Why I Am a Buddhist
No-Nonsense Buddhism with Red Meat and Whiskey
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Tom Pile
-
By:
-
Stephen T. Asma
About this listen
Profound and amusing, this book provides a viable approach to answering the perennial questions: Who am I? Why am I here? How can I live a meaningful life? For Asma, the answers are to be found in Buddhism.
There have been a lot of books that have made the case for Buddhism. What makes this book fresh and exciting is Asma's iconoclasm, irreverence, and hardheaded approach to the subject. He is distressed that much of what passes for Buddhism is really little more than "New Age mush." He loudly asserts that it is time to "take the California out of Buddhism." He presents a spiritual practice that does not require a belief in creeds or dogma. It is a practice that is psychologically sound, intellectually credible, and esthetically appealing. It is a practice that does not require a diet of brown rice, burning incense, and putting both your mind and your culture in deep storage.
In seven chapters, Asma builds the case for a spiritual practice that is authentic, and inclusive. This is Buddhism for everyone. This is Buddhism for people who are uncomfortable with religion but yearn for a spiritual practice.
©2010 Stephen T. Asma (P)2012 Linda BiagiListeners also enjoyed...
-
Why We Need Religion
- By: Stephen T. Asma
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Asma argues that, like art, religion has direct access to our emotional lives in ways that science does not. No theorist of religion has failed to notice the importance of emotions in spiritual and ritual life, but truly systematic research has only recently delivered concrete data on the neurology, psychology, and anthropology of the emotional systems. This very recent "affective turn" has begun to map out a powerful territory of embodied cognition. Why We Need Religion incorporates new data from these affective sciences into the philosophy of religion.
-
-
Open your mind
- By William Shehan on 01-27-19
By: Stephen T. Asma
-
A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Richard Matthews
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bill Bryson has been an enormously popular author both for his travel books and for his books on the English language. Now, this beloved comic genius turns his attention to science. Although he doesn't know anything about the subject (at first), he is eager to learn, and takes information that he gets from the world's leading experts and explains it to us in a way that makes it exciting and relevant.
-
-
The Only Book I reread imediatley after reading
- By Andrew on 11-09-09
By: Bill Bryson
-
David and Goliath
- Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the power of the underdog in Malcolm Gladwell's dazzling examination of success, motivation, and the role of adversity in shaping our lives, from the best-selling author of The Bomber Mafia. Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won. Or should he have?
-
-
The Art of (Unconventional) War
- By Cynthia on 10-04-13
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
Modern Romance
- An Investigation
- By: Aziz Ansari, Eric Klinenberg
- Narrated by: Aziz Ansari, Eric Klinenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated?
-
-
Entertaining and informative
- By ty on 08-23-15
By: Aziz Ansari, and others
-
What Makes You Not a Buddhist
- By: Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
- Narrated by: Tom Pile
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tibetan Buddhist master Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, one of the most creative and innovative lamas teaching today, throws down the gauntlet to the Buddhist world, challenging common misconceptions, stereotypes, and fantasies. With wit and irony, Khysentse urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism - beyond the romance with beads, incense, or exotic robes - straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught.
-
-
Buddhism with a bite.
- By Relatable1 on 01-30-15
-
Stiff
- The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Shelly Frasier
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For two thousand years, cadavers have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.
-
-
I worked with cadavers for years, but....
- By POQA on 11-11-12
By: Mary Roach
-
Why We Need Religion
- By: Stephen T. Asma
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Asma argues that, like art, religion has direct access to our emotional lives in ways that science does not. No theorist of religion has failed to notice the importance of emotions in spiritual and ritual life, but truly systematic research has only recently delivered concrete data on the neurology, psychology, and anthropology of the emotional systems. This very recent "affective turn" has begun to map out a powerful territory of embodied cognition. Why We Need Religion incorporates new data from these affective sciences into the philosophy of religion.
-
-
Open your mind
- By William Shehan on 01-27-19
By: Stephen T. Asma
-
A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Richard Matthews
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bill Bryson has been an enormously popular author both for his travel books and for his books on the English language. Now, this beloved comic genius turns his attention to science. Although he doesn't know anything about the subject (at first), he is eager to learn, and takes information that he gets from the world's leading experts and explains it to us in a way that makes it exciting and relevant.
