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Everyday Zen: Love and Work

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 1,576 ratings · 118 reviews

"Everyday Zen" offers a warm, engaging, uniquely American approach to using Zen to deal with the problems of daily living--love, relationships, fear, ambition, suffering. Beck shows how to live each moment to the fullest.

Paperback, 214 pages

Published March 22nd 1989 by HarperOne (first published 1989)

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Sep 23, 2007 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I learned more about Zen from this book than from any other I've read so far.

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Sep 03, 2007 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who practices meditation/zen or has a genuine interest and open mind

It has helped me to be more accepting of myself and everything else, just the way it is. It has helped me to see (or reminded me) that I don't have to change myself or my life, to try to get rid of my "problems" (an endless and frustrating goose chase). Actually, I can accept them, and in that acceptance, they lessen. It has given me faith and clarity in my meditation practice, and inspiration and motivation to keep practicing. The first time I tried to read it (4 or 5 years ago), I didn't get a...more

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Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zen, spirituality

My manual for Zen meditation and understanding. [return][return]The format of Everyday Zen is a series of transcripts of talks that Joko has given to students during intensive meditation retreats or during regular Saturday morning programs at the Zen Center of San Diego, which she heads.[return][return]Joko is a rarity in American Zen--American, not Asian; female; mother of 3 children; she had an independent career from which she retired. She started Zen when a mature adult. As a result, she bri...more My manual for Zen meditation and understanding. [return][return]The format of Everyday Zen is a series of transcripts of talks that Joko has given to students during intensive meditation retreats or during regular Saturday morning programs at the Zen Center of San Diego, which she heads.[return][return]Joko is a rarity in American Zen--American, not Asian; female; mother of 3 children; she had an independent career from which she retired. She started Zen when a mature adult. As a result, she brings a different, practical perspective to Zen, not always found in American zendos; I can speak from personal experience to that. [return][return]Beck lives in today's world, not 11th or 13th century Japan. She understands, as the Introduction puts it, that the "chop wood, carry water" idiom of medieval Eastern practice has to be translated, for Westerners, into "make love, drive freeway." She can speak to a modern, Western student in a way that those following the monastic model of Japanese Zen can not or find difficult.[return][return]Beck is a practical, no nonsense teacher. One of her objectives is to destroy in her students the romantic notions that many people bring to Zen. While psychological change probably will occur, it's not the object of Zen, nor or special "powers". Joko is relentless in refusing to give her students what she calls "cookies"--false hopes or pretenses for starting what is really a way of life. Joko is excellent, as a result, in defining what Zen is NOT, which turns out to be remarkably useful to a student. She understands that Americans, in particular, want to be "fed" enlightenment, preferably by listening to a teacher tell them how to live or by reading it in a book. Joko constantly demolishes these notions.[return][return]The book organizes the essays (for that is what they turn out to be) into sections: Beginnings, Practice, Feelings, Relationships, Suffering, Ideals, Boundaries, Choices, Service. Each gives practical advice on meditation and living. While she is insistent that no book can take the place of practice, still this one is invaluable as a manual for those of us who do not have access to a teacher. It really is a "how to" book rather than a series of inspirational messages. I have found it invaluable in my own life. [return][return]Too bad there is no rating higher than 5 stars.(less)

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May 12, 2009 Eric added it

Shelves: zen

I thought I'd note down (hah) some quotes I liked in this book:

[T:]o substitute one conditioning for another is to miss the point of practice. The point is not that a positive emotion is better than a negative one, but that all thoughts and emotions are impermanent, changing, or (in Buddhist terms) empty

Joko Beck is not the first person I've heard say (in effect) impermanence == emptiness, but I think reading it here is the first time it's stuck.

Another thing I liked in this book is the "New Jer...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Christian Northe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: daoyin, favorites

If you ever feel reading about selfeducation and mindfulness you should give Charlotte Beck a chance. This book has accompanied me on my search for understanding on meditation, awareness and orientation in life for well over 15 years by now. I have always been fascinated by Jokos Becks words but had and still have a hard time to accept all the implications and deeper meanings. She is a very, very strict person and yet ever so understanding and caring. By and by I manage to accept what she says i...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Benny rated it 1 of 5 stars

Absolutely terrible. It can be summed up with, "Don't get mad. Be aware. The present is what is really important." But instead of just saying that, she has to wrap it up in all kinds of devotional nonsense. Horrible stories like one about this jerk who is waiting for the karma train or dharma train or something... so here he is sitting around like a jackass and people start dumping their kids on him and he ends up having a lot of work to do. So he works the rest of his life babysitting and when...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Brendan1968gmail.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spiritual

A very concise and earthy explanation of meditation and Zen Buddhism. As someone who has been studying meditation in a different tradition I found her practical guide to meditating spot on, illuminating things I'd been struggling with for years.

