Sex, Sin, and Zen

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Sex, Sin, and Zen: A Buddhist Exploration of Sex from Celibacy to Polyamory and Everything in Between
Sex, Sin, and Zen.jpg
Author Brad Warner
Cover artist Harvey Pekar
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Subject Sōtō Zen Buddhism
Publisher New World Library
Publication date
August 21, 2010
Media typePrint
Pages304
ISBN 978-1-57731-910-8
Preceded by Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate  
Followed by Death to All Monsters!  

Sex, Sin, and Zen: A Buddhist Exploration of Sex from Celibacy to Polyamory and Everything in Between is a book written by Zen priest and punk rock bassist Brad Warner. The book is an exploration of sex from a modern Zen Buddhist perspective. [1] It alternates between practical chapters and more arcane, conceptual ones.

Zen School of Mahayana Buddhism

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, then known as the Chan School and later developed into various schools. It was strongly influenced by Taoist philosophy, especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed as a distinct school of Chinese Buddhism. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen.

Priest person authorized to lead the sacred rituals of a religion (for a minister use Q1423891)

A priest or priestess is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which also may apply to such persons collectively.

Punk rock is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in 1960s garage rock and other forms of what is now known as "proto-punk" music, punk rock bands rejected perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent record labels.

Contents

The book also features an interview with porn star Nina Hartley who was raised in Berkeley, California by two Zen Buddhists.

Nina Hartley American pornographic actress, sex educator, and feminist

Nina Hartley is an American pornographic actress, pornographic film director, sex educator, sex-positive feminist, and author.

Berkeley, California City in California, United States

Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emeryville to the south and the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington to the north. Its eastern border with Contra Costa County generally follows the ridge of the Berkeley Hills. The 2010 census recorded a population of 112,580.

Reception

The book received mostly positive reviews. [2] Publishers Weekly said of the book, "The subject is as fundamental as the human sex drive, which does not go away as one spends time on the cushion...Kudos to Warner for tackling the subject." [3]

<i>Publishers Weekly</i> American weekly trade news magazine

Publishers Weekly (PW) is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of Book Publishing and Bookselling". With 51 issues a year, the emphasis today is on book reviews.

The book has been seen as being alternatively too positive towards polyamory and too critical of it. [4]

Publication data

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

Related Research Articles

Celibacy State of voluntary sexual abstinence

Celibacy is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the term celibacy is applied only to those for whom the unmarried state is the result of a sacred vow, act of renunciation, or religious conviction. In a wider sense, it is commonly understood to only mean abstinence from sexual activity.

Polyamory is the practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner, with the consent of all partners involved. It has been described as "consensual, ethical, and responsible non-monogamy". People who identify as polyamorous believe in an open relationship with a conscious management of jealousy; they reject the view that sexual and relational exclusivity are necessary for deep, committed, long-term loving relationships.

In a religious context, sin is an act of transgression against divine law. In Islamic ethics, Muslims see sin as anything that goes against the commands of Allah (God). Judaism regards the violation of any of the 613 commandments as a sin as long as the sinner is aware of the commandment. In Jainism, sin refers to anything that harms the possibility of the jiva (being) to attain moksha.

<i>Zazen</i> meditative discipline in Zen Buddhism

Zazen is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. The precise meaning and method of zazen varies from school to school, but in general it can be regarded as a means of insight into the nature of existence. In the Japanese Rinzai school, zazen is usually associated with the study of koans. The Sōtō School of Japan, on the other hand, only rarely incorporates koans into zazen, preferring an approach where the mind has no object at all, known as shikantaza.

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Brad Warner is an American Sōtō Zen monk, author, blogger, documentarian and punk rock bass guitarist.

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There are a few differing Buddhist views on sin. American Zen author Brad Warner states that in Buddhism there is no concept of sin at all. The Buddha Dharma Education Association also expressly states "The idea of sin or original sin has no place in Buddhism." Zen student and author Barbara O'Brien has said that "Buddhism has no concept of sin." Walpola Rahula also disagreed with the notion of sin, saying "In fact there is no 'sin' in Buddhism, as sin is understood in some religions."

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<i>3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy</i> 2011 film

3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy is a 2011 Hong Kong 3D erotic costume drama film directed by Christopher Suen and produced by Stephen Shiu. It was released in Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand on 14 April 2011. It is a new instalment of the Sex and Zen series and is loosely based on the 17th century Chinese novel The Carnal Prayer Mat. As compared to the original film series, it is more dark and dramatic, and it occasionally pays homage to the humour of the earlier films.

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References

  1. Murphy, John L. "Sex, Sin, and Zen: 25 Years Hardcore: as Punk Bassist, Sexual Seeker, and Zen Student". Pop Matters. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  2. "Sex, Sin, and Zen". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review . Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  3. "Religion review: Sex, Sin, and Zen". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  4. Rotondi, James. "Sex, Sin & Zen: Brad Warner and the Lust for Enlightenment". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 20 June 2011.