Buddhism for Busy People: Finding Happiness in a Hurried World

by David Michie

In this simple and accessible but beautifully written book, David Michie opens the door to the core teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, and shows us how he himself first began incorporating Buddhist practices into his daily life.


What does it take to be happy? We've all asked ourselves this question at some point, but few of us have found the path to lasting fulfillment. David Michie thought he had achieved his life's goals--the high-level job, the expensive city apartment, the luxury car, the great vacations--but a small voice was telling him he wasn't really happy. A chance remark from a naturopath sent him to his local Buddhist center. There he began the most important journey of his life. In Buddhism for Busy People Michie explains how he came to understand the difference between the temporary pleasures of ordinary life and the profound sense of well-being and heartfelt serenity that comes from connecting with our inner nature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Buddhism, Audiobook, Philosophy, Spirituality, Religion, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

David Michie is the internationally best-selling author of The Magician of Lhasa series, The Dalai Lama's Cat series, and several non-fiction titles on meditation and Buddhism. His books are published in over 30 languages and 50 countries.

In 2015 he established Mindful Safaris to Africa.

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Reviews

[Stephanie *Eff your feelings* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meditation is hard.

Sitting still and concentrating on your breathing and not thinking of anything else might not sound that hard, but it is. Try this......

Sit in an upright position (Indian style, criss cross applesauce....whatever they call it these days) someplace where you won't be disturbed Close your eyes, and as you breath through your nose concentrate on the tip of the nostrils and count each breath until you get to ten......and DON'T think of anything else, and don't fall asleep. Getting to 4 is a challenge!

I decided I was going to make an effort to meditate on a daily basis. What it does for you is helps you achieve 'mindfulness', basically staying in the present moment during the rest of the time you're not meditating. It's brain exersicing. I know this sounds new age-y, but hear me out, pay attention to your thoughts at any given moment. They are nutty, and almost always about the past or the future. That on the surface doesn't sound that bad until you realize thinking about the past usually brings sorrow or regrets.......paths not taken....... and since the past is fixed there's no point to the torture. The future is usually about fear and worry, which doesn't do anything for you either. Staying present in the moment is loads better.

So, now on my break I go to the local park to do the meditation thing. Some days are better than others. Today? Not so good. It went like this......

Breath....1........
Breath.....2........I didn't think anything, good, Crap that was a thought! Start over.

Breath......1.........
Breath........2.........
Breath.......3........[flash of a women dancing and laughing] WTF? That was a strange image, I should that in the review......AWE COME ON! ......starting over.....

Breath.......1.........
Breath........2.......

Z
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z

*thunder*

.........WHAAAAT? Okay, I'm giving up.

This book was a pretty good introduction to Buddhist Philosophy. It was part biography of the author as well, telling his story about owning a bunch of companies and how all the stress of it nearly killed him. He turned to meditation after his doctor recommended it. This is worth listening to more than once.

[Robbie Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

While not altogether terrible, this book is far from what it purports to be. Its content is:

*20% Buddhism

*20% vaguely related anecdotes (ranging from the harmless to the extreme cases that are represented as proof of dangerous beliefs, like meditation curing cancer)

*20% personal views disguised as Buddhism (beliefs in clairvoyance, past life recollection, political beliefs, etc.)

*40% autobiography

The autobiographical portion gets old fast and slows down the book substantially. The anecdotes and personal views were at points infuriating, especially as someone who has studied Buddhism for the last decade. I think the most important thing to note is what a gross oversimplification the book is. While it's not claiming to represent a complex view of Buddhism, it overlooks the vast and complex history of the religion, doesn't even note when it's treading in areas that are the subject for debate (within or between Buddhist schools of thought), and provides a rather immature version of many of the beliefs that it discusses.

I cannot recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about Buddhism.

[Suhrob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure there is far more worse introductions to Buddhism, but there have to be a few better ones too. Basics are described decently, but relies on miraculous anecdotes to support the metaphysical points.

I've read it as an supplement to the more technical books on meditation in order to get more background on Buddhism itself. It wasn't a complete waste of time but I am sure there are better resources.

It was recommended to me but I can't endorse it.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok.. it was 1/4 Buddhism and the rest was mainly biography with a few anecdotes thrown in.

Not bad- simple enough to follow.

[Marina Alarcón · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a time where I felt everything was falling apart, this book has brought me a great sense of peace.

I was curious about Buddhism and this book proved to be a great and easy introduction.

Although at times I didn’t fully enjoy hearing about the personal experiences of the writer, especially the career-related ones, I am very grateful of his very easy to follow explanations and examples of core Buddhist teachings.

This book challenged my thoughts and at times made me doubt my whole belief system, but I believe it has given me the tools to start living a more calm and happy life.

I believe if you approach this book, or any book about introduction to Buddhism, with curiosity and an open mind, you will learn very valuable lessons from it.

