Wonderland: The Zen of Alice (Playaway Young Adult) [Paperback]

Daniel Doen Silberberg (Author)

Book Description

Series: Playaway Young Adult | Publication Date: October 1, 2009

An exceptionally original riff on Alice in Wonderland, Daniel Silberberg’s Wonderland uses Lewis Carroll’s classic story as a jumping-off point to convey the Zen concept of “One Mind”. Using a lively mix of tone, quotation, and levels of discourse, he references everything from Timeless Spring and the Diamond Sutra to Kill Bill and ketchup, creating a unique contribution to contemporary American Zen that honors its historic roots while striking out into fresh areas. With stories from his own life as well as from the larger cultural swirl around him, Silberberg reflects on the differences between how we perceive the world and the way it actually is. His take on a variety of Buddhist ideas and concepts is immediately useful and relevant, enabling readers to address many of the issues they deal with in their own practices.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this short book Silberberg weaves snippets from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with personal anecdotes, classic Buddhist sutras, koans and popular culture to illustrate Zen approaches to the true nature of enlightenment: When we get to the other shore, to what I am calling Wonderland, we may experience One Mind. Rather than using Zen to explain Alice, Silberberg playfully mingles, for example, the upside-down logic of the Caterpillar and Mock Turtle with the wisdom of the Diamond Sutra to explain key ideas. A longtime practitioner and former vice abbot of the Kanzeon Zen Center in Utah, the author is adept at explaining Buddhist teachings and ideas, such as the causes of suffering and Siddhartha's search for the truth of existence. Silberberg's description of the Zen path demonstrates more rigor than gentleness, reflecting a warrior approach to the search for knowledge that isn't present in all forms of this Eastern philosophy; indeed, a little more clarification about which approaches are specifically Zen among the range of Buddhist practices would have been helpful for the novice. While the Alice analogies are thin, Silberberg's clear writing and in-depth knowledge of his subject make this addition to the Zen of genre engaging. (Oct. 1)
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Review

"This is a fresh, heartfelt, book that is down to earth, often funny and insightful. What makes this book unique is that it is the result of Doen Sensei's long dedicated practice and creative ability. It pleases me to see him exploring what a true, contemporary Zen can be, as well as, remaining true to the fundamentals and essence of the teaching. I highly recommend it.
— Dennis Genpo Roshi Merzel author of Big Mind - Big Heart: Finding Your Way

"Doen Silberberg collaborates with Lewis Carroll, producing a very readable and personal account of the spiritual journey. Wonderland is a valuable place to enter the Buddhist teachings."
— John Daido Loori, author of Heart of Being

"Like Baba Ram Dass and the late Carlos Castaneda, Daniel Doen Silberberg Sensei has the ability to present the eternal journey of self-discovery in a way that's entertaining, personal, and deeply insightful."
— Jeremy Silman - International Chess Master, author of 38 books including How to Reassess Your Chess and Zen and the Art of Casino Gaming

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Parallax Press (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888375957
• ISBN-13: 978-1888375954
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel Doen Silberberg has a reputation as an approachable, humorous teacher who is able to cut through to the central core of practice. His approach is tempered by 40 years of study and training in Zen, the Fourth Way, psychology, martial arts, chess, and music.

- Received transmission from Genpo Merzel Roshi in 2003
- Served as the vice-abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center
- Studied with Taizan Maezumi Roshi and Daido Loori Roshi
- Became a Fourth Way Teacher under Mr. Wilhem Nyland in 1979
- Years of clinical experience, with a PhD in Psychology
- Pioneered the field of leadership development, coaching IBM executives in the 1970's
- Author of Wonderland: The Zen of Alice (to be published by Parallax Press this Fall)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zen for everyone, October 1, 2009

By 

Julie Reiser - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wonderland: The Zen of Alice (Playaway Young Adult) (Paperback)

If you are interested in Zen but not in drinking green tea, giving up your life's savings, and shaving your head, this is the book for you. Instead of presenting ethereal concepts about enlightenment that seem far off and abstract, this book shows you what Zen applied in real life means--warts and all. Instead of wondering how you could apply the wisdom of 1,000 lotuses in the boardroom or the cubicle, the personal examples in this book will help show you how to access your own wisdom and internal strength to see the deep truth of Zen in whatever context you find yourself. Highly recommended for business people, musicians, artists, techies.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderland is here., September 29, 2009

By 

Tawni Anderson (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wonderland: The Zen of Alice (Playaway Young Adult) (Paperback)

Wonderland reads like one of Doen Silberberg's talks: engaging, provocative, and expressed in clean, fluid prose. With Alice in Wonderland as the riff and the Dharma as the backbone, Silberberg combines classic Zen texts, pop culture, and personal stories into a wholly delightful, lyrical text. The end result is a piercingly direct, fresh presentation of teachings that have been passed down for more than two thousand years.

Tonight I sat outside to finish reading the book, with just enough light coming from a window to read. It's quite warm, and a big storm is blowing in. I paused from my reading when a particularly large gust hit the ancient maple tree and moved towards the towering, fruit-laden apple trees. I put the book down and watched the wind. Wonderland is right here, right now.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and PACKED with gems, October 1, 2009

By 

Rebecca Long (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wonderland: The Zen of Alice (Playaway Young Adult) (Paperback)

This book is a short read if you sit down and plow through it, but slow-down because this book is worth savoring. Silberberg writes with a very organic and flowing style, with one brilliant insight into the nature of reality followed quickly by another angle of approach, another profound truth. Sprinkled throughout with the beautiful twists of Lewis Carroll, this book is not serious but is deeply penetrating at the same time. I found myself pausing frequently to enjoy the comparison between Alice's adventure in Wonderland and Silberberg's simple exposure of our real lives. This book is one to be re-read many times and to be kept on hand for quick reminders of the beauty of the dharma, the wonder of our existence, and the richness of everyday life. Words may only be pointers, but Silberberg has given us great words that have meaning in OUR time and provide a direction for our practice in this country, in this century.