The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching (Thich Nhat Hanh) - Book Review
10/05/21 • 16 min
I'm finding a common pattern amongst books on this subject that I'm really not enjoying.
'The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching' by Thich Nhat Hanh is an explanation of the most essential ideas, instructions, teachings and guides of Buddhism & the Buddha. It is split into 4 parts with the first two deconstructing the Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path and the latter two examining other basic precepts and direct discourses from the Buddha.
I summarised the book as follows. "For me, nothing distinguishes this from any of the other Buddhism books that I have read. I found it a bit too disordered and honestly struggled to get through it. It contains all the core info I have learnt from Buddhism but you are probably better suited to gain this knowledge from somewhere like Wikipedia."
I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:37) - Synopsis
(2:51) - The Buddha's Teaching: Core doctrines of Buddhism
(8:06) - The Heart: Other basics & discourses
(10:21) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(14:55) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/
I'm finding a common pattern amongst books on this subject that I'm really not enjoying.
'The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching' by Thich Nhat Hanh is an explanation of the most essential ideas, instructions, teachings and guides of Buddhism & the Buddha. It is split into 4 parts with the first two deconstructing the Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path and the latter two examining other basic precepts and direct discourses from the Buddha.
I summarised the book as follows. "For me, nothing distinguishes this from any of the other Buddhism books that I have read. I found it a bit too disordered and honestly struggled to get through it. It contains all the core info I have learnt from Buddhism but you are probably better suited to gain this knowledge from somewhere like Wikipedia."
I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:37) - Synopsis
(2:51) - The Buddha's Teaching: Core doctrines of Buddhism
(8:06) - The Heart: Other basics & discourses
(10:21) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(14:55) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/
Previous Episode
The Death Of Ivan Ilyich (Leo Tolstoy) - Book Review
Authentically Russian. Depressingly bleak, a touch of divinity and more than a little strange.
'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich' by Leo Tolstoy is a collection of 11 novellas, which contain Russian everything (characters, landscape, traditions, culture, etc.,). There is no connecting theme in the stories but they do contain some commonalities. They're told from an outside narrator, have men as the principal characters, contain multiple references to Russian words or Arabic influences and are about everyday interactions.
I summarised the book as follows. "These are probably the easiest way to introduce yourself to Tolstoy's 'realistic fiction' without having to commit to an 800+ page book like Anna Karenina or War & Peace. I've never been to Russia but this conforms to most of what I have heard elsewhere about their traditions and culture. There is a strong emphasis on the bleakness and suffering in life, but hey, that's just how Russians roll."
I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:38) - Synopsis
(3:28) - Anguish: Extreme unhappiness due to mental/physical suffering
(8:22) - Rumination: The Russian version of introspection
(12:19) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(13:33) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/
Next Episode
An Autobiography (M.K. Gandhi) - Book Review
A delve into the thoughts of a great leader, inspiring visionary, a venerable soul, but ultimately just a man.
'An Autobiography' by M.K. Gandhi (also known as 'My Experiments With Truth') is an overview of his life from birth in 1869 to 1921. It is split into 5 parts which reflect his time spent studying in England, working in South Africa and protesting in India. It was originally published as a series in a magazine in 166 individual chapters, so contains diverse topics such as dietetics, ethics, weaving and his reasoning behind particular decisions.
I summarised the book as follows. "It's a brief glimpse into the life of an extraordinary dude. I really admire certain aspects of his personality but also dislike others. The writing in the book is of high quality but unfortunately autobiographies are not my favourite so this won't make it into my best of all time list. However, I do think it might be great for those who already love the effect that Gandhi had on the world an want to learn more about his personal life."
I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:40) - Synopsis
(4:06) - Satya: Truth & God
(6:31) - Ahisma: Nonviolence
(11:07) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(15:08) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/
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