I'm not sure this would be a great introductory book. I think there are basic concepts not explained as exhaustively as someone new to Buddhism and meditation would want. But if you've been around a bit (in any spiritual or contemplative path) I think thi...more

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Dec 23, 2008 Andre rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll be honest here. The reason I got these books on Zen and meditation in the first place was to help me clarify what I was supposed to be doing in karate.

Damn this book is sobering. I don't even know where to start...

This book is a series of lectures that were transcribed by some of Joko's students. I guess the biggest thing that I got out of this book is the idea that yesterday is gone and tomorrow's not here yet so just live out today. Now I know that the point isn't that *tomorrow* isn't he...more

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Apr 02, 2010 AJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: soul, mind, body

Several aspects of this book were very helpful on a practical level for me. Concepts surrounding non-attachment, enlightenment, duration of practice, and Buddha were made lucid. Using paradoxes to understand is a form of knowing largely outside my tradition; it was fun and enjoyable to stretch my mind when she incorporated them. One aspect which I did not find helpful were the occasional dialogues between Student and Joko – the ebb and flow of each chapter felt interrupted with their addition. T...more

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Sep 18, 2010 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion-spirituality

great book, wish I owned it.

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Feb 09, 2012 Clara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beck takes a pretty no-nonsense approach to spiritual practice. If I had to characterize it in three words, these might be "Just do it." You get the sense that she was both a pretty smart and pretty tough cookie. The more I read, the more captivated I was by her straightforward, common sense style. There's no magic in Zen, she tells us. It's about being willing to sit, day in and day out, when you feel like it and when you don't. Slowly but surely, she tells us, you begin to understand that What...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Mary Richert Hendrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the first meditation books I ever read. I "borrowed" it from my sister's bookshelf when I was about 15, when I first started to really be curious about spiritual practices. This book explains meditation in a very practical way for someone who is just starting to learn, but looking back at it 15 years later, I still find it very clear, helpful, enjoyable, and cheerful. Yes, cheerful. It's not pedantic and doesn't leave you feeling like you'll never reach enlightenment because you c...more

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Feb 04, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite Zen/Buddhism book to date. I read it in the middle of a crisis in my life, and it might have saved my marriage, because it spoke straight to me. About how life doesn't "work for you," about how people resist their lives and live in their dreams and fantasies, about how we expect things from other people and our lives and suffer when we are disappointed.

Joko speaks with such a feeling for the problems of real life that she could be any age, at any stage of practice (except th...more

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Jan 22, 2010 David Buckley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion

An excellent common-sense view of daily life, seen through the lens of a regular zen practitioner. A book full of humane insights and adult wisdom -- based less on religious precepts learned by rote than on daily living and diligent, critical, scrutiny and self-awareness.

A book for grown ups really. I suspect it'll be less engaging for those whose lives are mercifully unmarred by regrets.

--
"there is one thing you can always rely on: life being as it is." -- p. 29

"All of life is an encounter, a...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Andrew Frueh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: buddhism

Just an incredible book. I practiced for several years with Charlotte Joko Beck's dharma heir, Elihu Genmyo Smith, at the Prairie Zen Center. So I had heard about her, but was never completely aware of her work. I have to thank GoodReads for leading me to this book. It was ranked highly on the listopia "Buddhist Reading List" so I decided to make it part of my practice. After sitting, I would read a section of the book, much like I did previously with Thich Nhat Hanh's Peace Is Every Step: The P ...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Geoff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mind, read-in-2013, read-twice, favorites

I'm overdue for writing a review for this book since I finished it a little while ago. First I'll say, I loved it, and get that out of the way. This book will quickly be added to my favorites list. I've read this book twice, and while I did like it after the first read, I don't think that I really understood what I was reading. The first time that I read it was over ten years ago. Now that I'm further along in my practice, this book really hits home in a number of areas. While the first few chap...more I'm overdue for writing a review for this book since I finished it a little while ago. First I'll say, I loved it, and get that out of the way. This book will quickly be added to my favorites list. I've read this book twice, and while I did like it after the first read, I don't think that I really understood what I was reading. The first time that I read it was over ten years ago. Now that I'm further along in my practice, this book really hits home in a number of areas. While the first few chapters in sections one and two are geared toward beginners, the rest of the book may not make as much sense until the reader is more experienced. For myself, the book was much more satisfying the second time, as I'm getting more little glimpses of what she is really talking about.

