Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism & Psychedelics

Edited by Allan Badiner – Artwork edited by Alex Grey

From the Publisher: Buddhism and psychedelic exploration share a common concern: the liberation of the mind. This new edition of Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics has substantially evolved from the landmark anthology that launched the first serious inquiry into the moral, ethical, doctrinal, and transcendental considerations of the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics. A provocative and thoughtful exploration of inner states and personal transformation, Zig Zag Zen now includes an expanded display of stunning artwork from Android Jones, Sukhi Barber, Randal Roberts, Luke Brown and Ang Tsherin Sherpa, and more work by the pioneering visionary artist Alex Grey. Complementing these new images are original essays by luminaries such as Ralph Metzner and Brad Warner; exciting interviews with James Fadiman, Kokyo Henkel, and Rick Doblin; and a discussion of ayahuasca’s unique influence on Zen Buddhism by David Coyote (six new text contributions in total); all of which have been carefully curated to extend the original inquiry of authors Joan Halifax Roshi, Peter Matthiesen, Jack Kornfield, Terence McKenna, Rick Fields and many others. Contemporary seekers of spiritual truth know that both Buddhism and psychedelics are inevitably subjects encountered along the journey. By examining them together, the reader can discover truth about the essence of each.

Praise for the Book: “Zig Zag Zen is a treasure trove–inspiritng, frightening, powerful, funny, eye-opeing, and a source of great wisdom on a subject that our society finds endlessly confusing.” –Mark Epstein, M.D., author of Thoughts Without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, and Going on Being

“Zig Zag Zen shines by its fairness: its authors squarely face the Zig as well as the Zag. That’s Zen at its best.”–David Steindl-Rast, OSB, author of Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer

“Zig Zag Zen is a must read for anyone who is concerned about the future of Buddhist practice.” –Tenzin Bob Thurman, chair of Indo-Tibetan studies at Columbia University

About the Editors: Allan Badiner served as the editor of Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics (Chronicle Books, 2002), as well as two other books of collected essays, Dharma Gaia: A Harvest in Buddhism and Ecology (Parallax Press, 1990) and Mindfulness in the Marketplace: Compassionate Responses to Consumerism (Parallax, 2002). Allan is a contributing editor of Tricycle Magazine, and serves on the board of directors of Rainforest Action Network, Threshold Foundation and Project CBD. He has been a student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh for more than 25 years.

Alex Grey is a renowned American artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic (visionary) art. His work spans a variety of forms including performance art, sculpture and painting. He is a member of the Integral Institute, on the board of advisors for the Center of Cognitive Liberty and Ethics and is Chair of Wisdom University’s Sacred Art Department. He and his wife Allyson Grey are co-founders of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, CoSM, a non-profit church supporting Visionary Culture in Wappinger, New York.

ISBN-10: 090779162X    –    ISBN-13: 978-0907791621