The World's Best Book Summaries
Are you a Christian? Are you ready to jump into a life of prayer and devotion? Whether you’ve been a Christian for years or you’re considering joining the religion, diving into resources is a good place to start. There’s always room for spiritual growth as a Christian, so you’ll never stop learning about the faith. Transform your faith with the best Christianity books, blogs, and podcasts of 2023.
What’s consciousness? What do we understand about it? What implications does it have for spirituality and our sense of self? According to Sam Harris, consciousness is worth studying despite its elusiveness. Harris, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience, explores what neuroscience and psychology have to say about the nature of consciousness and the mind in his book Waking Up. Keep reading to understand what Harris believes consciousness tells us about ourselves and the world around us.
What is Zen Buddhism? What does it share with other traditions? How is it unique? In The Way of Zen, Alan Watts explores the ins and outs of Zen Buddhism. He explains where Zen came from, considers the most important ideas that Zen adopted from the ancient philosophies and religions that preceded it, and points out which ideas differentiate Zen from other schools of thought. Read more to learn about the history and philosophy of Zen Buddhism.
Do you practice mindfulness and meditation? Can it be done outside of the context of religion? According to Sam Harris, mindfulness and meditation are the way to contentment. In his book Waking Up, he starts from a simple foundation—everybody just wants to be happy. While many people look to religion to find happiness, Harris says that you don’t need to go there. Read on to understand Harris’s secular take on mindfulness and meditation.
Is Zen Buddhism Mahayana? How did ideas from India shape a philosophy that emerged in China? Alan Watts discusses the origins of Zen Buddhism in his book The Way of Zen. He explains that Zen ideas came largely out of three different traditions. One of these is Mahayana Buddhism, and Watts outlines two concepts that the two philosophies share. Keep reading to learn how Mahayana Buddhism helped shape Zen Buddhism.
Which Buddhist teachings does secularist Sam Harris follow? Why? Sam Harris isn’t religious, but he’s spiritual. In his book Waking Up, he discusses how to separate spirituality from the confines of religion, and why, out of all the major faiths, Buddhism provides the most practical roadmap to having spiritual experiences without the baggage of superstition and dogma. Continue reading to understand why, for Sam Harris, Buddhism has something to offer.
Should you learn Zen? What impact can it have on your mind and, ultimately, your life? Alan Watts contends that expressing the principles of Zen benefits you by helping you break down the mental barriers that divide you from the rest of the world. Experiencing Zen lets you finally see the world and the present moment for what it is. Keep reading to learn why you should learn Zen, according to Watts’s classic book on the subject.
Are you an illusion? In what way does Sam Harris believe you are? According to Sam Harris, the self isn’t real. In his book Waking Up, Harris argues that consciousness and feelings of individual selfhood are two separate aspects of experience. While consciousness is real, your sense of self is an illusion. Read more to understand Harris’s argument and how he arrives at this belief.
Have you ever experienced Zen? Where’s the place to start? How is the Zen practice of meditation different from other methods? Alan Watts says that there’s more to Zen than just a set of philosophical principles or a chronology of religious movements that you can understand on an intellectual level. Zen is also something that you can practice in your own life, at the level of your embodied experiences in the world. Continue reading to learn how to practice Zen Buddhism according to The Way of Zen.
What is the goal of meditation? Can meditation be practiced, and its goal achieved, outside of religion? Sam Harris explains that seeking transcendental states of mind has historically been the domain of religion. But, he argues, the contemplative aspects of faith traditions can be practiced in a secular context. Thus, the contentment that results can be enjoyed by anyone. Continue reading to learn what meditation and spiritual enlightenment look like from Harris’s secular worldview.