[Tereza Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every modern person should read it and more importantly implement it into their daily lives. David Michie is simply the best ❤️

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book many years ago, and recently revisited it. The way it gently introduces key Buddhist concepts through the author's personal journey is relatable and informative - honestly one of the most approachable ways to explore Buddhism. Thanks to this book I was inspired to begin my meditation practice again and to consider my own inner thoughts more carefully. Because I like the book so much, I also purchased the printed book so I can dig deeper into a few concepts that I didn't quite understand while listening to audio.

[Bradley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a review of the first 5 chapters plus the first paragraph of Chapter six.

I left the author enjoying the first leg of his round the world trip (America).

Chapter 5 was about how he got a book about spin doctor's published but had to remove stuff because he couldn't prove the contents enough to stand up in court.

Also he had moved on to the idea of Karma being a continuous tally made up of your past lives. If your life was rubbish now then likely this was past life karma catching up with you. This moved on to how political correctness was terrible because most people had it coming to them when things went wrong.

The way out of it was to build up good karma so in your next life it will not be so bad.

The book appeared to be moving in the wrong direction for me to want to continue.

A shame as the first few chapters had some promise. They could still have been considerably improved by removing tedious autobiographical detail.

This particular life does not have time to read this book. I do fear for my reincarnated self. If I don't pull my socks up future me might be compelled to read this book in it's entirety.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consider this. Between 1979 to 2008, use of the word "mindfulness" in books published in the U.S. increased 807 percent. It's become a buzzword for modern psychology, business consultants, employee assistance programs and the media. But it's nothing new; it stems from centuries-old traditions, one of which is Buddhism, known for its deep-rooted meditation methods.

Mindfulness is often promoted for stress reduction, whether through conventional meditation or more informally taking time to clear your mind and pay attention to the present moment. This mass market mindfulness helps explain why it's fashionable but it's really a secularized element of one aspect of Buddhism. In an updated edition to Buddhism for Busy People: Finding Happiness in a Hurried World, British author David Michie uses what he calls an "unashamedly personal account" to explain core elements of Buddhism and their use in day-to-day life. First published in the U.S. in 2008, Michie's book helps illustrate why mindfulness and Buddhism attract increased interest.

Affluence is a hallmark of modern western society. Yet those Michie calls “the luckiest 10 percent of the human population” also are plagued with "grinding dissatisfaction." The situation hasn’t improved since Buddhism for Busy People was originally published in Australia in 2004. The internet, mobile technology and social media dramatically increased the demands on our time and attention.

Buddhism aims to shift the focus of busy people, Michie says. The goal is not to control what’s happening around us but to take control of our how we experience the world. This all proceeds from the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths. Buddhism for Busy People most closely comprehensively and comprehensibly the first two.

Dukkha, the first noble truth, is most often described as "suffering." Yet, Michie notes, it embodies the concept that our underlying state of mind is dissatisfaction. That is explained by the second noble truth, samudhaya. According to Michie, we yearn for objects or goals but once achieved they don't live up to our expectations or, if they do, it is short-lived. We think our happiness is dependent on some object, person or situation when, in fact, we alone determine our state of mind. Ultimately, we "keep deluding ourselves that the achievement of some particular milestone will represent a major personal breakthrough. But after sometimes the shortest of honeymoons we wake up one morning and discover we’re still just us."

Michie details the purpose and goals of meditation, as well as particular exercises. Like virtually all books on the topic, though, it is much easier to write about specific practices than for the reader to successfully implement them. Other aspects of Buddhism and its practices are addressed largely through Michie's own experiences. Sadly, only a certain percentage of readers have comparable firsthand access to Buddhist organizations, centers and teachers like Michie. He does deserve credit for his intriguing exploration of the concept of karma. In essence, "[t]he desire to give others happiness (love) or prevent their suffering (compassion) in the past was the karmic cause of our current life."

Buddhism for Busy People also examines compassion and its role in finding happiness in daily life. Michie views "Self" as the most significant and deeply rooted obstacle.

We do our best to make [Self] feel special, brilliant, successful, popular, wealthy, powerful, enlightened or whatever trip he happens to be on. Most frightening of all, somewhere along the line we allow Self to so dominate our consciousness that we even start to think of him as our essence. Our true being. Our "real me."

From a Buddhist perspective, this indulgence is responsible for "all our dissatisfaction, every last ache of suffering we experience." The antidote, Michie says, is the altruistic bodhichitta. Instead of letting Self dominate the mind, bodhichitta calls for thinking of others with profound compassion in the hope of freeing all living beings from suffering. Like many Buddhist concepts, understanding what to do isn't hard, it's actually doing it that is most difficult. Michie suggests generosity, ethical behavior and patience are the keys to implementing it in daily life.

