amazing for me). I find it impressive that the author is able to interject thousands of years of philosophy into a humorous, reflective, and honest narrative without being heavy-handed or dogmatic about it. The author will apply a philosophical point to an event and present it as his contemplation as if the story were no more than a coffee conversation, and leave it for the reader to agree, disagree, or ignore it. He is able to connect a deep, profound Buddhist teaching to ordinary events that could happen to any of us in modern life.

I can relate to many of the events in the author's life, and I suspect many our generation can. Since reading the book, I am already starting to see things a bit differently, and that's a really neat thing. This is definitely a book worth reading.

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.

"Heartfelt, honest and deceptively simple. It's great stuff with the words Cult Classic stamped all over it." Alex Wade, author of Surf Nation

Jaimal's "story-telling
instincts are strong, so strong that this book will surely find the
audience it deserves-among surfers, among seekers, and among those
who enjoy being swept along on a curious ride."
Daniel Duane, author of Caught Inside: a surfer's year on the California Coast

"Jaimal's tale of survival and perseverance reminds us to follow our hearts without fear. A bold young man's coming of age, Saltwater Buddha is not only entertaining, it's inspiring and motivating. I loved this story!" Urijah Faber, World Champion Mixed Martial Artist

"Surfers and Zennies alike will want to catch this wave."--Shambhala Sun

"...may ultimately launch an entirely new breed of memoir: the coming-of-sage story."
Bruce Kelley, editor-in-chief, San Francisco Magazine

"...lighthearted and natural and unafraid...a beautiful coming of age story."
Abby Gruen, New York Times contributing writer

"It's the perfect read for those who love the ocean as much as their yoga mats, or for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the spiritual practice that is surfing."
Karen Macklin, Yoga Journal

"An incredibly fun ride."
Steven Kotler, author of West of Jesus

"As a surfer, Saltwater Buddha is a reminder to focus on the positive even in difficult situations. Whether it's fierce localism, cold water, or endless big waves, we could all use a little more Zen."
Holly Beck, professional surfer

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 !

This was such a treat to read on my vacation many, many miles from waves. The author had such an authentic voice and was able to capture the typical frustrations of learning to surf followed by the realizations that we ultimately surf for reasons other than simply catching waves. I think this book would be good for surfers and non-surfers alike, and an especially perfect book for any young, ego-driven, agro surfers that you may know! Please, give it to your 16 year old nephew for his birthday to keep him in check ;-)

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 amazon.co.uk here.

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.