-
-
The Only Book I reread imediatley after reading
- By Andrew on 11-09-09
By: Bill Bryson
-
David and Goliath
- Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the power of the underdog in Malcolm Gladwell's dazzling examination of success, motivation, and the role of adversity in shaping our lives, from the best-selling author of The Bomber Mafia. Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won. Or should he have?
-
-
The Art of (Unconventional) War
- By Cynthia on 10-04-13
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
Modern Romance
- An Investigation
- By: Aziz Ansari, Eric Klinenberg
- Narrated by: Aziz Ansari, Eric Klinenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated?
-
-
Entertaining and informative
- By ty on 08-23-15
By: Aziz Ansari, and others
-
What Makes You Not a Buddhist
- By: Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
- Narrated by: Tom Pile
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tibetan Buddhist master Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, one of the most creative and innovative lamas teaching today, throws down the gauntlet to the Buddhist world, challenging common misconceptions, stereotypes, and fantasies. With wit and irony, Khysentse urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism - beyond the romance with beads, incense, or exotic robes - straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught.
-
-
Buddhism with a bite.
- By Relatable1 on 01-30-15
-
Stiff
- The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Shelly Frasier
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For two thousand years, cadavers have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.
-
-
I worked with cadavers for years, but....
- By POQA on 11-11-12
By: Mary Roach
-
The Happiness Hypothesis
- By: Jonathan Haidt
- Narrated by: Ryan Vincent Anderson
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jonathan Haidt skillfully combines two genres-philosophical wisdom and scientific research-delighting the listener with surprising insights. He explains, for example, why we have such difficulty controlling ourselves and sticking to our plans; why no achievement brings lasting happiness, yet a few changes in your life can have profound effects, and why even confirmed atheists experience spiritual elevation.
-
-
Amazing book, terrible choice in voice.
- By JAMES on 02-05-19
By: Jonathan Haidt
-
50 Spiritual Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This unabridged guide to the literature of the spirit surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications - everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
-
-
useful as review or starting point
- By connie on 01-03-09
-
How to Be a Stoic
- Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
- By: Massimo Pigliucci
- Narrated by: Peter Coleman
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whenever we worry about what to eat, how to love, or simply how to be happy, we are worrying about how to lead a good life. No goal is more elusive. In How to Be a Stoic, philosopher Massimo Pigliucci offers Stoicism, the ancient philosophy that inspired the great emperor Marcus Aurelius, as the best way to attain it. Stoicism is a pragmatic philosophy that teaches us to act depending on what is within our control and separate things worth getting upset about from those that are not.
-
-
Great book needs better narration
- By Caleb on 11-07-18
-
Original Sin Is A Lie
- How Spirituality Defies Dogma and Reveals Our True Self
- By: Bob Peck
- Narrated by: Bob Peck
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this book, author Bob Peck takes us through his own highlights of the “spiritual buffet line”: from present-embracing Zen Buddhists to insightful Indigenous shamans and compassionate karma yogis. He explores the avatar doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita, the work of Byron Katie, new science in relation to spirit, and the true loving message of Jesus. As Peck articulates, the Bible is not infallible, but in certain moments, it does point to the reality of who we are, as does Sri Ramana Maharshi, Carl Jung, Anandamayi Ma, the Gospel of Thomas, and A Course in Miracles.
-
-
Fabulous work.
- By Joseppi Hedges on 10-12-22
By: Bob Peck
-
Great Expectations
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the young orphan called Pip encounters the escaped convict Magwitch, the child's life is altered forever - in ways he cannot even imagine. In the course of his story, Pip encounters such memorable characters as the eccentric Miss Havisham and her beautiful ward Estella - and a mysterious benefactor. This recording includes both of the endings Dickens wrote for this classic novel.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Jean on 09-25-03
By: Charles Dickens
-
Lightworker
- Understand Your Sacred Role as Healer, Guide, and Being of Light
- By: Sahvanna Arienta
- Narrated by: Sheila Book
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you a Lightworker? It is the Lightworkers' mission to lend their light energy to a planet heavy with fear and negativity. But Lightworkers aren't all well known spiritual gurus. They are musicians and artists, shopkeepers, accountants, stay-at-home moms, and people you pass on the street. They share their gifts by speaking out for those who have no voice and they create glorious works of art that beautify our planet or write music that elevates our spirits.