With both this and the concept of karma, Buddhism for Busy People ventures into the fundamental Buddhist tenet that when a person dies they are reborn and the process continues until they attain nirvana . Because each life is just part of our ongoing mind stream, today's (and yesterday's) actions and thoughts affect our future mind stream. While many of us may find this a dubious concept, Michie says that in Buddhism "it is what you do that counts, not what you say you believe."

Michie is adept at using his own experiences and those of friends and colleagues to illustrate his theses, as well as Buddhist concepts and practices. The extent to which they assist understanding will be in the eye of each reader. Overall, though, Buddhism for Busy People concisely and distinctly provides a deeper understanding of how and why mindfulness and meditation are of such interest and practical advice on implementing the concepts into everyday life.

Michie's ultimate and most fundamental message may be epitomized by his observation that "true happiness arises when we are able to change our minds rather than the world around us, when we loosen the bonds of self-focus enough to care more for others." And one certainly need not be a full-fledged Buddhist to agree.

(Originally posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.)

[Nicki Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great simple guide to Buddhism and how we can start fitting some key Buddhist teachings and practices into our everyday lives to help us achieve a calmer more zen way of life. This book is great for anyone with an interest in Buddhism who wants to start learning what Buddhism is all about. #buddhismforbusypeople #davidmichie #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookstagram #goodreads #litsy #amazon #kindle #bookqueen #greatreads

[Geoff Wallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. It gives the reader a comprehensive beginning to Bhuddist concepts, while using the authors real life journey to illustrate. It holds as little or as much as the reader needs from it. I will be reading this again.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

Easy to read, a lot of real life examples, and a meaningful message! A wonderful addition to my dharma library! Thank you!

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great entry level introduction to Buddhism. It covers the basics and an easy enough read for everyone, even the "busy" people :)

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buddhism for Busy People

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books on Buddhism or meditation. However, most don’t inform the potential reader as to which specific school of Buddhism they may be reading about.

Any potential reader needs to know that this book focuses on Tibetan Buddhism, which is a school within the Mahayana tradition and one that differs quite a bit from some of the original interpretations of the Buddha’s teachings found within the Theravada tradition.

Most of the Mahayana schools—with the possible exception of Zen Buddhism—take a far more religious viewpoint of the Buddha’s teachings, in order to open up the possibility of enlightenment and salvation to more people, therefore adding on many layers of ritual and devotion; essentially turning the Buddha into a god-like figure, which ironically, is one of the things he reportedly told his followers never to do.

Most people know of Tibetan Buddhism through its central figure, the Dalai Lama, who, by all appearances, seems to be a very kind, compassionate man who has written many books directed at Westerner readers encouraging them to adopt some Buddhist ideas in order to be happier and more contented beings.

While both Mahayana Buddhism and one of its main schools, Tibetan Buddhism, include teachings about meditation that may be helpful to many readers, it’s important for Western readers to know that Tibetan Buddhism also involves a good amount of religious beliefs and supernatural concepts like karma, past lives, “eternal mind streams”, and reincarnation; all of which might be off-putting to a secular reader.

And those Western readers who tend to think that Buddhism takes a more commonsense view of the world due to the fact that it’s not reliant on the belief in a supernatural deity for salvation, may quickly be disabused of that belief once they read more about Tibetan Buddhism.

I’ve always thought of Tibetan Buddhism as relating to other schools of Buddhism in the way that Catholicism relates to other schools of Christianity. There are a lot of rules, customs, and a strong belief in supernatural elements.

I've read up on many of the different schools of Buddhism in the past, including Tibetan Buddhism. Like the author, I also attended a session at the local Tibetan Buddhist facility in my area many years ago when I was starting a meditation practice. As a secular person, it was not a good fit for me. I was uncomfortable with some of the worship-like practices of Tibetan Buddhism: the mantras, the recitations, the perception of your teachers as being almost god-like, and the requirement to bow to images of high-ranking Lamas on the walls, etc. (there is certainly a very strict hierarchy to Tibetan Buddhism, similar to the priesthood in Catholicism). I found the supernatural elements of the faith to be a bit hard to swallow.

As to the book, it starts out reasonably well, with the author explaining what his life was like as a stressed, middle-class London PR executive who was constantly striving for a better life but had become unsatisfied that his striving and comfortable lifestyle was not bringing him contentment he thought it would. He was also frustrated by his attempts to be a published novelist, having had no luck in getting a book deal after 10 manuscripts went unpublished.

At the height of his stress and frustrations, he began to develop inexplicable rashes. After an examination, a doctor recommended meditation to him as a way to lower his stress levels. Since we know that high stress can cause the release of high levels of cortisol and other hormones in our bodies, which can result in our immune system becoming overactive, this was reasonable advice.

