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Buddha in Blue Jeans: An Extremely Short Simple Zen Guide to Sitting Quietly
Poet-philosopher and Zen Priest Tai Sheridan's 'Buddha in Blue Jeans' is an extremely short, simple and straight forward universal guide to the practice of sitting quietly and being yourself, which is the same as being Buddha. Sitting quietly can teach many ways to accept life, meet pain, age gracefully, and die without regret. The book encourages sitting quietly every day. Topics include: Sit Quietly; Care For Your Body; Accept Your Feelings; Give Thoughts Room; Pain is Natural; Be Who You Are; Live Each Moment Well; Love Indiscriminately; Listen to Others; Be Surprised; Wonder; Live gratefully; Do No Harm; Benefit life; A Wish for The World. The book is for people of any faith, religion, race, nationality, gender, relationship status, capacity, or meditation background
31 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 546 reviews
August 9, 2017
It is a very short poem book about (Zen) meditation. There are deeper meanings in poems that could be perceived when you have some mindfulness meditation practices.
The ebook is available for free in www.taisheridan.com.
The ebook is available for free in www.taisheridan.com.
June 18, 2013
Great book. Ah, the beauty of simplicity. You will learn this sitting quietly ;-)
November 14, 2015
Short but great with a lot of inspiration. I downloaded it for free to my kindle and I would recommend everyone to do so. I read it in a few minutes and I will read it over and over to remind myself to be a loving compassionate human.. I hope it also inspired me to get back into the habit of meditation. Truly great!
January 18, 2016
I found this free on Amazon, and it is one of those books that I'm glad I've found. Like the title explains this is a short book, or rather a booklet, and it takes just a few minutes to read it, but it is still well worth it. I've read it a few times already.
It is in not an introduction to Buddhism. Tai Sheridan is basically just using poems to teach how to sit down and be quiet. That may not sound profound, but it can help calm the mind. And I find it beautiful in its simplicity.
It is in not an introduction to Buddhism. Tai Sheridan is basically just using poems to teach how to sit down and be quiet. That may not sound profound, but it can help calm the mind. And I find it beautiful in its simplicity.
December 2, 2011
This is truly a very short book, but very much worth reading. I will go back to it over and over. I found it free for Kindle on Amazon (It's also available in paperback, but not free). If you do one thing this month, read this book. It may change your life.
June 7, 2015
A very nice book of things to meditate on.
March 1, 2014
Free on Kindle. If you have any way of reading Kindle books and find yourself doing much complaining, do yourself and everyone else a favor and download this, then give it some real time. At least as much time as you normally put into verbalizing your unhappiness with your life. For Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, there is no willing person who will not get something meaningful from this 31 page book made up of very short snippets that can be read in less than a minute each but meditated on forever. A lot of this is about giving yourself permission for what you need. A surprisingly wide range of topics are covered in such a short volume, and I'm certain that many will find it simplistic, but not only are there many who need to 'hear' the very most basic things, but for the rest of us it's more about what we bring to fill in the spaces around these snippets. They are a springboard, a place to leap from. While sitting quietly, each section can send us anywhere.
March 27, 2015
I've had my eye on this book for a while. I finally ordered it last week. I received it today and finished it today. I was expecting a short book, not a short pamphlet. Nonetheless, it served it's purpose. I'm not sure I would have been able to appreciate this had I not read other books that discuss Buddhism and zen practices in depth. I plan to put this book to the test and see how others perceive this text and what it means to them.
November 13, 2015
simple, beautiful, highly recommended for beginners....
August 27, 2021
Zen poem with everything you need to know.
July 9, 2021
every world is filled with immense beauty, simplicity, and truth.
May 16, 2012
This book is exactly what the title says. But, it is also so much more. It contained a lot of simple answers to questions/problems I've had with meditating. It has already enriched my practice.
March 14, 2023
Simple and easy to understand but since its beyond being short, it misses out too many things which are necessary.
October 16, 2023
Very short read, states some true statements that most of us would have heard of from one source or another. The most important takeaway is, to sit quietly to realize all the mentioned points and achieve a zen state. Not so easy to follow, but known to be true.
June 12, 2021
A little gem that serves as a beautiful reminder.
Mindfulness at its finest. A beautiful way to remind ourselves to accept the abundance of life and live each moment without judgment….even while living with pain.
Took me 5 minutes to read.
Mindfulness at its finest. A beautiful way to remind ourselves to accept the abundance of life and live each moment without judgment….even while living with pain.
Took me 5 minutes to read.
October 15, 2019
I can ( and I should) read it daily, to remind myself the importance of sitting quietly! 😋
August 10, 2017
Pound for pound this is the best book you can read on Buddhist meditation. And it's a very light book
There are certainly better books on Buddhism for those who want to delve in to the religion and philosophy. But what this book gets right is that Buddhism in practice, once you get the Four Noble eTruths and the Eight-Fold Path is very simply. it's heart is in meditation. By sitting quietly one understands the rest.
Each poem is a bit of a meditation in itself. It gets at the base of the practice briefly and honestly. Each poem ends with the same stanza carrying the main important message.
Now don't get me wrong. One can study Buddhism for years and obtain great knowledge and wisdom. But in doing so, one can also miss its simplicity. As that last stanza states ....
You will learn this sitting quietly.
There are certainly better books on Buddhism for those who want to delve in to the religion and philosophy. But what this book gets right is that Buddhism in practice, once you get the Four Noble eTruths and the Eight-Fold Path is very simply. it's heart is in meditation. By sitting quietly one understands the rest.
Each poem is a bit of a meditation in itself. It gets at the base of the practice briefly and honestly. Each poem ends with the same stanza carrying the main important message.
