The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the story of Buddha under the Bodhi Tree? How can taking the time to pause give you a temporary nirvana? After several years of searching for the answer to happiness, Siddhartha Gautama took a moment to pause under a tree. At this moment, he came to realize that there was room in the world for both suffering and beauty to coexist. Continue on for the full story of Buddha and the Bodhi Tree.
What does Stoicism teach about acceptance? Isn’t acceptance the direct opposite of the Stoic approach to life? In Stoicism, acceptance isn’t about surrendering to life’s misfortunes. Rather, it’s about finding the strength to resist arguing about how things should be and to instead accept them as they are. Once you do so, you can very likely use the problem or challenge to your benefit. Read about Stoicism’s take on acceptance.
Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in your shortcomings? Do you feel like you can only focus on your flaws and the flaws of others? When we feel like we’ve hit our lowest point, or “hit rock bottom”, it’s the perfect time to open up to Radical Self-Acceptance. We can realize that even if we’re “flawed”, we don’t need to be constantly watching and judging ourselves. We often find that we have to be truly, deeply injured before we can begin to heal. Keep reading to learn how you can practice Radical Self-Acceptance to pull yourself out of a
What is a bodhisattva in Buddhism? How can you work to rid yourself of feelings of otherness? Why is it so important to expand your group? In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is someone who could enter Nirvana, but chooses to stay on Earth and help others reach it instead. While it would be difficult for most of us to start making sacrifices for others, we can still work to be more compassionate and to eliminate the lines between “us” and “them.” Continue on to learn more about bodhisattvas and selflessness.
Who is Robert Pirsig? What is his role in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? Robert Pirsig is the author of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The book is considered an autobiographical novel, and Robert Pirsig’s life is an important part of the story. Read more about Robert Pirsig and his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Who is Robert DeWeese in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? What is his role in the story? Robert DeWeese is a friend of Pirsig who he meets in his travels. Deweese doesn’t have a large role in the story, but helps Pirsig explain the importance of art and of life. Read more about Robert DewWeese in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
What does it mean to “go beyond self” in Buddhism? If we have no self, then how can we feel things like love and grief? There is no “self” in Buddhism. Buddhism teaches that each being is part of a universal presence rather than an individual being. It can be very difficult for people, especially Westerners, to go beyond the self because we’re raised to believe that the self is all-important. Continue reading to learn more about the “self”, Buddhism, and Radical Acceptance.
What is the connection between religion and morality? Is the belief in God necessary for morality and social order? Holy books such as the Bible and Quran try to draw the connection between morality and religion by conflating the cosmic God and the lawgiver God. But humans don’t need divine law or the threat of hell in order to act morally. Morality is baked into the DNA of humans and all social animals. Keep reading for more about morality and religion.
What is the quality of life meaning? How does Robert Pirsig explain quality? In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig gives the idea of quality of life meaning in a few key ways. He also highlights the importance of striving for quality of life. Read more about the quality of life meaning according to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
How would you explain the meaning of life? What’s the logic behind your meaning-of-life story? Throughout human history, people have come up with countless stories to explain the meaning of life. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to matter to most people if their stories are logically sound. As long as they give their life a function and conceptualize it within a larger scope, the explanation is deemed satisfactory. Keep reading to see how people attempt to explain the meaning of life using storytelling and consider the logical flaws of these explanations.