-
-
great information, mechanical narration
- By johanna on 04-27-14
By: Sahvanna Arienta
-
Philosophy For Life
- And Other Dangerous Situations
- By: Jules Evans
- Narrated by: John Voce
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This audiobook is an invitation to a dream school with a faculty that includes 12 of the greatest philosophers from the ancient world, sharing their lessons in happiness, resilience and much more. Discover how soldiers, psychologists, gangsters, astronauts, anarchists and others use these ideas today. Lively and powerful, this is philosophy for the street, for the workplace, for the battlefield, for love, for life.
By: Jules Evans
-
Rebel Buddha
- On the Road to Freedom
- By: Dzogchen Ponlop
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Dzogchen Ponlop (introduction)
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a rebel within you. It's the part of you that already knows how to break free of fear and unhappiness. This rebel is the voice of your own awakened mind. It's your rebel buddha - the sharp, clear intelligence that resists the status quo. It wakes you up from the sleepy acceptance of your day-to-day reality and shows you the power of your enlightened nature. It's the vibrant, insightful energy that compels you to seek the truth.
-
-
Rebel Budda: On the Road to Freedom
- By Deborah on 04-11-11
By: Dzogchen Ponlop
-
The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible
- By: Charles Eisenstein
- Narrated by: Paul Geiger
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a time of social and ecological crisis, what can we as individuals do to make the world a better place? This inspirational and thought-provoking book serves as an empowering antidote to the cynicism, frustration, paralysis, and overwhelm so many of us are feeling, replacing it with a grounding reminder of what’s true: we are all connected, and our small, personal choices bear unsuspected transformational power.
-
-
Excellent concepts; narration detracts a bit
- By Christina P. on 06-03-19
-
A Jane Austen Education
- How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter
- By: William Deresiewicz
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An eloquent memoir of a young man's life transformed by literature. In A Jane Austen Education, Austen scholar William Deresiewicz turns to the author's novels to reveal the remarkable life lessons hidden within. With humor and candor, Deresiewicz employs his own experiences to demonstrate the enduring power of Austen's teachings. Progressing from his days as an immature student to a happily married man, Deresiewicz's A Jane Austen Education is the story of one man's discovery of the world outside himself.
-
-
one of the best books I've heard recently
- By D. Littman on 06-14-12
-
The Consolations of Philosophy
- By: Alain de Botton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alain de Botton has performed a stunning feat: He has transformed arcane philosophy into something accessible and entertaining, useful and kind. Drawing on the work of six of the world's most brilliant thinkers, de Botton has arranged a panoply of wisdom to guide us through our most common problems.
-
-
Cheering, empathic, helpful
- By Austin on 11-11-09
By: Alain de Botton
-
Keys to the Spirit World
- An Easy to Use Handbook for Contacting Your Spirit Guides
- By: Jennifer O'Neill
- Narrated by: Zehra Fazal
- Length: 1 hr and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You will learn how to develop your own communication system with spirits and Spirit Guides, as well as develop an understanding of what they are trying to communicate with you right now! Spirit Guides are always trying to communicate with you; many times you just do not have a complete understanding of how this communication system works. There are many forms of spirit communication and it is important for you to find out what particular system works best for you.
-
-
Informative but ...
- By michael on 05-13-15
By: Jennifer O'Neill
Related to this topic
-
50 Spiritual Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This unabridged guide to the literature of the spirit surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications - everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
-
-
useful as review or starting point
- By connie on 01-03-09
-
50 Self-Help Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This award-winning, unabridged guide to the "literature of possibility" surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications, everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
-
-
Surprisingly Interesting
- By Cathy on 10-15-06
-
The Monk and the Philosopher
- A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
- By: Jean-Francois Revel
- Narrated by: David Shaw-Parker
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-seven years ago, Matthieu Ricard gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism - not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters. Years later, this project was born, and Richard met with his father, Jean-Francois Revel - a French philosopher who became world famous for his challenges to both Communism and Christianity. At an inn, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history.
-
-
The dialogues themselves proved tranquility is attainable.