As a result of his doctor's suggestion, he attends the local Tibetan Buddhist Society facility in his area (referred to as a "gomper") and finds that the teachings, in addition to his daily meditation practice, really begin to change his life for the better. He’s hooked from the start.

He then briefly touches on The Four Noble Truths, including the concepts of attachment and aversion, and a few other important tenets of the original Buddhist philosophy.

Then the author moves into some specific beliefs of Tibetan Buddhism, and these are the ones that not only strain credulity but will also likely be challenging for science-minded readers.

These are the concepts of karma, past lives, rebirth, and what the author refers to as “the eternal mind stream.” It’s important to note that he is not simply mentioning these as mythological concepts, he appears to deeply believe in all of them, a requirement of the faith.

For an example of how he felt his karma was improving after he attended the Tibetan Buddhist gomper, he mentions that despite having had 10 unpublished manuscripts that he could not sell before he was exposed to Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, his new manuscript, about the PR industry—for which he had a great deal of experience since he worked in it—quickly resulted in a book deal.

Of course, I strongly suspect his success with the PR book had far more to do with the subject matter, of which he was quite knowledgeable, rather than karma. Especially since publishers receive endless submissions for novels from writers of questionable talent every day. He later says he did eventually get book deals for his fiction writing, as his karma improved. However, the success was short-lived.

Pushing further into the mystical realm, the author later describes in detail the Tibetan/Mahayana belief in rebirth. At one point, he describes examples of adherents of Tibetan Buddhism who are in “different states of mental evolution” while they are in the process of dying. Some of them have had such mastery over their minds that they have “ceased breathing and had their hearts stopped for multiple days.” And yet, they did not die. They kept on sitting in the lotus position, unfazed by the lack of a beating heart.

Or, as another example, “The homes of dying yogis have been found (after their death) bathed in rainbow-colored light, with no corpse, but only an ambrosial fragrance, together with a small bundle of hair and nails.”

The author goes on to make clear, “These are not ancient fables, but current happenings. They go unreported in the West because communities in which they occur are usually in the East, have nothing to prove, and have no desire to turn the death of a loved one into a tabloid freak show.”

Of course, it’s somewhat odd that in the time of ubiquitous cell phones and cameras, no one has thought it important to record one of these sheer miracles, but nonetheless.

He then goes into the history of specific lamas that have been reborn in the bodies of newborns, who, conveniently enough, always seem to be from homes with parents who are already adherents of Tibetan Buddhism and who were in contact with the lama before he had passed.

In the case of Lama Yeshe, a revered monk who became quite popular in the West after he moved to California in the late 1970s to teach Tibetan Buddhism, it was decided that a young child born in Grenada, Spain shortly after Lama Yeshe died was indeed the lama reincarnated. Why? According to the author, “There were clear signs from the beginning: His birth was easy, with only one contraction, and with no pain to his mother. He slept throughout the night, every night, and did not cry as a baby, even when he was hungry. He had a spark about him and was full of life, and yet he didn’t show much interest in other children. Also, when two toys were placed in front of him, he always chose the toy that had significance to Lama Yeshe.”

You can see that the notions of virgin births in Christianity or “thetans” from millennia ago trapped within human bodies, as Scientologists believe, don’t seem that far-fetched in relation to some of the beliefs within Tibetan Buddhism.

The middle chapters of the book lean heavily on a detailed history of Tibetan Buddhist mythology and again, this will be the most challenging part of the book to get through for some readers, including when he talks about the “many psychologists who have successfully used hypnosis to uncover traumas from past lives in their patients.”

He covers the concepts of “Boddhicitta” (the wish to achieve enlightenment for all living beings), and Boddhisattvas. These are monks or other adherents who hold back from being fully enlightened and entering Nirvana (the state of earthly bliss where they no longer hold to the delusions of aversion, craving, or ignorance) until all humans can be fully enlightened.

While this concept seems quite altruistic, it doesn’t quite make sense. It’s akin to someone who works out for many years in order to improve their health and gets within 10 lbs of their desired optimal weight, only to refuse to lose the remaining 10 lbs until everyone in the world reaches their ideal weight; whether they are attempting to or not. Unfortunately, if they’re mistaken in their belief in future lives, it may be a missed opportunity.

The author presents some seeming contradictions when it comes to the topic of selecting a proper guru or teacher.

While he encourages you to find one you can relate to and whom you should be able to question, he goes on to quote a text that says, “By making a lifelong commitment to a teacher, we are creating the karmic causes for the flowering of enormous benefits in our future mind stream. For starters, we are creating the causes to meet a good teacher in our future lives, and we will not fall into the lower realms and move rapidly into achieving all our aims. The essence of the ‘nectar-graduated path’ says that through devotion to the guru, you will be free from unfavorable states in the present and achieve the highest states of humans and gods. Ultimately, all the suffering of psychic existence will end, and you will achieve the supreme excellent state. However, if we break our commitment to our teacher, we seriously imperil the ability to have a teacher in our future lives. If we badmouth our teacher, we create the causes for immense damage to our progress, condemning ourselves to countless lifetimes in lower realms where mental development isn’t even a possibility.”