I enjoyed Beck's frank, direct and forward way describing things. The writing is clear, to-the-point and easy to read. Some chapters include a questions and answers section with her students. Which gives the impression that the book may be collection of recorded dharma talks in written form.

One of my favorite chapters in the book was titled Seeing Through the Superstructure. On page 137 she writes, "The biggest error we make in our life and our practice is to think that this house we're living in -which is our life just as it is, with all its problems, all of its ups and downs- has something wrong with it. And because we think that, we get busy. We've been busy most the years of our life adding that extra structure." She's talking about a metaphorical house, that we construct and build around our lives, which to me is the ego. The first stage of practice is just seeing this extra structure that we've created around us. On page 139 she continues, "When we are attached to the way we think we should be or the way we think anyone else should be, we can have very little appreciation of life as it is." How much time have we spent building this superstructure and missed out on what life really is?

I have also recently finished reading The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind, by Richard Freeman, and I was struck (and perhaps I shouldn't be) by how much of the same content was discussed in both books. Such as; The noticing of bodily contractions in both practices, the importance of practice within relationships, the visceral notion of impermanence, renunciation. On and on the practices of zazen, and asana are so closely related, that they are nearly the same thing.

I get the feeling that I will be coming back to this book often in the future. There is much to learn and digest within its pages. (less)

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Jan 26, 2012 Jake rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: buddhism

One of the challenges of maintaining any kind of spiritual practice is bringing it into your daily routine. This modern world we live in is just full of distractions, some important, others less so- and I've found it's easy to run through an entire day without having spent even five seconds in the right mindset. For Buddhists and Buddhist fellow travelers like me, this tends to manifest most obviously as a neglect of sitting meditation, but it's really part of a whole lifestyle of neglect- readi...more One of the challenges of maintaining any kind of spiritual practice is bringing it into your daily routine. This modern world we live in is just full of distractions, some important, others less so- and I've found it's easy to run through an entire day without having spent even five seconds in the right mindset. For Buddhists and Buddhist fellow travelers like me, this tends to manifest most obviously as a neglect of sitting meditation, but it's really part of a whole lifestyle of neglect- reading poisonous media, forgetting compassion in difficult situations, not showing ourselves or others or this universe the proper respect. But what is to be done about it?

In the meditation lectures that form "Everyday Zen", Charlotte Joko Beck spends a lot of time talking this. Her wisdom flows like a good common sense talk from a wise old woman who personally saw a lot of pain in her life, which is exactly the kind of teacher I think we should all seek out. Her teaching isn't earth shaking- it basically boils down to practice every day with the material you've got in your own life- all that shit that bothers you the 99% of the time you're not meditating. Also, try to do sitting meditation, show yourself and others more compassion, and don't take anything, including Buddhism, too seriously. And there's no better time to start than right this minute.

If you like Pema Chodron's books, you'll probably enjoy Joko Beck's- they share a similar vein of humor and straight talk. Maybe that's because they share a lot of life experiences- coming to Buddhism late, after marriage and divorce, working jobs, and generally being out there in the world. I think in some ways you've got to have some trouble before you can speak to anyone else about their problems- advice from someone who hasn't suffered always feels inauthentic and a little false.

One final tip from my personal experience. If you have trouble making it through these books, put one in your bathroom. I guarantee you'll always find 5 minutes a day to read it, and that's about all it takes. The only drawback is, depending on your regularity and the length of the book, it can take some time to make it through a longer volume- even this one, at 200 pages, took me almost a year to finish. But what else do you have going on in there?(less)

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Apr 21, 2009 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I keep this book on my bedside, along with the other Beck book. These are, to me, the best books I have on insight meditation. They are practical, no-nonsense pieces taken from her work with students and include questions from students. I find both books grounding and helpful without all of the difficult to penetrate mumbo jumbo (my phrase) that books like this sometimes offer. I highly recommend this book and "Nothing Special." Mine are so worn, it's time for new copies.

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Apr 14, 2013 Fraser rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a little bit scared of my perceived austerity of Zen tradition, I got a hold of this book and it was quite a revelation.

Written very much with the Westerner in mind, it helped me a lot to understand the differences and similarities between different traditions, that ultimately come back to the same thing!

"You cannot avoid paradise, you can only avoid seeing it"

Pearls of such wisdom abound. Fantastic

Highly recommended.

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Aug 29, 2011 Unigami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, philosophy-religion

This Amazon review perfectly sums it up for me as well:

"This is one of my favorite books on Zen. Charlotte Joko Beck was the founder and resident Zen teacher of the Zen Center of San Diego, and "Everyday Zen" is a collection of her talks. Joko speaks about Zen in an ordinary, conversational, down-to-earth way--as opposed to the paradoxical, poetic, non-logical style often found in Zen--and she explicitly relates Zen to everyday life."

