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Zen Driving: Be a Buddha Behind the Wheel of Your Automobile
Zen Driving can make each driving experience enjoyable, whether it’s a daily hour-long drive to work, or a ten-minute run to the local Safeway.
You may well ask, what is Zen driving? The Japanese word zen literally means meditation, and meditation means being fully aware, fully in touch with your surroundings. When you are in a meditative state, you are in your natural self, your Buddha self—and you can do it while driving.
But why Zen driving? The purpose of Zen Driving, the book, is to introduce you to your natural self, which is what remains when you still your mind and ignore your chattering ego. When you do this, you gain confidence in your ability, and finally you are that ability.
The frustrations of other drivers cutting you off or causing you to sit through two red lights because they’re too timid to make a left turn on yellow will no longer make your blood pressure explode. Zen Driving will teach you to look, simply observe without qualification, and then make your move.
Zen driving is effortless, spontaneous, nondeliberate. It is being one with the road. And in turn, driving becomes a pathway to consciousness, an activity that clears the mind and soothes the soul, something to take with you all those other times when you’re not behind the wheel.
You may well ask, what is Zen driving? The Japanese word zen literally means meditation, and meditation means being fully aware, fully in touch with your surroundings. When you are in a meditative state, you are in your natural self, your Buddha self—and you can do it while driving.
But why Zen driving? The purpose of Zen Driving, the book, is to introduce you to your natural self, which is what remains when you still your mind and ignore your chattering ego. When you do this, you gain confidence in your ability, and finally you are that ability.
The frustrations of other drivers cutting you off or causing you to sit through two red lights because they’re too timid to make a left turn on yellow will no longer make your blood pressure explode. Zen Driving will teach you to look, simply observe without qualification, and then make your move.
Zen driving is effortless, spontaneous, nondeliberate. It is being one with the road. And in turn, driving becomes a pathway to consciousness, an activity that clears the mind and soothes the soul, something to take with you all those other times when you’re not behind the wheel.
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 6, 2008
I was given this book as a joke way back in the 80s by my friend Derek. Derek was the kind of guy that, when most people met him, usually people said, "Wow, what an asshole!". But if you could get past his usual abrasive personality and predeliction for scathing reparte, Derek was a great friend; at times very soulful... almost always funny. So he gave this book to me after hearing the story of how, at age 16, I had driven the white 1967 Pontiac Bonneville stationwagon I had been given for Christmas into a vineyard. I did not yet have my drivers license at age 16... and some might argue I was unqualified to be driving. Okay, the fact that I wound up driving into a vineyard is probably a dead giveaway that I was unqualified to be driving. But I was 16 and, you know, I knew everything then. I blame the CocaCola, which rolled off the seat onto the floor, requiring me to lean down to find it. Nevermind that I forgot to keep watching where I was going. I blame the CocaCola.
Anyway... the point is... Derek gave the book to me as a joke. A pointed joke. A jibe at my troubled history, which was a source of constant entertainment to us all. Well, to be fair, we all afforded each other with fairly constant entertainment by our rather ridiculous mishaps. But I may or may not have been the most ridiculous of all.
However, ultimately, I had the last laugh. The book turned out to be quite wonderful when I got around to reading it 10 years later. Having actually learned to drive by then... and mostly having figured out how to keep my eyes on the road... I realized when I read this book that I actually mostly practiced Zen Driving. The way of finding the rhythm of the road. To be in synch with the hum and flow of traffic. The find one's own place in the scheme of things, relaxed and present, ready to respond to what breaks and curls and recedes. Like surfing.
I may need to find another copy of this book and re-read it. I'm fairly certain that it's not terribly Zen to drive around thinking that other people are not driving in the correct rhythm, and that if they would just get it right I could drive the way I should be able to, goddamn it! It also is probably not Zen to shout obscenities to people for not signalling soon enough, changing lanes too slowly, and driving *exactly* at the speed limit in a no-passing zone on a two lane road. Yeah, I'm definitely no Thich Nhat Hahn. In the Buddha Dharma Club they would totally take my saffron robes away and send me out to the hut to meditate on a single kernel of rice for 97 hours with no space heater.
But hey, maybe if everyone else reads this book and drives the Zen Way I will never be bothered by crappy drivers again!! Yeah, that's the ticket. I think that would be very Zen. Right?
Anyway... the point is... Derek gave the book to me as a joke. A pointed joke. A jibe at my troubled history, which was a source of constant entertainment to us all. Well, to be fair, we all afforded each other with fairly constant entertainment by our rather ridiculous mishaps. But I may or may not have been the most ridiculous of all.
However, ultimately, I had the last laugh. The book turned out to be quite wonderful when I got around to reading it 10 years later. Having actually learned to drive by then... and mostly having figured out how to keep my eyes on the road... I realized when I read this book that I actually mostly practiced Zen Driving. The way of finding the rhythm of the road. To be in synch with the hum and flow of traffic. The find one's own place in the scheme of things, relaxed and present, ready to respond to what breaks and curls and recedes. Like surfing.