- By Mingster on 05-16-19
-
Care of the Soul, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Ed
- A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life
- By: Thomas Moore
- Narrated by: Charles Bice
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this special 25th anniversary edition of Thomas Moore's best-selling book, Care of the Soul, listeners are presented with a revolutionary approach to thinking about daily life - everyday activities, events, problems, and creative opportunities - and a therapeutic lifestyle is proposed that focuses on looking more deeply into emotional problems and learning how to sense sacredness in even ordinary things.
-
-
Love Thomas Moore's Care of The Soul
- By Dorothy Cetta on 09-14-18
By: Thomas Moore
-
My Gita
- By: Devdutt Pattanaik
- Narrated by: Vivek Madan
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In My Gita, acclaimed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik demystifies The Bhagavad Gita for the contemporary reader. His unique approach - thematic rather than verse by verse - makes the ancient treatise eminently accessible. In a world that seems spellbound by argument over dialogue, vi-vaad over sam-vaad, Devdutt highlights how Krishna nudges Arjuna to understand rather than judge his relationships.
-
-
Narration was poor
- By Divya G. on 07-24-17
-
The Dharma of the Princess Bride
- What the Coolest Fairy Tale of Our Time Can Teach Us About Buddhism and Relationships
- By: Ethan Nichtern
- Narrated by: Ethan Nichtern
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humorous yet spiritually rigorous, drawing from pop culture and from personal experience, The Dharma of "The Princess Bride" teaches us how to understand and navigate our most important personal relationships from a 21st-century Buddhist perspective. Friendship. Romance. Family. These are the three areas Ethan Nichtern delves into, taking as departure points the indelible characters - Westley, Fezzik, Vizzini, Count Rugen, Princess Buttercup, and others from Rob Reiner's perennially popular film.
-
-
A fun and refreshing take on Buddhism
- By Oak Grove on 12-06-17
By: Ethan Nichtern
-
50 Spiritual Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This unabridged guide to the literature of the spirit surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications - everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
-
-
useful as review or starting point
- By connie on 01-03-09
-
50 Self-Help Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This award-winning, unabridged guide to the "literature of possibility" surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications, everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
-
-
Surprisingly Interesting
- By Cathy on 10-15-06
-
The Monk and the Philosopher
- A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
- By: Jean-Francois Revel
- Narrated by: David Shaw-Parker
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-seven years ago, Matthieu Ricard gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism - not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters. Years later, this project was born, and Richard met with his father, Jean-Francois Revel - a French philosopher who became world famous for his challenges to both Communism and Christianity. At an inn, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history.
-
-
The dialogues themselves proved tranquility is attainable.
- By Mingster on 05-16-19
-
Care of the Soul, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Ed
- A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life
- By: Thomas Moore
- Narrated by: Charles Bice
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this special 25th anniversary edition of Thomas Moore's best-selling book, Care of the Soul, listeners are presented with a revolutionary approach to thinking about daily life - everyday activities, events, problems, and creative opportunities - and a therapeutic lifestyle is proposed that focuses on looking more deeply into emotional problems and learning how to sense sacredness in even ordinary things.
-
-
Love Thomas Moore's Care of The Soul
- By Dorothy Cetta on 09-14-18
By: Thomas Moore
-
My Gita
- By: Devdutt Pattanaik
- Narrated by: Vivek Madan
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In My Gita, acclaimed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik demystifies The Bhagavad Gita for the contemporary reader. His unique approach - thematic rather than verse by verse - makes the ancient treatise eminently accessible. In a world that seems spellbound by argument over dialogue, vi-vaad over sam-vaad, Devdutt highlights how Krishna nudges Arjuna to understand rather than judge his relationships.
-
-
Narration was poor
- By Divya G. on 07-24-17
-
The Dharma of the Princess Bride
- What the Coolest Fairy Tale of Our Time Can Teach Us About Buddhism and Relationships
- By: Ethan Nichtern
- Narrated by: Ethan Nichtern
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humorous yet spiritually rigorous, drawing from pop culture and from personal experience, The Dharma of "The Princess Bride" teaches us how to understand and navigate our most important personal relationships from a 21st-century Buddhist perspective. Friendship. Romance. Family. These are the three areas Ethan Nichtern delves into, taking as departure points the indelible characters - Westley, Fezzik, Vizzini, Count Rugen, Princess Buttercup, and others from Rob Reiner's perennially popular film.