Bottom line: Questioning your teacher may not be such a good idea.

Bringing it back to the Dalai Lama, he appears to be an extraordinarily peaceful and happy person who could serve as an excellent role model. However, I would argue that one does not need to believe in past lives or Boddhcitta, or that a toddler with a pleasant temperament is a reincarnated lama, in order to make enormous strides in reducing one’s psychological suffering. One simply has to embrace the Buddha’s original philosophy—which seems not to have involved many of the supernatural beliefs of Tibetan Buddhism—by seeing the wisdom in The Four Noble Truths, avoiding harm to others, and practicing mindful awareness as often as possible.

The point here is that there is tremendous benefit awaiting most people who adopt the core tenets of philosophical Buddhism along with a consistent meditation practice which leads to the acknowledgment that the concept of a fixed “self” is an illusion, without adopting many of the Mahayana concepts that revolve around mythology and magical thinking.

One doesn’t need to believe in karma to adopt the other themes the Buddha taught, like altruism, compassion, and equanimity, or that the “self” we spend so much time obsessing over, is truly an illusion. The problem is when mythical beliefs become a dominant part of a book on Buddhism, as this book does, it often leads curious people to lose interest in Buddhist philosophy altogether.

Now, much of this review may seem like more of a critique of Tibetan Buddhist beliefs than a critique of the book itself. However, it's a bit of both. The reason the book can be a tough read is that the author seems far too close to the subject to ever bother to provide answers to even the most basic or reasonable objections. There's also too many contradictions that go unanswered and even a few dubious facts presented, including the one where he states that (as of 2002) the percentage of Western households with children had dropped to 12% (it's actually closer to 40%).

So you might gain more insights on Tibetan Buddhism by reading a book that takes a more objective, academic view of the religion, rather than one written by a true believer (the author states that the publisher of the book is also a Tibetan Buddhist).

And if you simply want to learn about the benefits of secular meditation with some helpful Buddhist philosophy added in, I suggest any book by Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron, Sam Harris, or the book “Mindfulness in Plain English”, which focuses on the tradition of Vipassana (“insight”) meditation but also provides a brief history of Theravada Buddhism along with it.

[Rikke]

Good introduction, but you can skip it if you already know a bit about buddhism.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging book that provides a reasonable introduction to the practice of spiritual development and meditation associated with Buddhism. It's interesting that many sources describe Buddhism as a religion and yet on further reading I've found it is explained as non-religious - more a practice of personal spiritual development where one strives for deep insight into life, using meditation, a lot - and does not involve worshiping any Gods or Deities. In this book the author describes how practicing Buddhism can sit alongside any religion, or no religion, which personally appeals to me, not being religious at all, yet feeling a deep need to develop spiritually.

Although I enjoyed learning from this book, I didn't feel I gained the depth of understanding I would like. There's also a bit too much about the author's cut and thrust, high power, well paid job which I understood for setting the scene early on but when he keeps returning to this and how successful he's been in his career, how stressful it was even though he was being paid ridiculously well... I found it interrupted the flow of getting into a gentler, calmer pace as it made me suddenly focus on the pressures of my own job! Not what I wanted from this at all as part of the reason I'm doing this is to help me manage my own work related stresses and anxiety!

This book is okay as an introduction, if you know nothing about Buddhism or meditation. The style of writing very accessible, I finished the book over a couple of days and will happily revist it. But my journey will now continue, to try and find a book that delves deeper.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started 6.21.10.
Finished 7.6.10.

This was part autobiography, part introduction to Buddhist principles and part instruction manual on how to begin incorporating some of those principles into your daily life. It sounds trite to say it changed my life, and actually, so far, it hasn't really, but it was definitely eye-opening and (dare I say?) enlightening. No pun intended. I added it to my iPod, because I think this is one of the only audiobooks that I've ever come across that I will listen to again and again. I found that over the last couple of weeks of listening to it, just listening to the teachings on my way to and from work has helped to center me a little.

I wouldn't call myself a Buddhist, but I've always been interested in Buddhism, and that's what spurred me to pick this up in the first place. More and more as I listened to it, though, I've found that many Buddhist teachings and principles just make sense to me in a way that I've never been able to find in other faiths. It's not a stretch for me to really take a lot of this to heart, and really, this helped me realize that I already practice a lot of Buddhist principles in my day-to-day life. I plan to relisten to this again and again, and to work on expanding my knowledge of Buddhism and its teachings. I also plan to begin incorporating more of the Path into my life.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was nothing I thought it'd be, but was everything I needed it to be. It is a great newb friendly introduction to the subject.

