Zen Without Zen Masters

by Camden Benares, David Cherubim (Editor)

The author "There are two approaches to getting into Zen. The formal approach is to study with a Japanese Zen Master. The informal approach is an individual study program using whatever materials are available, what I call Western Zen. I see it as the next step in the radical Zen tradition. Zen Without Zen Masters represents my attempt to share Western Zen with you." Zen Without Zen Masters is the first--and still the best--collection of truly contemporary Zen parables. For the novice, Zen Without Zen Masters is an outstanding introduction to the baffling world of meditation, Eastern thought and the galaxy of philosophies that make up the expanding horizon of human awareness. For the veteran, Benares integrates the "inner quest" with the experience of daily life. And if that weren't enough, the section on Meditations and Exercises focuses the inner experience into an accessible form. Marked by clarity and simplicity, they demystify the growth process through practical application.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Buddhism, Religion, Spirituality, Zen, Humor

132 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1977

Reviews

[Tom Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this guy steps out of a bar and he's had perhaps more than his fair share that night and he decides to walk home along the riverbank. And this priest is there, shaking his head and thinking what a poor and wretched sinner this guy is and he says a little prayer and calls out, "My son, what you need is the good grace of the Lord in your life. Are you ready to find Jesus?"

And the guy says, "Sure."

So the priest grabs him by the shirt collar and dunks his head into the river and declares, "I baptize you in the name of the Lord!" Then he pulls him out and slaps him cheerfully on the back and asks, "My son, have you found Jesus?"

And the guy shakes his head no.

So the priest dunks his head beneath the surface again and says, "I baptize you in the name of the Lord!" and pulls him up and asks, "Now, my son, have you found Jesus?"

And the guy, water running down his face, coughs a little and shakes his head no.

So the priest, getting maybe a bit too into it, roughly shoves the guy's head beneath the water and holds it there maybe a bit longer than is strictly speaking necessary and gives it a little shake for good measure and he pulls the guy out and he's coughing and sputtering and the priest shouts, red-faced, "My son, my son, HAVE YOU FOUND JESUS?"

And the guy, gasping for breath, he chokes out, "No - are you sure this is where he fell in?"

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the more obscure books of the Discordian canon. Camden Benares was part of the original cabal, known as PoEE, that invented the Discordian religion in the late 1950s-early 1960s, a joke religion dedicated to Eris, Greek Goddess of Chaos and Discord. Benares was the only person in on the joke who was "serious" enough to legally change his name to the "holy name" he chose for himself as a Discordian. I have stated elsewhere that "when you make the mistake of not taking Discordianism seriously, it turns into the Church of the Subgenius, but if you make the mistake of taking it too seriously, it turns into Chaos Magic." Both of these are Great Sins (tm) in my own cult, the Sect of Active Initiates for Discord (SAID).

Benares walks a fine line on the serious side of the street, but does not fall into the trap, perhaps because he understands the need to laugh. Perhaps also because, there being no Chaos Magic per se at the time he wrote, he turned instead to Zen Buddhism for his "serious" spin on Discordianism. What he offers, then, is a series of koans or "Zen jokes" that are designed to open the mind to new approaches while encouraging healthy laughter and play. Toward the end are some meditations and exercises that do start to move toward the proto-Chaos Magic side of things, but might also be useful starting points for someone interested in self-transformation. The result is a minor book of some interest, which could be just the right thing for the right person at the right time.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for being mildly amusing. A couple of pages brought tears to my eyes and anger to my mind, because they were quite flippant about things that hurt. It also made me wonder if zen practitioners possess a certain amount of privelegethat they don't see. Focussing on the now doesn't work at all if your now is the most horrible time of your life. Also, some attachments are practically impossible to let go of. It strikes me that being able to envision or project yourself into a better future is more helpful for those in pain. Also, of great necessity to life, in my opinion, is a spark of rebellion, not submission to what is.

[Elguapo · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have been looking for years for a copy of this book. for years i have heard these stories and often use them in everyday life when talking and getting to know folks, and now i got one and i love it. it makes me laugh,cry, poo, and brings the lightning of chaos to my clouded mind.