-
-
A fun and refreshing take on Buddhism
- By Oak Grove on 12-06-17
By: Ethan Nichtern
-
Secular Buddhism
- Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation. However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace. Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious without compromising the integrity of the tradition?
-
-
Good, but repetition of old material
- By Ludwig on 02-25-18
-
The Meaning of Happiness
- The Quest for Freedom of the Spirit in Modern Psychology and the Wisdom of the East
- By: Alan Watts
- Narrated by: Kern Schmidt
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep down, most people think that happiness comes from having or doing something. Here, in Alan Watts’s groundbreaking third book (originally published in 1940), he offers a more challenging thesis: authentic happiness comes from embracing life as a whole in all its contradictions and paradoxes, an attitude that Watts calls the “way of acceptance.” Drawing on Eastern philosophy, Western mysticism, and analytic psychology, Watts demonstrates that happiness comes from accepting both the outer world around us and the inner world inside us,
-
-
Good Concepts Hard to Follow Along
- By Ryan on 04-13-20
By: Alan Watts
-
Asian Journals
- India and Japan (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
- By: Joseph Campbell
- Narrated by: Fred Stella
- Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the beginning of his career, Joseph Campbell developed a lasting fascination with the cultures of the Far East, and explorations of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy later became recurring motifs in his vast body of work. However, Campbell had to wait until middle age to visit the lands that inspired him so deeply. In 1954, he took a sabbatical from his teaching position and embarked on a year-long voyage through India, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally Japan.
-
-
What a journey!
- By Anonymous User on 08-11-18
By: Joseph Campbell
-
The Road Home
- A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path
- By: Ethan Nichtern
- Narrated by: Ethan Nichtern
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you feel at home right now? Or do you sense a hovering anxiety or uncertainty, an underlying unease that makes you feel just a bit uncomfortable, a bit distracted and disconnected from those around you? In The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, investigates the journey each of us takes to find where we belong.
-
-
How can you pass this up?
- By Amy Minutillo on 04-08-16
By: Ethan Nichtern
-
The Middle Way
- The Story of Buddhism
- By: Jinananda
- Narrated by: David Timson, Anton Lesser
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
General interest in Buddhism has never been higher. The story and teachings of a man who lived 2,500 years ago have a special resonance for us today, perhaps because he taught a way of life that was not based on belief in a creator god but rather on personal experience. "Test my words for yourself," he said. But what lies behind those distinctive images of the Buddha, seated with unshakeable poise, with eyes half-closed and a slight smile? Jinananda, a Western-born Buddhist, divides the subject into the Three Jewels....
-
-
Rocking...
- By LeperSmurf on 11-16-04
By: Jinananda
-
Buddha is as Buddha Does
- The 10 Original Practices for Enlightened Living
- By: Lama Surya Das
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Of all the Buddha's teachings, perhaps his greatest gift can be found in "the Bodhisattva ideal", a template for living in the world as an "Awakener", a servant of the highest good for all. With his previous best-sellers including Awakening the Buddha Within, American-born Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Surya Das has made the helpful, healing insights of the Buddha accessible to millions.
-
-
Puts the heart into mindfulness meditation
- By Steven on 01-18-18
By: Lama Surya Das
-
The Guru Drinks Bourbon?
- By: Amira Ben-Yehuda, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
- Narrated by: Tom Pile
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Devotion to one's teacher is the lifeblood of the Vajrayana path. Because the guru can and will use whatever means it takes to wake us up, this relationship may require us to drop our most deeply held beliefs and expectations. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse addresses some of the most misunderstood aspects of this powerful relationship and gives practical advice on making the most of this precious opportunity for transformation.
-
-
Poor pronunciation of Tibetan & dharma terms
- By Marzi on 04-21-18
By: Amira Ben-Yehuda, and others
-
Adam's Return
- The Five Promises of Male Spirituality
- By: Richard Rohr
- Narrated by: Richard Rohr
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Boys become men in much the same way across cultures, by integrating, through experience, each of five messages: Life is hard; You are not that important; Your life is not about you; You are not in control; You are going to die. Our culture has done everything in its power, it seems, to move away from this ancient wisdom. Men are lured away to dominate through money, sex, power, consumerism—and never really become men.
