Zen master Bernie Glassman compares Jeff Bridgesโs iconic role in The Big Lebowski to a Lamed-Vavnik: one of the men in Jewish mysticism who โare simple and unassuming, and so good that, on account of them, God lets the world go on.โ His buddy Jeff puts it another way. The wonderful thing about the Dude, he says, is that heโd always rather hug it out than slug it out.
For more than a decade, Academy Awardโwinning actor Jeff Bridges and his buddhist teacher, renowned Roshi Bernie Glassman, have been close friends. Inspiring and often hilarious, The Dude and the Zen Master captures their freewheeling dialogue about life, laughter, and the movies with a charm and bonhomie that never fail to enlighten and entertain. Throughout, their remarkable humanism reminds us of the importance of doing good in a difficult world.
Review
โMr. Bridges and Mr. Glassman are likable, and smart, and interesting...[The Dude and the Zen Master] includes compelling discussions of Mr. Bridgesโs marriage, acting technique and close relationship with his father...youโll always be grateful for the hang.โ
*โThe New York Times *
โ[The Dude and the Zen Master] is an odd and wonderful little work that makes use of the transcendentally funny characters and language of [The Big Lebowski] as the starting point for a relaxed philosophical discussion about a wide variety of topics.โ*โLos Angeles Times _*
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_ โ A jam session in book formโฆ An exercise in likeabilityโฆ Whatโs not to love?โโThe Hairpin
โLike relaxing in a nice literary bubble bathโฆ Itโs nice to take comfort in such simple insights when the whole world seems to be going crazy around usโฆ The Dude and the Zen Master can help you do just that.โโDudespaper.com
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About the Author
_Jeff Bridges is an Oscar-winning actor, performer, songwriter, and photographer. He is a cofounder of the End Hunger Network and the national spokesman for Share Our Strengthโs No Kid Hungry campaign.
Bernie Glassman founded the Zen Community of New York, which later became Zen Peacemakers, an international order of social activists. A longtime Zen teacher, he also founded the Greyston Mandala, a network of for-profits and not-for-profits creating jobs, housing, and programs to support individuals and their families on the path to self-sufficiency.
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