There are as others stated probably better written books on the subject, however this was the one that 3/4 way through made me realize I was excited to learn more. So, while I might agree, as some people have suggested this might not be the best book on the subject, this did turn out to be the best book for ME on the subject.

Some of the things other people mentioned they disliked about the book, such as the authors auto-biographical content and his own personal anecdotes were some of the parts I enjoyed the most. It made it more newb friendly and identifiable for me. Additionally, while I do not entirely agree with all of the author's personal beliefs, he manages to slip them in, in such a manner that I couldn't help but find myself ruminating on them between readings. Overall, this book just made me feel happy when reading it. I checked it out from my local library, but this is one book I'd not mind buying to have a copy in my collection to occasionally re-read some parts.

The one thing that struck me as I was re-reading my review was despite the author not staying in PR long, he is really good at it. The one thing this book beyond a doubt is, is great PR for wanting to learn more about Buddhism.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of all the religions I would say that Buddhism is the only one that resonates with me, but I’ve always thought that in order to live by their principles you have to completely reject the world as it is or at least reject yourself as a separate entity. I’ve always thought being a Buddhist will naturally be easier when you are away from the reality of everyday life as you are not tested by your environment daily. These beliefs are what first attracted me to this book as from the title it appeared it would address how to combat this. I was disappointed to find that whilst this book does discuss some Buddhist principles they are not done so in much detail and instead are often anecdotal or substantiated with quotes. I have read many other books which have provided more insight and deeper understanding of Buddhist teachings and found that Michie was self-indulgent in discussing his own life in relation to these. It was a book that simply scratched the surface and when you’re already informed in Buddhism it felt lacking; that said it was written 14 years ago and perhaps then it would have been more well received as westerners were less aware of such teachings. Thus, it is a good introduction but there are many other books out there that go into far more wanting detail.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything I hoped it would be, and how often can one say that? It is a fantastic summation of Buddhism TO a Westerner, like me, from a Westerner. I had tried reading a book about Buddhism from a non-Western author, and for me, I couldn't grasp it yet. Now I feel that since I have some of the fundamentals of Buddhism explained to me in my own language, so to speak, I am now ready to delve into the deeper readings that my mind might not have been ready for prior to reading Buddhism for Busy People. I've had this book on my wish list for years, but when I found my stress level was getting out of hand, I needed to explore options to regain control and be able to find happiness within and not dependent on external circumstances. This book was a great introduction to Buddhism for me and has inspired me to continue to read further teachings.

[Raluca Paraschivu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an easy-to-read guide to Buddhism for everyone who is curious, but never really had the time to read about it. It helps you understand the basics and it's useful in case you are looking to practice Buddhism or just get inspired by some of the teachings that this religion has to offer.

Don't expect this to be the "bible" of Buddhism. If you are looking for an intensive study of Buddhism this is not it. This is a subjective writing, but captivating nonetheless. It's like your close friend just got into Buddhism and he is telling you all about it over coffee. This is one of the reasons some people ranked this book quite badly and also the reason why I liked it. It was exactly what I was looking for. The experience of a random person with a topic that is foreign and interesting to him and the teachings that changed his reality.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took a long time listening to Buddhism for Busy People. I liked much of the book but there were two pretty serious issues that compelled my rating: 1) Somebody needs to make sure that narrators pronounce words properly. I just cringed when the narrator pronounced Thich Nhat Hanh "Thich" -- unless every single Buddhist person I know is wrong the name is pronounced "Tick". 2) Although the author seems, in general, to be a fairly intelligent person I was really disturbed by his defense of literal reincarnation, complete with "evidence" from hypnosis and "studies" on "past life regression"!

[Tracie Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Buddhism for Busy People” by David Michie

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
PRINT: © 5/16/2017; 978-1611803679; Shambhala; 256 pages; unabridged. (Paperback info from Amazon.com)
*DIGITAL: © 2008; 9780834840430; Shambhala Publications, Inc.; 235 pages; unabridged. (Kindle info from digital version obtained from Libby library app-LAPL loan)
AUDIO: © 11/21/2008; Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd; 07:36:00
FILM: No.

SERIES: No

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
SELECTED: This is another book that Don (hubby) added to our Audible library a few years ago.
ABOUT: This book is instructive as to how to meditate. The author shares his own practices and how they have benefitted him. The last hour, give or take, provides real-time meditation instruction, allowing readers to practice as they listen.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Its helpful that David emphasizes that practice will not yield striking instant results. Initial benefits are subtle and its common to wonder if anything is being accomplished beyond losing minutes of ones life. The reader is admonished to practice regularly, disregarding these doubts.

