#850: The Peace That's Always Within You — Guided Meditation by Zen Master Henry Shukman

Though most of us have a passing familiarity with the concept of Zen—enough to know that we’d probably like to have more of it in our lives—few of us really know what “Zen” means or could articulate how Zen Buddhism describes reality and human life. Philosopher Alan Watts explains the major principles and the history of Zen Buddhism in The Way of Zen.

First published in 1957, the book explains the schools of thought from which Zen originated, breaks down its most foundational principles, and describes how you can experience Zen in your everyday life. (Spoiler alert: Watts thinks that you don’t have to spend your days in meditation or contemplation to make it work!)

In this guide, we’ll examine what Zen is, uncover its principles, and describe how to begin experiencing it. We’ll also compare Watts’s interpretations of Zen ideas to other scholars’ explanations, and we’ll compare his ideas to other theories about how we perceive and experience the world.

The Power of Now proposes that the only way to reach true peace and fulfillment is through being completely present in each moment you experience. There is a part of our mind, called the ego, that derails us by ruminating on the past, speculating about the future, clinging to our painful experiences, and insisting that we will be happy and fulfilled if we can just achieve this goal.

The Power of Now reveals that inner peace and happiness can’t be found in anything external, but rather must be found within by being present. Learn tips and methods for quieting your thoughts and fears to find fulfillment through presence.

Most people lead fragmented and unhappy lives full of suffering, driven by a variety of conflicting impulses even as they yearn to be true to their real selves. But fortunately, there’s an infallible expert on the subject of who you really are: you. You’re the only one with firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to be yourself.

In The Untethered Soul, spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer, founder of the Temple of the Universe meditation center and a pioneering figure in the world of medical software, teaches you how to use your direct self-knowledge as an intuitive tool for spiritual awakening. Combining powerful principles with practical techniques, he shows you how to free yourself from false identities and live an enlightened life of peace, joy, creativity, and divine love.

Stillness is not just the absence of motion—it’s a perceptible state of mind that’s been sought and recognized as valuable throughout all of history and across many belief systems. Ryan Holiday says stillness already exists in all of us, and with some intentional practice, we can reap its rewards. In Stillness Is the Key, Holiday takes us through the dimensions of the mind, soul, and body, explaining how to cultivate stillness in each area to enrich our lives, guide us to make better decisions, and encourage a sense of connectedness to everything around us.

In this guide, we’ll explain what Holiday means by stillness, and discuss how stilling your mind requires also stilling your body and soul. We’ll examine each of those domains in turn, and explore Holiday’s techniques for cultivating stillness in each. Along the way, we’ll draw connections to principles from Stoicism, Buddhism, and Taoism and expand on Holiday’s ideas by comparing them with other spiritual and self-help books.