There Is No God and He Is Always with You: A Search for God in Odd Places
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Can you be a true believer and still doubt? Can Zen give us a way past our constant fighting about God? Brad Warner was initially interested in Buddhism because he wanted to find God, but Buddhism is usually thought of as godless. In the three decades since A Search for God in Odd Places. Can you be an atheist and still believe in God? In the three decades since Warner began studying Zen, he has grappled with paradoxical questions about God and managed to come up with some answers.
Death in the Holy City. Oct 08, Mary Molinaro rated it really liked it. Examination of concept of God seen through a buddhist lens. Very readable and thought provoking. Jun 28, Scott Haraburda rated it it was amazing Shelves: Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Book. A Search for God in Odd Places. In its search for God by challenging us to understand the meanings of words, this book is engaging and funny.
These topics include God, Heaven, Hell, creation, existence, death, morality, and miracles. In his recent book, Warner discusses Christianity in addition to Buddhist philosophy regarding his perspectives on God. Peppered with personal anecdotes, he relies heavily upon the Bible as well as the works of Dogen, the Buddhist teacher who founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan in the thirteen century and known for his extensive writing concerning Buddhist practice and enlightenment, such as the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye.
Uncompromising close-minded attitudes of God-believers and militant God-deniers have resulted in extreme cruel behavior. No communication can reach them. Ancient Hebrews stoned their prophets.
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Religious members demanded the death of Socrates for being an evildoer and not believing in the Athenian gods. Middle Age Christian leaders frequently tortured and killed both heretics and reformers. Religious beliefs became so strict that groups of Christians, many led by Martin Luther and John Wesley, broke away and revised their beliefs without the strict rigid adherence of their time. Today, many historians and scientists identify the faith of many religions as that of blind credulity, retrospective backwardness, and idle superstition. These same intelligent people also consider much of these beliefs to be emotional in nature with little tolerance for rational analyses and criticisms.
I believe that evolution should occur with religious beliefs when better data is discovered that affects those beliefs. Our religious beliefs should evolve continually with better data and not remain static. So, what does having an open mind mean to us? Sadly, most people today prefer to be intellectually lazy and let others assess the data for them and tell them what it means.
Furthermore, we tend to interpret information based solely upon our own biases and frame of references. Yet, this book provides a fresh perspective on God to those with an open-mind. May 09, John Kaufmann rated it really liked it Shelves: Buddhism is a practice, an attitude - not a belief or a philosophy. To convey an attitude, and the feelings associated with it trust, faith, etc. The author did a very good job of beginning to convey some of that attitude, some of those feelings.
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It's hard, because a lot of what he conveys is not some grand philosophy or insight that lends itself to dynamic, thought--provoking reading. It's the commitment, the patience, the fortitude, the daily practice and at Buddhism is a practice, an attitude - not a belief or a philosophy. It's the commitment, the patience, the fortitude, the daily practice and attitude that may or may not eventually begin to crack open the doors of perception.
I think a few quotes from the book do a better job of capturing what it's about than any description I could try to write.
To me, Buddhism is a way to approach and understand God without dealing with religion. Trying to assign a meaning to life is like trying to stuff the whole ocean into a bucket. It is our suffering here and now that matters. In addition we would have to add an infinite list of other qualities, many of which would be the opposite of the standard attributes.
Dec 15, Fred Kohn rated it it was ok Shelves: I grabbed up this book because of the title and the fact that when I leafed through it the chapter on Sam Harris caught my eye his "The Moral Landscape" is one of my favorites. If I had known that this book was primarily about Zen I may have passed it up. My bad- I'm not really into Zen.
But I would have hoped that a book about Zen would have at least piqued my interest in it, which this book did not. I didn't find Zen anymore attractive after reading this book than I did before. Oct 08, B. I really like Brad Warner. What I like about him is his no nonsense, American, but not American approach to Zen-he has spent time in Africa, Ireland, but most importantly in Japan where he gathered much of his zen bonafides. He is a normal, albeit, dorky guy who likes b-grade monster movies, punk rock and women His sense of humor often carries the day and he has a very easy a I really like Brad Warner.