[Atakan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
Meh.
It's an okay beginner's introduction. And the compilation of exercises and meditations at the end of the book is nice. Other than that, nothing fancy.
Made me smile sometimes with its witty approach, the classic R.A. Wilson-type worldview and humor is dominant here.

[Cathy Hasty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting verging on bizarre...with some wisdom in between some crazy ideas. I found it in a second hand shop so it was worth the .25 I spent and the time...

[Geoff Gander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very readable approach to western Zen. The parables contained within the book are arranged thematically, and I find it's best to give it a read-through once, then go back to re-read specific parables when seeking inspiration or just a different interpretation on whatever happens to be going on in your life at that moment.

Each time I read this book, I find something new. The forward by Robert Anton Wilson is also entertaining.

[Nik Maack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, simple, practical. A little basic. Some Zen parables followed by descriptions of meditation exercises. A very short but interesting book. The exercises and overall attitude of the book is, hey, maybe this will work for you. If not, try something else.

Very light and sweet. If you're all old Zen pro you might find it too light and all too familiar.

[Frank Pajunen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful book on getting back to the important things in life. Offers good advice without being dogmatic, gives simply worded instructions on methods for attaining its ideals, and manages to entertain along the way. Glad to have it in my library.

[Steven Otero]

Good example of Crazy Wisdom

[david · Rating 3 out of 5]

"you may become free from the urge to change yourself"

hail eris!

[Kyle Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking, reminded me of a good quick reference guide to get centered.

[Khaled Al-Khawaja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truely illuminated. Must read if you're into discordianism and stuff of that sort.

[Flying Machine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had a mix of thoughts that ranged from a sentence or two to 1-2 pages. Some of them hit home more than others, but that is to be expected. I really enjoyed the discussion on meditation at the end - so many tell you that doing a meditation 1 - 2 times a day is vital, but this book left it open to the reader's experience.

If there was a complaint, it would be that the discordian element was almost nonexistent and felt tacked on at the very end. That didn't bring down the quality of the book at all, but I did read it with the hope of learning more about that side of the philosophy.

[Baxter Cross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A stranger discordian work about the way of Zen, though I am critical of Zen thought I found the book entertaining to the idea of masterless Zen. This is a very enlightening work of witty jokes and humors.

[Rossco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this very insightful as a newcomer to Zen and Discordianism.
Hail Eris.

[Lourvens Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I read this naked, I think I could’ve been more enlightened

[Dan Graney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book and then read it again and then forget about it and find it years later and reread it and then give a copy to a friend and read it with them

[lifelike · Rating 3 out of 5]

ZEN Without Zen Masters feels like it's by Robert Anton Wilson. The only clue that it might be by someone else is that it's a very short read. Four sections of jokes/koans - Guides & Lovable Fools, Personal Work, The Zen of Sex, and the Reality of Illusion, with a fifth section of meditations and exercises. Some joke-koans are parodies of other koans. Others feel like moments from a diary. Nothing earth-shattering here. If you want to read everything R.A.W. ever contributed to, or if you need to complete your Discordian pantheon, search out this book. If you're just looking for a book about Zen, this might not be for you. It's also not as anarchist or radical as the title implies.

Here's a page, so you know what you're getting into.

GEORGE'S TEACHING

In Zen there is little emphasis on God or Buddha because the focus is on becoming one with your experiences. Anything that keeps distance between a person and his or her awareness of personal responsibility is a barrier to enlightenment. Even prayer can be a cop out. Or as George said, "Don't bother God. He's got his own problems - everything he makes dies."

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an introduction to Zen Buddhism. It has two parts: one, teaching the basic disciplines to get into zen, such as breathing & walking meditations. The second is a lot of zen tales, to learn to focus on "nothing."

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, good.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Zen favorite. This is one of the better Zen books out there. Very fun to read.

[David A Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and Fun, somewhat dated

[Kamila]

Easy and fun read with lots of easy exercises to do :)

[Alex Hogan]

Alright