WHEN NOTHING IS SPECIAL, EVERYTHING CAN BE
The best-selling author of 'Everyday Zen' shows how to awaken to daily life and discover the ideal ... read full description
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Oct 08, 2011
Adil
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This book really changed my view of why I'm meditating and where I'm going with it. I have a completely different visual analogy now, one in which I'm peeling away layers and layers of mental junk I've built over the years. And then nothing special happens. You just peel away as much of it as you can, and the rest takes care of itself. In other words, I'm not trying to achieve any particular outcome, other than the peeling away. There is nothing special at the end of this path, and there is no e
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Jan 04, 2009
Plain, simple and tough. Very good.
I guess maybe part of the usefulness of reading Zen books (as opposed to say, sitting) is to reinforce your commitment to practice and for me, this was a pretty good book for that. No artificial flavours or preservatives, no mystical bullshit, no made-up words, no exhortations for loving-kindness and compassion, no pseudoscientific justifications or the grating "scientists are starting to discover X; Buddhists have known this for thousands More...
I guess maybe part of the usefulness of reading Zen books (as opposed to say, sitting) is to reinforce your commitment to practice and for me, this was a pretty good book for that. No artificial flavours or preservatives, no mystical bullshit, no made-up words, no exhortations for loving-kindness and compassion, no pseudoscientific justifications or the grating "scientists are starting to discover X; Buddhists have known this for thousands More...
Aug 08, 2011
Moonchyme
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At first I thought the title, Nothing Special, sounded "mean". It was kind of a depressing thought~ as most of us have a need to feel set aside form others and be unique (special) in some way, or else we feel worthless as humans. We seem to have a desire to feel separate. But after delving into the book, I realized that what Joko talks about is pure life itself and our connection to it, without all the nasty complicated emotions we like to center our thoughts around, which separate us
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Aug 02, 2011
Paul
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this book has been extremely good for me and i'm not really one to meditate too often. the concepts come back to sitting constantly, but i thought of the ideas really easy to incorporate into my normal state of mind.
the chapter about the 'icy couch' basically summarized Hubert Benoit's philosophy of zen meditation...noticing the contractions in your psyche and stepping into them, feeling your pain. this is good stuff. i am already more than half way through my second reading of this fantast More...
the chapter about the 'icy couch' basically summarized Hubert Benoit's philosophy of zen meditation...noticing the contractions in your psyche and stepping into them, feeling your pain. this is good stuff. i am already more than half way through my second reading of this fantast More...
Apr 07, 2009
Jen
rated it:
This was my first investigation into Zen and I found it to be nothing like I expected--which was better than I could have imagined. I fall for fluff and promises of nirvana and enlightenment like anyone else, but I always come back to people like Charlotte Joko Beck and Brad Warner who have the guts to tell it like it is. Rather than feel disappointed that Zen made no promises, I felt relieved. Nine years later I'm still poking around the issues, drifting in and out of fantasies, but this dedica
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Sep 26, 2007
K.
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Best book on Zen I have ever read (and I've read maybe a hundred). Clear, direct, accessible, and profound.
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Aug 28, 2007
Jennifer
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this is my bible - JOKO-BECK is amazing.
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Dec 12, 2011
Dan
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I read the same kinds of material over and over hoping that they will act like penetrating oil in my rusty, fixated brain. Nothing Special is the second book I have read by Charlotte Joko Beck, and I found it helpful. I like the way she makes the material conversational in tone, much like Pema Chodron does in her books. Beck doesn't overlay her message with any hocus pocus. Moving into stillness is challenging enough without struggling with books that are pretentious or cloudy. She spares the re
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Aug 30, 2009
Kasey
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Charlotte Joko Beck is just amazing: down-to-earth, accessible, and wise. I have loved both her books, and both I've read very very slowly, savoring and pondering. When I finally finished this one, I would have been happy to turn back to page 1 and start all over again. There's so much wisdom in her writing, always so much new to learn.
Nov 18, 2011
Angel
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This book came to me during a very difficult time in my life and was like a life raft. It changed my attitudes and thereby my life. Charlotte Joko Beck is not the warm and fuzzy teacher that Pema Chodron can be, but the cool water in your face teachings were just what I needed.