-
-
Good for the soul
- By Mike Mo on 08-26-17
By: Richard Rohr
-
The Gradual Path
- By: Miles Neale PsyD
- Narrated by: Miles Neale
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Neale presents a seven-session audio course to immerse you in the teachings and practices of the Lam Rim - Tibetan Buddhism’s time-tested path for psychological maturity and awakening. Created as an audio companion to Dr. Neale’s book Gradual Awakening, this course brings you a guided experience in the traditional Lam Rim journey, updated with insights from science and psychotherapy to root each step in our modern experience.
-
-
Wonderfully Inspiring Teacher
- By Mr. Mindfulness on 03-27-19
By: Miles Neale PsyD
-
Good Without God
- What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe
- By: Greg Epstein
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A provocative and positive response to Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and other New Atheists, Good Without God makes a bold claim for what nonbelievers do share and believe. Epstein's Good Without God provides a constructive, challenging response to these manifestos by getting to the heart of Humanism and its positive belief in tolerance, community, morality, and good without having to rely on the guidance of a higher being.
-
-
Speaker sounds too robotic
- By Lisa S. on 08-27-21
By: Greg Epstein
-
Original Goodness
- A Commentary on the Beatitudes
- By: Eknath Easwaran
- Narrated by: Paul Bazely
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Uncover the core of goodness within. Love, compassion, meaning, hope, and freedom from fear are not qualities we need to acquire. We simply need to uncover what we already have. "Original goodness" is Eknath Easwaran’s phrase for this spark of divinity hidden in every one of us, regardless of our personal liabilities or past mistakes. Commenting on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, Easwaran shows how this spark of divinity can energize our lives - beginning with a simple method of meditation that gradually removes the conditioning that hides our native goodness.
-
-
life changing
- By Andrew F. on 07-07-20
By: Eknath Easwaran
-
A Religion of One's Own
- A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World
- By: Thomas Moore
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times best-selling author and trusted spiritual adviser offers a follow up to his classic Care of the Soul. Something essential is missing from modern life. Many who've turned away from religious institutions - and others who have lived wholly without religion - hunger for more than what contemporary secular life has to offer but are reluctant to follow organized religion's strict and often inflexible path to spirituality. In A Religion of One' s Own, best-selling author and former monk Thomas Moore explores the myriad possibilities of creating a personal spiritual style, either inside or outside formal religion.
-
-
Powerful and Inspiring
- By Amazon Customer on 05-25-16
By: Thomas Moore
What listeners say about Why I Am a Buddhist
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jason J Orkowski
- 12-10-22
Good for thought
While I enjoyed this book I found the performance of the reader very quiet and dry. the book itself has humor but the delivery does not.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tracy
- 08-27-12
My Kind of Zen
Any additional comments?
I just found this book to be well organized, and even fun to listen to. The narrator did a great job, has a clear, steady voice and knew when to inject humor into his voice.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ben
- 10-16-12
Superb presentation of Buddhism in a modern world
This book is exceptionally well written. The author takes a vast and complex subject and presents it in a way that is both fun and interesting. The author tells his story and gives his insights with humor and charm, always taking great care not to be preachy or dogmatic. Although the narration was a bit breathless and some pronunciation suspect, the book is enjoyable to listen to and I found myself staying up on more than one occasion to listen to just one more chapter.
Buddhism is presented as being eminently practical for our modern world. Perhaps unique among religions this is one which makes pretty good intellectual sense. Partly that is due to the skill of the author and the thoroughness with which he has mastered his topic.
If I have a criticism it is that, in my opinion as a lifelong Hindu, he misinterprets, and misunderstands the nature of karma, the evolution of the soul and the importance of mystical experience. That may sound harsh, but it should be a positive reason to read this book. His eloquent arguments get you thinking and in the process you end up with greater clarity about how you feel.
Absolutely one of the best books on Buddhism out there.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jace
- 07-08-13
The Logical Buddhist Wins Again
What did you love best about Why I Am a Buddhist?
I found Why I Am a Buddhist to be a nice romp in the intellectual hay. As a comedic writer, I have long been looking for something to fill my spiritual hole (that may not be the scientific term for it) and this book was a good start. Asma compiles the teachings of Buddhism and offers them up with a piping-hot slice of experience while keeping it down-to-earth enough for the average-joe, like me, to understand. I enjoyed each facet of the different lessons and teachings as well as the insight given to off-shoots of Buddhism such as Zen Buddhism.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
There is no ending, only new beginnings...okay, that's just not fair to you.