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Mar 07, 2013 Tess rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you read one book this year, read this book. It will clear your mind so much you will notice a difference in your life. She doesn't sugar coat and does not apologize for getting to the dirty corners. I've read this book multiple times and will always own a copy. I'm not an expert in Buddhism, but I have read my share of western versions of Buddhist ideas, and I believe she does it as good as Pema Chodrun if not better.

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Aug 12, 2012 Zen Meditation rated it 2 of 5 stars

Though a popular Buddhist writer who has presented the world with many ordained practitioners, Beck’s method of instruction often runs counter to the principle of “Kill the Buddha,” meaning permitting the student to largely teach him or herself through hard-won experience. Instead, the author heavy-handedly dictates her version of Buddhist practice and theory and, in the process, leaves a bitter taste in the reader’s mouth.

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Nov 04, 2011 Anthony Tenaglier rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: self-improvement, philosophy

Three people are watching a monk stand on top of a hill. They walk up to the monk,

“Are you looking for a sheep?” No, I don’t have any sheep to look for. "Oh, then you must be waiting for a friend." No, I’m not waiting for anyone. "Well, then you must be meditating." Well, no. I’m just standing here. I’m not doing anything at all.
(page 135)

"Wisdom is to see that there is nothing to search for."

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Nov 15, 2008 Dennis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion, non-fiction

"Suzuki Roshi said, 'Renunciation is not giving up the things of this world, but accepting that they go away.'" (p. 110)

"The immense cunning of the human mind can operate very well when not challenged...We are only assaulted by our thoughts, our needs, our attachments, all born from our identification with our false thinking which in turn creates a closed-in, separate, miserable life. In daily sitting...as we patiently practe (experiencing our breath, being aware of the process) realization is b...more

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Jan 14, 2008 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to describe this book well, but it resonated with me—it was exactly what I wanted it to be. An excellent introduction to the concepts and practices of Zen, broken down into easy to read and understand (but difficult to do!) pieces of thought.

I actually read this book to explore ways of deepening or expanding my experience as a Christian (an idea that Beck would probably dislike), and probably the biggest gift in the book is the recognition of how our lives our run by our "wants" and ho...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Autumn Shuler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beck has an interesting perspective on life, and taught me a lot about Zen. I've found that nearly all my perceptions of the practice were incorrect, and that Zen isn't just about being happy or calm, it's just about being.

I enjoyed the book quite a bit and would recommend it. It said some things that were scary and made me uncomfortable, but made me think about life in a different way, which I appreciate.

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Mar 01, 2013 Renate rated it 2 of 5 stars

I like and trust the ideas in this book:the importance of "sitting" (practicing zazen) in clarifying anger, hope, false fear, illusions of boundaries. Nevertheless the book didn't offer anything new for me. Beck mentions sesshins a lot, and that might be useful for people who practice this kind of intense retreats, but that is probably not the average reader. I read this book in Dutch translation ('92) and the 70s left-wing style spelling really got in the way for me("konfrontatie" and "aksepter...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Gerry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Joko presents a simple and clear understanding of the practice known as Zazen. she provides easy to understand examples and quotes that are used at just the right time in the writing to make the points seem functional. She indicates why the practice is important for us and how it should be used.mastering the self is challenging and not an easy process.

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Nov 21, 2007 Derek Baad rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people interested in zen, buddhism, meditation

A very helpful book on practicing Zen in all dimensions of life. Beck does not attempt to soften the hardships of life and reminds us that life is what it is: it is only our attitudes toward what happens to us that cause us sorrow, grief, frustration, joy, etc.

The section entitled Relationships is excellent, where Beck writes that our relationships with others -- and ourselves -- are always doomed to be troubled because we are constantly looking to fulfill ourselves our own needs and fantasies...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Joumana Jaser rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read many books discussing zen and buddhist practice. This is one of my favorites. It's written in a way that is very practical and applicable to life no matter where your place might be. I definitely got a lot of great concepts that I have come across before but were described somehow more effortlessly in this book.

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About Charlotte Joko Beck

Charlotte Joko Beck was an American Zen teacher. Born in New Jersey, she studied music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and worked for some time as a pianist and piano teacher. She married and raised a family of four children, then separated from her husband and worked as a teacher, secretary, and assistant in a university department. She began Zen practice in her 40s with Hakuyu Taizan Maezum...more

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Zen día a día. El comienzo, la práctica y la vida diaria

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