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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
while it isn't a bad book, it simply isn't for me. apparently i've read it before, and yet, i remember nothing of it, as i discovered when i read it again.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I found Singer's The Surrender Experiment to be an incredible book, a look at what it might mean to be "enlightened" in a 21st century sense: serene, secure in community and professional success, with major projects soaring to completion without much apparent struggle. The Untethered Soul is the how-to, and is a solid gloss of Singer's syncretic American Buddhism.
The main, indeed only, barrier to your spiritual and worldly fulfillment is you. Specifically, the chattering neurotic thinking part of the mind, rather than the listening seat of awareness. Still the chatter, and you'll find yourself opened to the infinite energy and love of the universe.
Two things are particularly provocative, at least for me. The first is that happiness is a choice that you make. So much of life is lived in fear, in opposition to a past which won't change or a future which is inherently unknowable. It's like an injury, and one way to live is to protect the wound from anything which might aggravate it, avoiding hazardous situations and building up mechanisms of protection. Or you can heal, and live in the open. Of course, "just heal", "just let go of your thoughts and beliefs", is very much the "now draw the rest of the owl" of enlightenment.
The other provocative question is around death. What if you knew you were going to die in a week? What would you do? It probably wouldn't be the same as your actual plans for next week. Yet, we know we're going to die someday, and odds are we won't even have the kindness of knowing a date. The conflict between awareness of mortality and mundanity is at the center of a lot of the world's religions, and there's not a satisfactory answer.
The main, indeed only, barrier to your spiritual and worldly fulfillment is you. Specifically, the chattering neurotic thinking part of the mind, rather than the listening seat of awareness. Still the chatter, and you'll find yourself opened to the infinite energy and love of the universe.
Two things are particularly provocative, at least for me. The first is that happiness is a choice that you make. So much of life is lived in fear, in opposition to a past which won't change or a future which is inherently unknowable. It's like an injury, and one way to live is to protect the wound from anything which might aggravate it, avoiding hazardous situations and building up mechanisms of protection. Or you can heal, and live in the open. Of course, "just heal", "just let go of your thoughts and beliefs", is very much the "now draw the rest of the owl" of enlightenment.
The other provocative question is around death. What if you knew you were going to die in a week? What would you do? It probably wouldn't be the same as your actual plans for next week. Yet, we know we're going to die someday, and odds are we won't even have the kindness of knowing a date. The conflict between awareness of mortality and mundanity is at the center of a lot of the world's religions, and there's not a satisfactory answer.
Much like the other lower ratings I found the key messages are in the first few chapters. After which it becomes repetitive and very black and white and lots of 'just' statements. Also agree with others that there is a sense of privilege in the later chapters.
Whilst I understand the concepts I found comments such as 'even if your wife leaves you' keep your heart 'open' lacking.
Whilst I understand the concepts I found comments such as 'even if your wife leaves you' keep your heart 'open' lacking.
Interesting but dense. Maybe would go back to but only first three chapters were required to read for work.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
amazing insights. I need to read it every year.
The first four chapters helped me profoundly. I'm calm for the first time in a very long time, and all it took was this book's specific explanation of mindfulness. This is my new go-to strategy for dealing with stress. However, after awhile this book started to ramble and repeat itself, as if the author struggled to fill up paper space in order to meet a required page count.
After chapter 10, I skipped to the last chapter and found that it was another repeat of the exact same advice from chapter 1, so I didn't bother with the rest.
After chapter 10, I skipped to the last chapter and found that it was another repeat of the exact same advice from chapter 1, so I didn't bother with the rest.
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I read each chapter's lesson just as I was beginning to discover it for myself through experience, and it was perfect. I recommend reading it that way rather than reading cover to cover in a few short sittings.