For years after having been exposed to Mortimer Adler's wonderful (but perhaps a bit oppressive) How to Read a Book, I thought I had to read all of the classics before I could reasonably read anything else and was (hopefully understandably) a bit paralyzed. After having tried for a while to approach this ideal, I have realized that life is short and I now read according to my interests and needs.
English is my native language and the language in which I do most of my reading, but I also read German, Mandarin, and literary Chinese (quite rusty in the latter two). I'm currently also working on learning Pāḷi.
On Mastodon: @sasu@ieji.de
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Success! Sasu has read 37 of 36 books.
With a new preface, afterword, and updated material throughout, this iconoclastic and creative Tibetan meditation …
Very approachable so far. The way he calmly strings together normal-seeming things which turn out to be absurdities for illustration is definitely the highlight so far.
Throughout history, people have sought the heights of human potential—to become as wise and strong, happy and loving, as any …
On the other hand, #WisdomPublications is one of the few places I know of that offers #DRMfree #ebooks by default from their online store, so if the trade is effectively less-than-ideal formatting for no #DRM, that's fine for me.
On the other hand, #WisdomPublications is one of the few places I know of that offers #DRMfree #ebooks by default from their online store, so if the trade is effectively less-than-ideal formatting for no #DRM, that's fine for me.
Sometimes forgiveness can feel unfathomable, unreachable, or even just plain wrong. Inspiring Forgiveness throws wide …
An excellent and very readable #anthology full of #stories, #quotes, and #poetry geared toward inspiring #forgiveness. I found it helpful for its variety and diversity of description and presentation regarding how forgiveness can look, how to think about it, and the many kinds of forgiveness (or non-forgiveness). Beyond that, I think the particular strength of Inspiring Forgiveness is that it is probably still accessible to people not (yet) interested in #forgiving, much more so than one of the many works offering advice on how to #forgive.
The one thing that bothered me was that the formatting seemed poorly adapted to ebook readers. I've heard that the printed version is quite nicely done, though, so if you're thinking about reading it and have the choice, you're probably better off with a hardcopy.
An excellent and very readable #anthology full of #stories, #quotes, and #poetry geared toward inspiring #forgiveness. I found it helpful for its variety and diversity of description and presentation regarding how forgiveness can look, how to think about it, and the many kinds of forgiveness (or non-forgiveness). Beyond that, I think the particular strength of Inspiring Forgiveness is that it is probably still accessible to people not (yet) interested in #forgiving, much more so than one of the many works offering advice on how to #forgive.
The one thing that bothered me was that the formatting seemed poorly adapted to ebook readers. I've heard that the printed version is quite nicely done, though, so if you're thinking about reading it and have the choice, you're probably better off with a hardcopy.
Sometimes forgiveness can feel unfathomable, unreachable, or even just plain wrong. Inspiring Forgiveness throws wide open the doors of possibility …
THIS BOOK IS FOR WRITERS who want to write more, who struggle to write, who …
Took me a while, but extremely helpful.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet: Booktrack Edition adds an immersive musical soundtrack to your audiobook listening experience!
…@kingrat@sfba.club Sounds a lot like the communication version of The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul
Mit kurzen prägnanten Fragen und stimmungsvollen Bildern fordert der Autor und Illustrator Marc Majewski die Leser auf, darüber nachzudenken, was …
Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel explore the beauty and tenacity of life.
…Life begins small, then grows…
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet: Booktrack Edition adds an immersive musical soundtrack to your audiobook listening experience!
…
In the face of systemic racism and state-sanctioned violence, how can we metabolize our anger …
It's hard to know what to write about this one.
On the one hand, I experience much of Lama Rod's teaching in this book as brilliantly creative. The meditation instructions are well-systematized and I found the guidance helpful, especially for the #7homecomings, #tonglen, and #EarthTouching / #bhūmisparśa practices. I also deeply appreciated his acknowledgement of the issues present in the #Tibetan #Buddhist tradition and his way of relating to flawed teachers in a system vulnerable to abuse of power was valuable for me. The way he addresses #racism, #whitesupremacy, #queerphobia, #patriarchy and other forms of #discrimination or #opression reminded me favorably of Sebene Selassie's You Belong.
