Letters to a Dead Friend about Zen

The night Brad Warner learns that his childhood friend Marky has died, Warner is about to speak to a group of Zen students in Hamburg, Germany. It’s the last thing he feels like doing. What he wants to do instead is tell his friend everything he never said, to explain Zen “to those who don’t understand what I do for a living or why I care about this crazy philosophy and this weird meditation practice I do everyday.” So, as he continues his teaching tour through Europe, he writes to his friend as he wishes he had spoken. Simply and humorously, he reflects on why Zen provided him a lifeline in a difficult world. He explores grief, attachment, and the afterlife. He tells Marky, “I’m not interested in Buddhism, I’m interested in what is true,” and then proceeds to poke and prod at that truth. The result for readers is a singular and winning meditation on Zen, a unique tribute to both a life lost and to the one Warner has found.