I read Brad Warner’s new book and panted over it. It’s called Sex, Sin and Zen: A Buddhist Exploration of Sex from Celibacy to Polyamory and Everything in Between. If you’d like to have more ___ in your life, enter my giveaway of the book by leaving a message on this post.
Brad is very clever, but what matters more is that Brad is very clear. Clarity about ___, let alone clarity about the practice of Buddhism, is rare.
Nothing new can be said about sex, nor does it need to be said. The obsession with sex is just a placeholder for all ego-driven delusions about life and death. Everything we think and say about sex applies to any other delusion. If only I had more ___ I’d be satisfied. I need ___ right now or I’ll go crazy! If you really loved me, you’d give me ___. Everyone seems like they have better ___ than I do. I can’t live without ___!
I don’t know nearly as much about sex as Brad Warner does (like, what is polyamory?) but Brad knows his followers and reads their minds. What’s on their minds is “Sex sex sex!” From time to time, my readers think about sex as well, but what troubles them more often is something like this, “We’re out of Palmolive Antibacterial.”
The parts of the book about sex are intellectually arousing, like Celibacy and Polyamory (what IS polyamory, anyway?), but the parts of the book that are most satisfying are Everything in Between. He interjects brief interludes on commonly misunderstood Buddhist terms, such as suffering, desire, nonattachment, emptiness, compassion and karma. These teachings are usually only presented as ideological abstractions, but Warner puts them in the palm of your own hand, like real ___.
Let me say that I also respect and agree with Warner’s public takedown of the scheming teachers in my lineage, such as _____and ________. I also agree with his occasional dismissals of the gadflies in his own lineage, namely _____. I don’t have to say a word about them, because naked lust and ego are always obvious to everyone. I can focus on my own practice instead.
That’s all we ever need to do: focus on our own practice. So I’ll call Warner out on the jabs he makes about koan practice. No one should talk about anything with which they have no experience. Don’t take Brad’s word on koans, and don’t take my word on polyamory. Don’t take anyone’s words as a substitute for ___.
Enough about ___. Fill in the blank below for a chance to win the book.
It’s giveaway week! I’ll be giving away books on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Check back and enter often. Winners for all three drawn next Sunday, Sept. 12.
Sex.
Comment by Chris — September 6, 2010 @ 3:31 pm
Yay, sex! (What’s that?!)
Comment by Joanna — September 6, 2010 @ 3:35 pm
sex
And thank you Karen for offering this giveaway.
Comment by Robyn — September 6, 2010 @ 3:41 pm
sex… oh goodness… sex.
Comment by jacqueline — September 6, 2010 @ 3:43 pm
…delusions of grandeur. (What IS sex, anyway?)
Comment by Kathryn — September 6, 2010 @ 3:47 pm
I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be an intelligent comment, but I love Brad Warner, so I’d love the new book! Looking forward to Sunday!
Comment by Kitty Shannon — September 6, 2010 @ 3:53 pm
I have been hoping to win one of your lovely books Karen! This one looks fantastic as well – thanks so much for giving this opportunity!
Comment by Kiersten — September 6, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
Hi Karen,
SATORI!
Regards,
Harry.
Comment by Harry — September 6, 2010 @ 4:02 pm
looks interestingly _____.
🙂
wifemotherexpletiving
Comment by kate — September 6, 2010 @ 4:08 pm
I am more interested in this book than I am _____.
Comment by Mani — September 6, 2010 @ 4:10 pm
Sex as the last delusional obstacle. Bring it.
Comment by connie — September 6, 2010 @ 4:17 pm
Perhaps this book will point the way to paying more attention to the ___ I do have as opposed the the ___ that I want.
Comment by Kristinkt — September 6, 2010 @ 4:26 pm
sex…what the…?
Comment by Kim — September 6, 2010 @ 4:37 pm
Sex, Sex and Sex
Comment by Kendra — September 6, 2010 @ 4:50 pm
Ha! Your remark that sex is “just a placeholder for all ego-driven delusions about life and death” reminds me of the reviews I’ve read about Geneen Roth’s *Women Food and God.* It doesn’t really matter if you’re obsessed with sex, food, perfect parenting, or ___: obsession is obsession is obsession. Every obsession with ___ is really an obsession with ego, ego, ego.
Comment by Lorianne — September 6, 2010 @ 5:15 pm
Is this the _ _ _ we discussed in my kitchen? Yes, I’d like some more of that, please!
Comment by julie — September 6, 2010 @ 5:19 pm
sounds like my kind of book! ;-D
Comment by jenica — September 6, 2010 @ 5:36 pm
On second thouhgts…
CRUMPET!
xoxoxo
Comment by Harry — September 6, 2010 @ 5:42 pm
why, yes, thank you! Who doesn’t want/need more — in their home?
Comment by Sharon — September 6, 2010 @ 5:54 pm
Sex. I’d love this book. It would make a difference.
Comment by Heather — September 6, 2010 @ 6:05 pm
I was thinking about you today, Karen, so I came visiting and found your blog all wrapped up in S-E-X!!! Shocking 😉 Truly shocking 🙂 I bet my husband would be happy to see me reading a book about Sex instead of books about laundry and quilting.
Comment by Merrick — September 6, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
Hmmmmm….I’d like to know what polyamory is. Hope I get the book!
Comment by Maura — September 6, 2010 @ 8:08 pm
Zen SEX!
Comment by Jenn — September 6, 2010 @ 8:09 pm
What will Brad think of next?….uh, sex??
Comment by John Eberly — September 6, 2010 @ 8:11 pm
****ing sex
Comment by Richard — September 6, 2010 @ 8:19 pm
Sex. Are people still doing that?
Comment by Mama Zen — September 6, 2010 @ 9:59 pm
______is for sissies-send book 🙂
Comment by silvercrone — September 6, 2010 @ 10:27 pm
i’m sorry, but my answer is a gesture. you’ll have to see it in person.
Comment by Terri — September 6, 2010 @ 11:10 pm
sex can be such a beautiful thing!
Comment by ashlee — September 7, 2010 @ 12:51 am
Very sexy observations. Sex, of course, would be.
Comment by Donn — September 7, 2010 @ 2:21 am
Sounds like a very interesting book.
Comment by Caroline — September 7, 2010 @ 2:29 am
Sounds interesting. Sign me up!
Comment by Amanda — September 7, 2010 @ 2:54 am
i thought we were supposed to make something up, but everyone seems to be giving the “right” answer.
my answer is buttons.
but really it is sex.
🙂
Comment by Stacy (Mama-Om) — September 7, 2010 @ 4:53 am
Looks like a fascinating book. I’ll vie for it!
Comment by Lana — September 7, 2010 @ 5:45 am
Sex of course. But seriously, what is that?
Comment by Christine LaRocque — September 7, 2010 @ 11:34 am
“If only I had more time, energy, help, fun, money . . . . then maybe I’d feel like ____.” A ha. Evidently what I have more than enough of is preoccupation.
Comment by Laura — September 7, 2010 @ 11:51 am
Book looks terrific can’t wait to learn more about ____.
Comment by Amy — September 7, 2010 @ 1:18 pm
Interested to read your review, Karen. I’m a big fan of Warner’s, and can let him off an occasional rant. He just seems very human to me. We could all do with more of those kinds of dharma teachers (you’re another). Thank you for the offer to enter the comp!
Comment by fiona robyn — September 7, 2010 @ 1:18 pm
Gotta love Brad Warner. Everything he writes is just about guaranteed to be, well, *provocative*.
Comment by Kristin — September 7, 2010 @ 3:37 pm
Sex you said – sign me up.
Comment by Joan — September 7, 2010 @ 4:43 pm
Sexxxxxxxxxxx….Curious to read about_______
XX
Cris
Comment by Cris Pansiera — September 7, 2010 @ 5:03 pm
sex of course….:)
Comment by Jackie — September 7, 2010 @ 5:12 pm
love the title!!!!
Comment by ann — September 8, 2010 @ 1:33 am
Sex, Zen, and Rock ‘n Roll. Love it all.
Comment by Suzanne — September 8, 2010 @ 3:59 am
my blank is peace. If only I could find more peace.
I know where it is and I have wiggled my fingers out in front of me.
I do that a lot really, sometimes just in my head, to remind myself that peace is where I am. Zen is where I am.
I ahve to thank youy for that and so many wonderful gifts you’ve given me.
Gassho, Maezen.
Comment by J. Andy Lambert — September 8, 2010 @ 4:08 pm
I had sex… then it disappeared. I hope it comes back. Please pass the salt.
Comment by Elizabeth — September 9, 2010 @ 1:15 am
don’t tell my mother that I said this….sex. 🙂
Comment by Katrina — September 9, 2010 @ 10:23 am
sounds interesting
Comment by Shinnyo — September 9, 2010 @ 11:45 am
Thanks for the opportunity to think more deeply about _______
Comment by Aparna — September 10, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
Babies. I just want one…please?
Comment by Rachael — September 10, 2010 @ 1:52 pm