Which scene was your favorite?
I really enjoyed the section about children and raising a family while remaining a practicing Buddhist. As the aspiring family man myself, I couldn't get enough of keeping the teachings true to your heart while still coming off as a sane parent.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Don't be a butt-hole and enjoy life!
Any additional comments?
Not only was I engaged and inspired by this book/reading, my girlfriend who accompanied me on a few road trips was enjoying the noggin expanding information presented. If you can keep my old lady in check with some good, old-fashioned knowledge; I submit. That's no easy feat but what great conversations it led to. Absolutely wonderful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dave Dragon
- 10-10-20
All you need to know to be a Buddhist
I have been pursuing Buddhism for a while and have read/listened to numerous titles on the subject. This book by Stephen Asma is the most practical approach I've found. The voice of the author is fresh, engaging, entertaining and authoritative. The voice of the performer is clear and easily kept my attention.
I will enjoy this book many times.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CPTRN
- 02-12-15
Great topic Poor recording
What did you like best about Why I Am a Buddhist? What did you like least?
If you are not familiar with the Sanskrit terminology it can be confusing.
What did you like best about this story?
he content is relevant to every day living and offers practical application of the concepts.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tom Pile?
Tom Pile did a fine job narrating. His skills were however thwarted by a very poor quality of the recording. Turn the bass all the way down in order to listen to the book without reverberation muddling Mr. Pile's voice.
Was Why I Am a Buddhist worth the listening time?
It helped me on my personal journey to discover modern day and practical applications of Buddhism.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A.Lucas
- 07-17-12
Buddhism for the real world
What did you love best about Why I Am a Buddhist?
If you relate strongly to, or have an appreciation for Buddhism but are not ready to live like a monk then this could be the book for you. It helped me sort through the difference between the real teachings of the historical Buddha and the cultural baggage and new age nonsense that often gets lumped in and called Buddhism. The book is an entertaining and thought provoking read/listen with plenty of humorous anecdotes thrown in about the authors life, what led him to Buddhism and some of the ways it helps him navigate his own busy life.
What other book might you compare Why I Am a Buddhist to and why?
Rebel Buddha by Dzogchen Ponlop
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert
- 12-01-12
Interesting, but...
Would you listen to Why I Am a Buddhist again? Why?
I would listen to it again if the narrator's voice could be reworked so that it was more audible. The content was interesting, but the narrator (or the production of the narration) was not good.
If you’ve listened to books by Stephen T. Asma before, how does this one compare?
This is my first book by S.T. Asma.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
I am not sure if it was the narrator or the production that ruined the audio quality of this book. It was impossible to listen to in the car and more difficult than most books to listen to in headphones. I download with the high-quality option, but it did not help at all with this book. It is a huge problem with this recording.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
If the audio was better, I would have probably experienced a moving moment in the book, but, alas, it was not to be.
Any additional comments?
Why would anyone release a book with this poor of an audio production?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CJR
- 10-08-16
A good introduction to Buddhism
Overall I enjoyed this book, the author gives an honest, well rounded explanation of Buddhism and his reasons for being a Buddhist. There is no Pollyanna, sugar coated California new age nonsense which I really appreciate. The stories are honest and entertaining and anyone curious as to why someone would embrace this path will get a lot from this book.
My only issue, which is minor, is the sound quality. The narrator's voice tends to have a significant amount of low end frequencies and there is some subtle but noticeable digital distortion in some areas. I wouldn't let that stop you from purchasing the book, it's well worth a listen. Just be aware of the abundant low end and distortion as it can be a bit distracting if you are OCD as I admittedly am.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Doug
- 12-09-12
Good Commentary on Modern Western Buddhism
What did you love best about Why I Am a Buddhist?
As a parent, I liked how he related stories of dealing with his young son while still trying to practice Buddhist concepts. The book is not a focus on parenting, though.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I enjoyed the narration and it was a good performance. I laughed a lot.
Any additional comments?
Not a deal-breaker, but the editor of the audio apparently stopped doing his job in the last 10 minutes or so. You can hear Tom Pile re-read a few sentences when he didn't seem happy with the first version. It was actually kind of funny.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful