Book Summary
In this irresistibly funny cult-classic-in-the-making, David Chadwick recounts his offbeat experiences inside and beyond Zen Buddhist monasteries in Japan. Sketching insightful portraits of bickering monks, bewildered bureacrats, and others he met along the way, Chadwick presents an unforgettable look at Buddhism, Japan, and human nature. David Chadwick, a Texas-raised wanderer, college dropout, bumbling social activist, and hobbyhorse musician, began his study under Shunryu Suzuki Roshi in 1966. In 1988 Chadwick flew to Japan to begin a four-year period of voluntary exile and remedial Zen education. In "Thank You and OK " he recounts his experiences both inside and beyond the monastery walls and offers insightful portraits of the characters he knew in that world--the bickering monks, the patient abbot, the trotting housewives, the ominous insects, the bewildered bureaucrats, and the frustrating English-language students--as they worked inexorably toward initiating him into the mysterious ways of Japan. Whether you're interested in Japan, Buddhism, or exotic travel writing, this book is great fun.
Book Details
Book Name | Thank You And Ok!: An American Zen Failure In Japan |
Author | David Chadwick |
Publisher | Shambhala Publications (05/2007) |
ISBN | 9781590304709 |
Pages | 454 |
Language | English |
Price | 654 |