Jun 11, 2010
David
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This is a sequel to the enormously successful "Everyday Zen" by the same author. Though it contains the same dogged realism about human desires and motives, it lacks some of the punch of the first volume. Many of the "talks" in this book include student questions and Joko's responses. While interesting, they lack the freshness and immediacy of her earlier "sermons". Sometimes, in "Nothing Special," despite the introductory remarks, one gets the sense More...
Apr 21, 2009
Kelly
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Ongoing read. I read this over and over, turning to various spots at random. Both books are useful and insightful and practical ways of talking about integrating insight meditation into every day life.
Feb 10, 2010
Claire
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this is the first book of this kind that i have ever read (Zen/self-helpyish) and i was bowled over by how great it was. it's a special one! although the title would make you think otherwise.
Jun 29, 2010
Greta
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Another excellent book which reinforces the importance of meditation practice, paying attention, noticing and labelling thoughts, maintaining a sense of wonder and keeping a "simple mind". Probably worth re-reading when things aren't flowing because the messages contained here would bring you back on track. I liked the author's practical advice and laid-back writing style as well.
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Oct 22, 2009
I'm guessing that this book will be on my bedstand for years. I come back to it time and time again, read a couple of pages and then have to put it down and just; think. Mmmmmmm
Feb 24, 2010
Lawrence
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This is a great book for zen students
great similes like a block of ice -- water
or rowing out of a dark castle
or unwhirling whirlpools in a stream
great similes like a block of ice -- water
or rowing out of a dark castle
or unwhirling whirlpools in a stream
Nov 20, 2008
Chuck
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Every sentence will make you think for hours. It took me forever to finish this book. It really challenged my perceptions.
Jul 11, 2011
Christine
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Joko is skillful at explaining rather complicated buddhist thought at the level of everyday western life.
Aug 29, 2011
Unigami
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Another great book by Charlotte Joko Beck, and a must-have for any student of Zen.
Dec 12, 2007
Lara
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Unfortunately, I have to return this book to the library before it's finished. It's not the type of thing you can hurry through. I especially like the dialogue excerpts between Joko and her students. As with the other Buddhist texts I've read, I feel at once inspired and discouraged. It seems an impossible pursuit of perfection, a loosening of everything we know, or think we know. Still resistant to "sitting," when I can be soaking in all these and other ideas. Can reading be my
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Oct 12, 2011
Sandy
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This isn't a book about aging, particularly, but Nothing Special helps me accept getting old. As author Joko Beck reminds those of us middle age and older: Physically, it's all downhill from here! No need to fret though. Just breathe, witness, and enjoy the decline.
Sep 07, 2011
Janice
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Not my type of book. Sure, grammatically fine. And I'm sure for some, they wouldn't scoff and say really as they were reading the book, but not me. The only reason I didn't give it one star was because I've given poorly written books one star (you can't give none). Basically, life is life. It is all good: the pain, the sadness, suck it up. Stop wallowing. There I've said it with 272 pages to spare.
Mar 23, 2011
Brandon
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The first Zen book I read. This is a great book - I have given it away twice and am now without a copy. Some of the earlier chapters are a little tough to get through, but I recommend sticking with this jewel of a book! One of the few books I can say is worth a second read. I would recommend this book combined with an introductory zen book to get started on your path! Essential reading.
Mar 13, 2008
Belinda
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This book is a transcript of lectures by Joko Beck, compiled and edited by Steve Smith. The lecturer used to teach Zen at a center in San Diego, and the editor is a Professor of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna. I've long been interested in Eastern ways of thinking, but this book was the first I came across that presented Zen in a way that worked for me as an American.
Jan 16, 2008
Jeremy
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I'm afraid I only finish about two books per decade. This is one of them from this decade, and I'm still working on # 2. Seriously though, I really enjoyed this book... it helped me to put things in perspective during a time when I needed it... actually, I think I should probably read this book again... I need a refresher.
Sep 12, 2010
Chris
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Like it's prequel "Everyday Zen," this is one of those books I plan on picking up again and again, if only to look at a page or two, because of the small insights it brings, as well as new understandings of elements I missed the first time through.
Oct 03, 2007
Ansley
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How could I describe how life-altering this book was for me? I guess if I could figure out how many times I've read it, that would be a start! I couldn't recommend this book more.
