Brad Warner

Brad Warner (born March 5, 1964) is an American Sōtō Zen monk, author, blogger, documentarian and punk rock bass guitarist.

Brad Warner was born in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1964.His family traveled for his father's job and Warner spent some time in Nairobi, Kenya, but grew up mainly near Akron, Ohio, and attended Kent State University. As a teenager Warner got into the music of the 1960s and hardcore punk, and a friend of his took him to a show by Zero Defex. He auditioned for and joined the band after finding out they needed a bass guitarist. He began practicing Zen Buddhism under his first teacher, Tim McCarthy. Warner later studied with Gyomay Kubose.

He has played with Dimentia 13. After the financial failure of his Dimentia 13 albums, Warner got a job in Japan with the JET Programme, and then later in 1994 with Tsuburaya Productions, the company behind Ultraman. Warner played the roles of various foreigners in their programs. While in Japan, he met and trained with Gudo Wafu Nishijima, a student of Rempo Niwa Zenji, who ordained him as a priest and named him as his dharma heir in 2000.

He agreed to write articles for SuicideGirls, the online soft porn site but stopped after a few years.

In 2007 he directed the documentary film Cleveland’s Screaming, which depicts the punk rock scene in Akron and Cleveland in the 1980s.

Also in 2007, Gudo Wafu Nishijima named Warner the leader of Dogen Sangha International which Nishijima had founded. Warner dissolved the organization in April 2012.

In 2008 Warner lost his job with the Japanese company he had been working for in the States and as of January 2009 he was self-employed.

In 2012, Warner moved to California and started Dogen Sangha Los Angeles.

In 2013, Pirooz Kalayeh directed a film about Warner entitled Brad Warner's Hardcore Zen The film premiered on October 5, 2013 in Amsterdam at the Buddhist Film Festival of Europe.

Compilations

• The New Hope. New Hope Records. 1983.
• International P.E.A.C.E. Benefit Compilation (double LP). R Radical Records. 1984.
• Midnight X-Mess #2 LP. Midnight Records. 1986.
• Midnight X-Mess #3 LP. Midnight Records. 1987.

Dimentia 13

• Dimentia 13. Midnight Records. 1985.
• Mirror Mind. Midnight Records. 1987.
• Disturb the Air. Midnight Records. 1989.
• T.V. Screen Head. Midnight Records. 1990.
• Flat Earth Society. Midnight Records. 1991.

Guest appearances

• Twink and Plasticland (1989). You Need a Fairy Godmother. Midnight Records.

0DFx

• drop the A-bomb. Get Revenge Records. 2007. (1982 demo reissue)
• Discography. Get Revenge Records. 2007. (1982 demo and 1983 debut, 2 CD)
• War Hero. Get Revenge Records. 2007. (1983 debut reissue)
• Zero Defex. 0DFx Records. 2008. (New recordings 2007/2008)