The Other Side of Nothing

English language

Published Jan. 13, 2022 by New World Library.

ISBN:: 978-1-60868-805-0

(1 review)

In the West, Zen Buddhism has a reputation for paradoxes that defy logic. In particular, the Buddhist concept of nonduality — the realization that everything in the universe forms a single, integrated whole — is especially difficult to grasp. In The Other Side of Nothing, Zen teacher Brad Warner untangles the mystery and explains nonduality in plain English. To Warner, this is not just a philosophical problem: nonduality forms the bedrock of Zen ethics, and once we comprehend it, many of the perplexing aspects of Zen suddenly make sense.

Drawing on decades of Zen practice, he traces the interlocking relationship between Zen metaphysics and ethics, showing how a true understanding of reality — and the ultimate unity of all things — instills in us a sense of responsibility for the welfare of all beings. When we realize that our feeling of separateness from others is illusory, we have no desire …

In the West, Zen Buddhism has a reputation for paradoxes that defy logic. In particular, the Buddhist concept of nonduality — the realization that everything in the universe forms a single, integrated whole — is especially difficult to grasp. In The Other Side of Nothing, Zen teacher Brad Warner untangles the mystery and explains nonduality in plain English. To Warner, this is not just a philosophical problem: nonduality forms the bedrock of Zen ethics, and once we comprehend it, many of the perplexing aspects of Zen suddenly make sense.

Drawing on decades of Zen practice, he traces the interlocking relationship between Zen metaphysics and ethics, showing how a true understanding of reality — and the ultimate unity of all things — instills in us a sense of responsibility for the welfare of all beings. When we realize that our feeling of separateness from others is illusory, we have no desire to harm any creature. Warner ultimately presents an expansive overview of the Zen ethos that will give beginners and experts alike a deeper understanding of one of the world’s enduring spiritual traditions.

2 editions

pdotb reviewed The Other Side of Nothing by Brad Warner

Better than expected, but still rather frustrating

4 stars

My previous attempts at reading Warner have rather run aground on, as I see it, his attempt to lighten Buddhist teachings, but that lean uncomfortably much on "...did I ever tell you I played bass in a punk band." Despite the opening autobiographical chapters, this book largely manages to steer clear of that, but then I'm left wondering what's left. Warner quotes pretty heavily from Dogen, plus more modern teachers such as Nishijima and Kobun, and then offers his own interpretations and personal commentary. Frustratingly, the quotes are only sometimes sourced, leaving the reader unclear where to go read more. Warner's commentary itself contains some gems, especially when he's being particularly humble, but it's not clear there's enough there to justify the reading.