Now don't get me wrong. One can study Buddhism for years and obtain great knowledge and wisdom. But in doing so, one can also miss its simplicity. As that last stanza states ....
You will learn this sitting quietly.
October 27, 2019
Sweet and educational little book on how to calm your brain (don't we all need that? and sit quietly.
I am one who sometimes has issues with that. My thoughts are constantly jumping from one thing to another and I have tried meditation with limited success.
This is a great book if you read it, breathe it in and take the information to heart, which in my case, as I am sure is true with others, is easier said then done. But inner tranquility and calming down one's brain doesn't really have a down side and despite the fact that it is difficult it can be done. I really would recommend this lovely little book for anyone with an interest in the subject.
I am one who sometimes has issues with that. My thoughts are constantly jumping from one thing to another and I have tried meditation with limited success.
This is a great book if you read it, breathe it in and take the information to heart, which in my case, as I am sure is true with others, is easier said then done. But inner tranquility and calming down one's brain doesn't really have a down side and despite the fact that it is difficult it can be done. I really would recommend this lovely little book for anyone with an interest in the subject.
December 10, 2022
:]
به آدم بودن نزدیکترم میکنه.
اگر گوشی برای نصیحت شدن دارید خوب بشنوید که حرف داره برای گفتن.
به آدم بودن نزدیکترم میکنه.
اگر گوشی برای نصیحت شدن دارید خوب بشنوید که حرف داره برای گفتن.
June 23, 2014
Short, simple and to the point. So much in life is missing simplicity. I am trying to make an effort to read things that may be helpful in my anxiety and anger issues. This one, I feel is probably the best start and introduction to just sitting quietly and listening to your own thoughts. Course my thoughts tend to lead me in the wrong direction, maybe this isn't such a good idea lol.
November 27, 2016
Este pequeno livro traz os princípios Zen para a actualidade. Não necessitamos ter crenças ou dogmas para sermos boas pessoas e procurarmos o nosso equilíbrio e bem-estar. Apenas focar na nossa respiração, centrarmo-nos no nosso interior e procurar sermos com os outros e sobretudo connosco próprios o melhor que conseguimos ser.
February 5, 2017
This book is much like what they say about the game backgammon, "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master“. This book may take twenty minutes to read (if you take your time), but you will learn something new from it everytime you read it.
November 1, 2013
Short, but sweet. Really gives you something to think about. Life should always be about living and learning to enjoy the here and now. so many of us don't do this simply because we don't know how or the importance of it, the calming effect.
March 10, 2022
My favorite quote about meditation is from the mini e-book Buddha in Blue Jeans: “Be like a cat purring.” I also like “follow your breath like ocean waves coming in and out.” The book is short and simple, but IMHO as long-time meditator, not all that helpful to beginners. It’s not a how-to guide. Instead it suggests short life-hacks, then states after each one that “you will learn this by sitting quietly.” So, does the practitioner need the life hack advice, if she is already sitting quietly? And what about HOW exactly to sit quietly in meditation? Perhaps this is the Zen part? A koan of some kind?
The life hacks are useful but nothing new: accept your feelings, care for your body, be who you are, listen to others, etc. I like that Sheridan points out that meditation is non-denominational and requires no dogma. While I agree it requires no schedule, in most cases I think a schedule of several sessions is necessary for the beginner to get it. There’s a good reason that meditation is called a practice.
And I’m not sure the book is much use to advanced meditators either, since according to the book’s premise we would have realized all of the life advice “by sitting quietly” every day. But I do appreciate that Sheridan put the book out into the world at no charge to encourage meditation, and agree that the suggested life hacks are beneficial. So, a 3 star rating, “I liked it.”
The life hacks are useful but nothing new: accept your feelings, care for your body, be who you are, listen to others, etc. I like that Sheridan points out that meditation is non-denominational and requires no dogma. While I agree it requires no schedule, in most cases I think a schedule of several sessions is necessary for the beginner to get it. There’s a good reason that meditation is called a practice.
And I’m not sure the book is much use to advanced meditators either, since according to the book’s premise we would have realized all of the life advice “by sitting quietly” every day. But I do appreciate that Sheridan put the book out into the world at no charge to encourage meditation, and agree that the suggested life hacks are beneficial. So, a 3 star rating, “I liked it.”
January 4, 2019
These poems are meant to be read more than once. Their simplicity is what makes them beautiful. My favorite one is "give thoughts room" and I am going to try to put it into practice.
October 8, 2018
okay. it was tiny. but what else needs to be said?
You will learn this sitting quietly.
You will learn this sitting quietly.
January 30, 2022
Just a booklet .. ignore
December 15, 2019
Great. Simple.
This is one of the most basic yet insightful books I have read on buddhism to date. While not proving a history on the practice it breaks down the fundamental actions required to follow the eightfold path. Learning to master the art of sitting in silence is, in my opinion one of the most challenging aspects of the practice. In its simplest terms, learning to just be, this is where the majority struggle. This book gives simple examples and guides the reader through becoming present by focusing on the breath.
This is one of the most basic yet insightful books I have read on buddhism to date. While not proving a history on the practice it breaks down the fundamental actions required to follow the eightfold path. Learning to master the art of sitting in silence is, in my opinion one of the most challenging aspects of the practice. In its simplest terms, learning to just be, this is where the majority struggle. This book gives simple examples and guides the reader through becoming present by focusing on the breath.
July 30, 2024
I’ve had this lil book for years and dip back into it whenever I feel I need to be a bit more grounded. It settles the mind in an almost humorous way.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 546 reviews