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Nothing Special: Living Zen
 
 
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Nothing Special: Living Zen (Paperback)

by Charlotte J. Beck (Author), Steve Smith (Author) "We are rather like whirlpools in the river of life..." (more)
Key Phrases: labeling our thoughts, selfcentered thoughts, other ice cubes, Middle East, Garden of Eden, Master Ichu (more...)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

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Nothing Special: Living Zen + Everyday Zen: Love and Work (Plus) + Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shambhala Library)
Price For All Three: $33.25

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Editorial Reviews

Review
"Deep Wisdom; strong, clear, practical advice--wonderful common sense Zen." -- Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

"Joko Beck speaks from the timeless and the perennial, so her metaphors of ordinary things and everyday incidents illumine my mundane life. Nothing Special is Zen alive and how to live it." -- Robert Aitken, author of Taking the Path of Zen

Product Description
A Zen Center weekend in a book! The delightfully contemporary teacher and bestselling author of Everyday Zen shows how to make living itself a spiritual practice and how to discover that the extraordinary is really "nothing special."

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 177 pages
  • Publisher: HarperOne; 1st edition (September 3, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0062511173
  • ISBN-13: 978-0062511171
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,270 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Get back to Reality Zen, March 30, 2004
I am a buddhist.I have read a single talk out of this book every night for over a year. These are concise dharma talks. Zen is pretty new to the US, and many of the traditional Zen stories have to do with monks having exotic experiences. It is easy to get caught in these dreams of 13th century Japan. Joko brings us back from our dreams of a far away practice to doing our dishes while the kids yell in our house in Denver. She offers a sober message of being just here. You wont find a heartwarming Hallmark message here. Joko is as direct and harsh as reality. It is no fun to follow the teachings back to our drab old smelly life, so don't look for the book to be a fun escape. It is the opposite -- which is why it is so good.
The book is comprised of a series of talks from Joko and some questions from her students. Joko is an American and so the message couched in the familiar language of our culture. IT is not like reading Dogen, and is more accessible. I would recommend this work to anyone who is serious about---well words escape me. It is not quie accurate to say that it is for those who are serious about taking the Zen path. But for anyone who wants to learn to be present with their real life, this offers solid guidance as much as words can.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Helpful Teaching, March 2, 2006
By Mike in the Middle (Midwest) - See all my reviews
  
For years I was obsessed with Zen books. However, it wasn't until I came across Joko's books that I encountered the radical suggestion: OUR LIFE IS OUR PRACTICE!!! It was a real eye opener. I reread "Everyday Zen" three or four time in a row. My teachers in Rochester were pretty unimpressed; they thought that Joko was for people "who weren't ready for Zen." (One of them really did say that!) I thought otherwise; her work addressed the disconnect between a practice created for those in monasteries and the "self-centered dream" of our lives. It baffled me that people would be having "openings" in the Zendo and then treat their family like dirt after a retreat. She taught that working with our family "issues" (noticing our thoughts and resting in our physical experience) was not something separate from our practice on the cushions in the meditation hall. No duality.

I ended up working with Joko for about five years. She was (and is) every bit as remarkable in real life as she was in her book. There isn't a lot of drama in this practice. Our life becomes less of a soap opera and becomes more mundane. From that ordinariness emerge joy, compassion, love and all of the other aspects of our true nature. You might have fewer of the kind of lightening bolts of a traditional practice. Instead, you will have a grounded life that brings peace rather than pain into this world.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is amazing!, May 7, 1999
By A Customer
This is the best book on zen practice that I have ever read . . . and I've read many books on this subject! Beck demystifies the process of living a compassionate life. Other books on this subject have left me feeling baffled and inadequate. Beck's approach helped me find some clarity. I HIGHLY recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful book
I read this book more than a couple of years ago, but I still feel that I benefit from what I learned from it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by ERIN OBRYAN

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty darn special
When I purchased this book online about a year ago, I had no idea what a gift it would be. I was curious about Zen, but hadn't incorporated it into my life quite yet. Read more
Published on July 12, 2007 by The Capitol

3.0 out of 5 stars An Ok read.
An Ok read - nothing special. There are no answers for life in this book, just guidance for sitting.
Published on January 11, 2007 by Edmond D. Quesada

5.0 out of 5 stars A book about reality
I purchased this book about 5 years ago and it has certainly changed my life. I keep it on hand daily, and turn to it when I find myself getting carried away with the "pressures"... Read more
Published on October 24, 2006 by R. Bownds

5.0 out of 5 stars Beck at her best, as always
I read "Everyday Zen" several times and loved it. Recently saw this book on the shelf, bought it immediately and was not disappointed. Read more
Published on August 13, 2006 by Y. Smetannikov

1.0 out of 5 stars Great beginning... that was about it...
I loved the opening of the first chapter, and the metaphor about what we call ourselves being nothing more than a whirlpool in the river of life. Great metaphor. Read more
Published on January 10, 2006 by William J. Kelly

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Bk on American Zen
Joko Beck really has created a unique brand of American Zen, which is one of the reasons I liked this one so much - not a lot of Japanese mumbo jumbo. Read more
Published on June 26, 2004 by Syd McCall

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book
Zen practice can take a long time to penetrate an individual; Charlotte Joko Beck tells this story to demonstrate just that point, practice takes commitment and humility. Read more
Published on March 6, 2004 by Swing King

5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming and Life-Changing
For those wanting a concise explanation of living Zen, Charlotte Joko Beck captures the essence of life in this book. Read more
Published on February 9, 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book that may change your life
"Nothing Special" is indeed something very special. You don't have to be a student of Zen or Buddhism of any sort to enjoy and learn from this book. Read more
Published on June 4, 2003 by Thomas Hochmann

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