On the other, having now listened to it in its entirety, it seems like the book might have put together in a piecemeal sort of way. I get the impression that this might have …
It's hard to know what to write about this one.
On the one hand, I experience much of Lama Rod's teaching in this book as brilliantly creative. The meditation instructions are well-systematized and I found the guidance helpful, especially for the #7homecomings, #tonglen, and #EarthTouching / #bhūmisparśa practices. I also deeply appreciated his acknowledgement of the issues present in the #Tibetan #Buddhist tradition and his way of relating to flawed teachers in a system vulnerable to abuse of power was valuable for me. The way he addresses #racism, #whitesupremacy, #queerphobia, #patriarchy and other forms of #discrimination or #opression reminded me favorably of Sebene Selassie's You Belong.
On the other, having now listened to it in its entirety, it seems like the book might have put together in a piecemeal sort of way. I get the impression that this might have been intentional or seen as unproblematic as a way to enhance the sense of authenticity. I listened to the audio version, and while the inclusion of the original audio for the interviews was a nice touch, it felt a lot like recycling content to me—I think I would have preferred a more edited final version with links to the originals for anyone who wanted to dig deeper.
On the whole, it was well worth the time I spent with it. I feel like I've learned quite a bit. If anyone is reading this and trying to decide between the print & audio versions, I would guess that the print version might be a bit easier to use, especially if one intends to refer frequently to the instructions for #meditation and #reflection.
In the face of systemic racism and state-sanctioned violence, how can we metabolize our anger into a force for liberation?
…
This landmark collection is the definitive introduction to the Buddha’s teachings—in his own words. The …
It is commonly assumed that the Buddha beckons us to recognize the reality of old age and death in order to motivate us to enter the path of renunciation leading to Nibbāna, complete liberation from the round of birth and death. However, while this may be his ultimate intention, it is not the first response he seeks to evoke in us when we turn to him for guidance. The initial response the Buddha intends to arouse in us is an ethical one. By calling our attention to our bondage to old age and death, he seeks to inspire in us a firm resolution to turn away from unwholesome ways of living and to embrace instead wholesome alternatives.
Again, the Buddha grounds his initial ethical appeal not only upon a compassionate feeling for other beings, but also upon our instinctive concern for our own long-term welfare and happiness. He tries to make us see that to act in accordance with ethical guidelines will enable us to secure our own well-being both now and in the long-term future. His argument hinges on the important premise that actions have consequences. If we are to alter our accustomed ways, we must be convinced of the validity of this principle. Specifically, to change from a self-stultifying way of life to one that is truly fruitful and inwardly rewarding, we must realize that our actions have consequences for ourselves, consequences that can rebound upon us both in this life and in subsequent lives.
. . .
The realization that we are bound to grow old and die breaks the spell of infatuation cast over us by sensual pleasures, wealth, and power. It dispels the mist of confusion and motivates us to take fresh stock of our purposes in life. We may not be ready to give up family and possessions for a life of homeless wandering and solitary meditation, but this is not an option the Buddha generally expects of his householder disciples. Rather, as we saw above, the first lesson he draws from the fact that our lives end in old age and death is an ethical one interwoven with the twin principles of kamma and rebirth. The law of kamma stipulates that our unwholesome and wholesome actions have consequences extending far beyond this present life: unwholesome actions lead to rebirth in states of misery and bring future pain and suffering; wholesome actions lead to a pleasant rebirth and bring future well-being and happiness. Since we have to grow old and die, we should be constantly aware that any present prosperity we might enjoy is merely temporary. We can enjoy it only as long as we are young and healthy; and when we die, our newly acquired kamma will gain the opportunity to ripen and bring forth its own results. We must then reap the due fruits of our deeds. With an eye to our long-term future welfare, we should scrupulously avoid evil deeds that result in suffering and diligently engage in wholesome deeds that generate happiness here and in future lives.
— In the Buddha's Words by Bhikhu Bodhi (Teachings of the Buddha) (6%)
This landmark collection is the definitive introduction to the Buddha’s teachings—in his own words. The American scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, whose …