His sense of humor often carries the day and he has a very easy approach to a rather difficult topic. He believes in God, but not in the Judeo Christian sense, but in more of a Zen Koan sense-god is a riddle Brad Warner is a funny, relatable guy that has better helped me in my understanding of zen. Apr 11, Justin rated it really liked it Shelves: Summary, Its hard to review this book.
I don't feel like I learned anything from this book, but I think Brad said something important. Brad also seems to have matured greatly in this work. In this book he im Summary, Its hard to review this book. In this book he improves in these regards and may be able to draw in readers who disliked his earlier works. This book actually helped with that indirectly as I now realize that people that I look up to Pete Holmes, Duncan Trussell, Brad who do things I disagree with are human and even with their imperfections still have things to teach.
Brad's work shows the benefits of listening to the imperfect wise person more than any I can think of.
I think this is because he doesn't seem to censor himself much and gladly exposes his flaws which in my opinion is another flaw as it seems to be an intentional branding. Hopefully, I can better forgive other teachers now. Nov 07, Jason Coleman rated it really liked it. I absolutely love Warner's writing. He is funny, insightful, and very accessible. He has certainly helped me with my own quest to gain balance through the teachings of Buddha. This book is, more or less, an overview of how he views the concept of God.
Why recognizing the existence of God is important and how the creation of the anthropomorphized God is a nothing more than a fantasy. I suppose what keeps the book from getting five stars is I couldn't figure out the entire time I was reading why a I absolutely love Warner's writing. I suppose what keeps the book from getting five stars is I couldn't figure out the entire time I was reading why acknowledging the existence of God is even important at all.
People have different ideas and definition for what God is and is not, but I just had this nagging feeling the entire time that someone can still lead a fully productive and happy life, while incorporating many lessons from the Buddha, and not really give a second thought to the metaphysical. At least that is how I see it. Jan 12, Barbara O'Brien rated it it was amazing. Unlike some of the other reviewers I haven't been that crazy about Brad Warner's other books, but I loved this one.
There Is No God and He Is Always with You: A Search for God in Odd Places
One caveat -- I've been a formal student of Soto Zen Buddhism -- the same school in which Brad Warner is a teacher -- for lots of years. So he didn't say anything that was utterly new to me, but I think the way he put it together was very fresh and readable. However, I suspect that someone with no exposure to Zen whatsoever might find some of this book baffling. And if you are eithe Unlike some of the other reviewers I haven't been that crazy about Brad Warner's other books, but I loved this one.
And if you are either an atheist or a God believer looking for confirmation of your opinions, you may be disappointed. Jun 21, Drew rated it liked it. Interesting read about Zen Buddhism. Form is emptiness and emptiness is form or, in other words, material is the immaterial and the immaterial is the material. Aug 27, Brenda Mengeling rated it it was amazing Shelves: If you want to think about how our understanding of God can still evolve and be meaningful, Brad Warner gives you a lot of things to think about in an engaging, easy-to-read-and-yet-nuanced way.
Mar 01, William Berry rated it it was amazing. Looking at the dates, it may appear it took me over a year to read this book. I guess that's true. But, to be clear, I started it, shelved it to read other, harder texts, and to savor it. I've read nearly all of his other books, and don't see much sense in going backwards to his second which he's referenced numerous times in his other books, to the point I feel I've gotten the point of it. I really did want to savor it. I loved this book, as I've loved his others. I g Looking at the dates, it may appear it took me over a year to read this book.
I got about half way through it before shelving it to put more effort into another book and get it done. There was a good part of me that didn't want to finish it, that's how much I was enjoying it. And so getting back to it was delayed. The book gets very deep at times.
There Is No God and He Is Always with You: A Search for God in Odd Places by Brad Warner
I've been pretty steeped in Western Zen, Buddhism, so the depth was enjoyable to me. Most of the depth was in the first half of the book in my opinion. I don't think it's anything people who are reading this wouldn't handle. I don't want to give any of his philosophy away, so I'll leave it to you to read. I highly recommend it. Mar 03, Malcolm rated it it was amazing. This is one of the best books on spirituality I have ever read. Not because I agree with all the author's conclusions or insights; some I do, some I don't.
But because it is so engaging.