I may need to find another copy of this book and re-read it. I'm fairly certain that it's not terribly Zen to drive around thinking that other people are not driving in the correct rhythm, and that if they would just get it right I could drive the way I should be able to, goddamn it! It also is probably not Zen to shout obscenities to people for not signalling soon enough, changing lanes too slowly, and driving *exactly* at the speed limit in a no-passing zone on a two lane road. Yeah, I'm definitely no Thich Nhat Hahn. In the Buddha Dharma Club they would totally take my saffron robes away and send me out to the hut to meditate on a single kernel of rice for 97 hours with no space heater.
But hey, maybe if everyone else reads this book and drives the Zen Way I will never be bothered by crappy drivers again!! Yeah, that's the ticket. I think that would be very Zen. Right?
December 28, 2020
This wasn’t bad exactly but I was expecting more from it. The biggest takeaway is the emphasis on paying attention to everything around you within your eyesight while driving, which I now try to keep in my driving mind. I thought it might elaborate more than it did on some of the ways driving can be a joyful activity.
December 12, 2017
interesting read with practical language and demonstration, but pretty basic in terms of "zeniness". didn't really learn any new ideas or strategies, but this book serves as a good templated reminder for how to not drive like an asshole
October 9, 2022
I'm 40 pages in and still can't tell if this is a joke. If you read the sentence "You are not driving. Driving is you." you will have gotten as much insight as in the first 40 pages. But I'm bored, so I'll keep reading.
January 5, 2019
Read years ago in college....it was incredibly helpful for me. Trying to find my copy to give to my 16 year old who's about to drive!!!!
August 13, 2021
A slight book, blending Zen aphorisms with non-aggressive driving advice; still it managed to be a pleasant read.
February 27, 2022
Ik las de Nederlandse versie: 'Zen en de kunst van het autorijden'. (Vertaald door Peter de Rijk).
Vond het een beetje langdradig soms maar toch verhelderend, sensibiliserend!
Vond het een beetje langdradig soms maar toch verhelderend, sensibiliserend!
April 11, 2024
A pretty good expository look at Buddhism. Applying it to driving was absolutely ridiculous though.
June 14, 2024
It was 1988. I was on my learner's permit, but spectacularly failed my first two driving tests. I had one chance left to get my driver's license ... or start all over again. I was in community college and working part-time at Kmart. My family was really pissed off at me for not already having my license.
The pressure was enormous.
My bizarre friend from college, Neal, got me this book. He had patiently given me some driving lessons, but I think he was getting pissed at me, too. Hense the book.
And yes, I read this and passed the driving test.
Which is beside the point. This is actually a really great introduction to Zen Buddhism. It also shows how the way of Zen can be applied practically.
I'm not a Zen Buddhist, but you do not have to be one to get into this book.
I have no idea what happened to my copy. I may get a replacement one day.
The pressure was enormous.
My bizarre friend from college, Neal, got me this book. He had patiently given me some driving lessons, but I think he was getting pissed at me, too. Hense the book.
And yes, I read this and passed the driving test.
Which is beside the point. This is actually a really great introduction to Zen Buddhism. It also shows how the way of Zen can be applied practically.
I'm not a Zen Buddhist, but you do not have to be one to get into this book.
I have no idea what happened to my copy. I may get a replacement one day.
July 14, 2010
It's not like it was long, but I couldn't get through this... really, this was a tad impractical. It literally said, "alright, now go get in your car." So... am I supposed to be reading this book while I drive? How can an instructional book walk you through driving- you kind of need to pay attention, right? Maybe I'm just not as open to zen and meditation as I'd like, or maybe it was his assertion that men are always better drivers than women that turned me off early. (yeah, he says that)
April 19, 2023
I read this in college and thought it was pretty cool.. Recently dug it out for my girlfriend who started having PTSD dreams about her previous accidents. I hope it will help her gain confidence and lessen her anxiety about driving.
Pt. II.. I reread it myself. It's a great way to think about how not to think, just do, on the road. I like how the joy of driving/riding can be even better when you have a blissed out awareness of everything.
Pt. II.. I reread it myself. It's a great way to think about how not to think, just do, on the road. I like how the joy of driving/riding can be even better when you have a blissed out awareness of everything.
February 1, 2015
No longer onerous driving now is pleasurable.
Open road open mind. Suggests how driving may lead to a fuller appreciation of Zen. Practicing moving meditation becomes a way of relieving the anxiety associated with driving.
Open road open mind. Suggests how driving may lead to a fuller appreciation of Zen. Practicing moving meditation becomes a way of relieving the anxiety associated with driving.
November 4, 2015
Valuable premise - using driving as an introduction to non-duality, removing imagined separateness from experience and instead exercising pure awareness devoid of judgments, opinions, etc. that pull you away from the simple act of moving down the road.
January 18, 2016
Did not get as much out of this as I'd hoped to. Like nearly all Buddhist books I've come across, it's not very friendly to the beginner. Still, being more mindful while driving is a concept just about anyone can understand, so there's that.
March 3, 2014
Nice book for learning to drive without disturbances of the chattering mind.
February 19, 2016
I thought this book might be helpful in regards to my driving anxiety but it really wasn't. Oh well. Back to the drawing board
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February 8, 2019629.283 B4963 1988
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews