Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time (Paperback)

~ Philip T. Sudo (Author) "Any and every action can be a source of insight-even enlightenment-whether it's toothbrushing, going to the bathroom, or opening a can of beer..." (more)
Key Phrases: zen sun, zen story, Great Nature

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Philip Toshio Sudo has found Zen in the unlikeliest of places and has written about them: Zen Guitar, Zen Sex, and Zen Computer. Now, in Zen 24/7, it's Zen everything. But if it's true that being mindful in every moment is the heart of Zen, then everything is Zen. Taking just this approach, Sudo walks readers through a full day, from alarm clock to bedtime, stopping to ruminate on how the most mundane things, from a beer to a meeting to the dry cleaners, can remind us of bits of Zen wisdom. A Zen flag reminds us that it is the mind that moves; Zen fuzzy dice remind us to flow with traffic; a Zen mall reminds us to reduce desires; Zen sleep reminds us that every day's a good day. As in the best Zen writing, Sudo's observations are breezy but packed with genuine insight. There is a bit of sly humor and lots of encouragement, as if each page were a daily affirmation. This is a book to read through once, then pick up often for reminders, especially the page on Zen shopping, which you'll want to post on your refrigerator. --Brian Bruya

From Publishers Weekly

A more involved but also more fun approach can be found in Philip Toshio Sudo's quirky Zen 24/7: All Zen/All the Time, which dares to dissect a typical day and insert Zen-ish meditation opportunities into the most mundane of moments. Separate chapters deal with driving in the car, running errands, working out, getting ready in the morning and other quotidian activities. Sudo finds that standing in line at the ATM offers an opportunity to experience gratitude for spiritual riches; likewise, stopping at a traffic light gives us the chance to take a deep breath and enjoy a moment of stillness. Those who say they have no time for meditation will relish this humorous but perceptive book.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco (March 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062516787
• ISBN-13: 978-0062516787
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,326,438 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect little book, August 26, 2002

By	Marilyn Cox (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

A perfect little book about zen written in such a simple way as to teach you without teaching and he makes everyday objects vessels of Zen. It changes the way you look at these things. Sudo takes things that appear in our day such as "bed" "car" "tv" and devotes one or two pages to them, showing for example how watching tv is zen...great little illustrations by Bo Hok Cline in the Japanese style of the objects on each page as well. Sudo could write a zen encyclopedia, devoting a paragraph to every object around us, that would be cool :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars deceptively simple, September 19, 2004

By	musicfan "musicfan" (australia) - See all my reviews

On first examination this book seems a little light weight and a bit pithy.

Nevertheless,over the next few days I found myself thinking about some of the things mentioned, like Zen Commute. I started to reflect on what was the underlying force that was driving evrything everywhere. Where are we all going and what is driving us?

There is some profound insight here if you are willing to put in the thought.

If you just read without thinking it would appear very light weight. But isn't that Zen in itself, the very simple things around you can lead to the greatest insight if you can find a way in.

A beautiful waste of time.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading, May 13, 2002

By	"[e-mail]" (Detroit) - See all my reviews

...This book is more than a little bit "fluffy." Perhaps a problem with stating basic profound truths that they are all pretty obvious; "Things are what they are." Depending on your perspective, that's either deep or shallow.

Still, Zen 24/7 provides perspectives on zen in our daily lives, and can serve as a good reminder to pay attention and think of the possibilities for spiritual awakening in everyday life.

This is a good book to flip through. You can read the segments in any order, and they are nice to fill up spare moments of waiting. But if you read too many of them in a row, they all start to seem the same.

I'd say this is a good book for a zen afternoon snack, but for a complete zen meal, check out Janwillem van de Wetering, Thich Nhat Hanh, Maurine Stuart, or Geri Larkin.