In this episode I am joined by Brad Warner, Zen teacher and best-selling author of ‘Hardcore Zen’ and ‘The Other Side of Nothing’.

Brad recounts his unusual childhood, his passion for Punk rock ethics, and reveals what thwarted his teenage desire to become a born again Christian.

Brad describes his first encounter with Zen, shares the secret of his decades of daily practice, and explains why he is at odds with the culture and institutions of mainline American Zen.

Brad also discusses his awakening experience, the significance of dharma transmission, his new book on ethics, and what Dogen’s mysterious metaphors have in common with the TV show ‘Ancient Aliens’.

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Video version: www.guruviking.com/podcast/155-hardcore-zen-brad-warner

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:48 - Brad’s writing process

01:54 - ‘I’m not saying it was Aliens, but it was Aliens’

03:25 - Brad’s unusual upbringing

06:22 - Finding Zen and moving to Japan

09:38 - Punk rock ethics

11:38 - Trying to become a Christian

14:39 - Practice vs belief

18:09 - At odds with institutional Zen

20:57 - Brad’s Zen vs American Zen

25:08 - American Buddhist politics

26:25 - The secret of Brad’s daily meditation practice

36:01 - Meditation consequences permanent or temporary?

39:11 - The danger of stopping practice after awakening

40:56 - Nishijima Roshi cutting Brad down

46:36 - Brad’s awakening experience

49:37 - Receiving Dharma transmission

54:01 - Links to SFZC

55:09 - Dharma transmission wars and institutional power

01:02:06 - Secret lineage of transmission

01:05:06 - Will Brad give dharma transmission?

01:09:35 - What if Nishijima Roshi had moved to the USA?

01:13:41 - Does Brad have a teacher now?

01:17:15 - Brad’s new book about ethics and non-duality

01:25:13 - Dogen’s elusive metaphors

01:30:44 - Brad on race and being a foreigner

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To find out more about Brad Warner, visit:

- http://hardcorezen.info/

- https://www.youtube.com/c/HardcoreZen

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James