AUTHOR:
David Michie. I did not find a Wikipedia entry, but David has a website at:
https://davidmichie.com/

NARRATOR(S):
Nicholas Bell. Excerpt from Wikipedia:
“Nicholas Bell (born 15 August 1958) is an English actor who has worked in Australia for more than 20 years.[1] He works regularly with the Melbourne Theatre Company as well as with all the major television broadcasters in Australia, most notably the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In addition to his work in film and television, Bell has also recorded over a dozen audiobooks with Bolinda, a company based in Melbourne, Australia.[2]

In 2001 he accepted on behalf of the cast and crew of the Australian comedy series The Games the TV Week Logie Award for Most Outstanding Comedy Program.[3]”

*Nicholas has the right voice for meditation instruction.

GENRE: Nonfiction; Personal Development

SUBJECTS:
Meditation; Religious Life; Tibetan Buddhism—Doctrines; Happiness – Religious aspects; Mental Discipline

DEDICATION:
“THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED with heartfelt gratitude to my dharma teachers: Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden, founder of the Tibetan Buddhist Society, and Les Sheehy, director of the Tibetan Buddhist Society in Perth, Western Australia, whose kindness I can never repay, and without whom this book could never have been written.”

SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1. “What Does It Take To Be Happy?”
“WHAT DOES IT TAKE to be happy? Of all the questions in the world, this is the most universal. It is also the great leveler because all of us—comfortably off or financially struggling, single or in a relationship, awkwardly overweight or elegantly slim—are equal in our desire to achieve true happiness. Not the happiness we’ve all experienced which comes and goes depending on circumstance, but a happiness which endures regardless of change. A happiness we feel deep down inside.
By any objective standard, our efforts to attain this simple goal have met with decidedly mixed results. As a society we now enjoy a level of affluence that would have left our grandparents breathless—but our medicine cabinets have never been so replete with sedatives, tranquilizers, and antidepressants to cocoon us from our new, “improved” reality. We have at our disposal an unprecedented range of labor-saving devices—but never have we had to work such long hours. We are succeeding in the cozy notion of creating a “global village”—but never have we felt so under siege from international terrorism, volatile stock markets, viral infections, and other threats. And so the list of paradoxes continues.
On an individual basis, our striving for happy, purposeful lives often doesn’t fare much better. Money, relationships, and fulfillment in work are the core ingredients of most people’s recipes for happiness, but if we were to send in the Happiness Auditors to check up on their effectiveness, could they really withstand close scrutiny?
Successive studies of lottery winners, for example, show that within months of multimillion-dollar wins, happiness levels return pretty much to where they were before. Amazingly adaptable creatures that we are, we adjust to new conditions so quickly that what was once fabulous soon becomes the norm, and we’re back where we started, in search of fresh excitement. Even when we do achieve that much sought-after promotion, that big-ticket deal, that amazing breakthrough, all too often we are mystified to discover that we fail to experience the wonderful feelings we’d always thought we would. “Is this all?,” we find ourselves wondering.
And in our relationships, we don’t have to look very far to recognize just how swiftly and how often that first giddying rush of romantic intensity can turn into something quite different.
Yet somehow we manage to convince ourselves that it’s not the recipe that’s at fault—it’s the ingredients we’re working with. If only we were to land this particular job or contract, the difference would be life changing. That man or woman is just so right that life with them would transport us to a state of great bliss. The fact that we once entertained similar thoughts about our now very-ex partner is not a subject we like to think about And if we do, we have an outstanding ability to convince ourselves that this time it will all be completely different!���

RATING: 4 stars.

STARTED-FINISHED
1/17/24-1/21/24

[Diane C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not, as the title might lead you to believe, a method to speed up enlightenment for westerners. It's Michie's descriptions of his own journey on the Buddhist path in language that anyone can relate to.

Another book about Buddhism that does not break new ground, but is a wonderful daily read to keep one's mindfulness about one or to learn more about how non-monks practice each day.

[Nistha Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I was looking for!

[Mohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reasonably good book from the author of Dalai Lama’s Cat Series. Could have been more engaging but couldn’t have been a better book to help me get on with Buddhism readings.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably best read with the book, I used this to find some new meditation practices.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to meditate (objective sitting)
pg 36
As a meditation object, the breath has a number of powerful advantages. [...] What's more, the simple act of focusing on the breath has a marked systematic effect. [...] the aim is to focus our minds on the object of meditation with single-pointed concentration.
39
Early on in your meditation practice you will discover the two main obstacles to meditation--agitation and dullness. Gross agitation causes you to completely lose the object of meditation, so that you have to bring the mind back, like a disobedient child, gently but firmly. With subtle agitation your are still able to maintain the object of meditation, but experience a variety of distractions, from the constant threat of total disruption to less intrusive disturbances.
When we experience dullness, on the other hand, our concentration is threatened...
40
Our bodies are creatures of habit. Each of us has our own daily biorhythms and the idea is to work with those rhythms, not overlook them [e.g., circadian cycle, unconscious information processing]. Finding a good time of the day to meditate, and sticking with that time, is very important. Most long-term meditators I know start the day with meditation. That way at least, you’re only likely to be up against agitation as opposed to both agitation and dullness! Getting up, showering, then shutting myself away for a while is my own routine, and that of many other busy Buddhists I know.
Perhaps you have to start work early, or have children who need to be supervised. Even setting the alarm clock just fifteen minutes earlier will, if you keep it up, prove life-changing. It almost goes without saying that it’s best to practice in a place where your privacy will be respected, and you will be interruption free. An analogy I like goes like this: if you want to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, it’s not going to work if you rub for a while and give up—leaving the sticks to go cold—before making another fruitless attempt. Consistency is required. In the same way, if you really want to achieve results from meditation, it’s important to make it part of your daily routine, as opposed to an ad hoc, ‘when I can find the time’ activity. Ten minutes every day is better than two hours at the weekend.
What happens if you are interrupted by something beyond your control? Simply calm your mind, repeat your objective, and start at the beginning again. And if you miss a session? Don’t worry about it—you don’t have to do ‘extra time’ the next day, unless you feel like it. The important point is to make meditation a normal and enjoyable part of your everyday life.
42
Manage your expectations
‘A common mistake in practice,’ says the Dalai Lama, ‘is to have expectations of quick results...

[George Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like many other reviews are stating here, this book is pretty good for the first few chapters, but then it seems to lose itself and its audience along the way.

Although the early chapters of meditation and the Four Noble Truths are clear, it quite quickly turns into a rather confused mess of general advice infused with self-aggrandizing autobiography and literal readings of Buddhist theology, all of which goes without unsubstantiation. The worst moment for me personally was when he mentioned Osel Hita Torres, a real boy who was taken by his family and placed in a Tibetan Buddhist monestry after being 'confirmed' as the reincarnation of a Lama Yeshe, where he was then raised until the age of 18. This story is harrowing for multiple reasons, most glaringly because it reads like carefully veiled child-abuse, but also because his complete unabashed agreement with the reincarnation element of the story sits in complete contrast to the quite intelligent and (by own description) high-flying PR Consultant character which he presents himself as in the proceeding chapters. It should also be noted that Osel may be one of the worst examples to be utilised here, as he famously left Buddhism in 2008 due to feeling as though it was forced upon him, although he did later return and remains practicing now.

I think a lot of the issues stem from the authors inabililty to know his audience. When he begins to speak about the estoric theology of Buddhism as if it's completely sensical and true, he immediately alienates the majority of people who are reading his book, who are likely just regular secular people. The book is advertised a self-help style introduction to Buddhism in which people can learn and implement Buddhist practices to help them in their busy lives, but no where does it mention that they will have to embrace Buddhist metaphysics to get it.
I can imagine anyone who shares in his religious beliefs (who likely already know how to manage their Buddhist faith and a busy life!) is probably delving into Buddhism with more piercing books than his own.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tila sam istraziti tibetanski budizam malo i viditi o cemu se tocno radi, a ova knjiga mi je otvorila vrata za to. Svidio mi se nacin pisanja i raspored teksta. Mislim da budizam svakako nije za mene zbog moga neslaganja sa karmom i reinkarnacijom u potpunosti, ali svoje misljenje o tome necu ode zapisivati :).

Neki zapisi
-sami stvaramo svoju karmu
-zasto se dobrim ljudima dogadaju lose stvari i obrnuto? <- ne slazem se sa njihovim objasnjenjem
(po njima, nas misaoni tok seze od pocetka vremena.. sjemenka koja urodi nakon nekog vrimena)
-lotos je simbol odricanja
-Bodichitta je žudnja za postizanjem prosvjetljenja za dobrobit drugih
-3 dragulja: Buddha, Dharma, Sargha

Zakljucujem dakle da nisam budist, niti mislim da cu ikada biti, ALI mi se vecina stvari napisanih u ovoj knjizi svidila i slaze se sa mojim prijasnjim razmisljanjima. Nastavit cu sa proucavanjem ove grane jer mii je zanimljiva i egzoticna, a i zelim produbiti svoje znanje o nekim stvarima... :)

Citati:
- "Buddha je definirao tri osnovna razloga koji objašnjavaju svako nezadovoljstvo. To su vezanost, odbojnost i neznanje, a katkad se određuju kao žudnja, gnjev i iskrivljeno viđenje stvarnosti."

-"Buddhina učenja o vezanosti odnose sa na našu sklonost da se uhvatimo za određenu stvar, osobu ili situaciju, uvjereni da nas to može usrećiti."

-"Pojam samsara često se koristi kao skraćenica za ciklično postojanje, beskrajan krug rađanja, starenja, bolesti i smrti, koji svi prozivljavamo od vremena bez početka."

-"... kao i sve drugo u budizmu, važno je ono što činite, a ne ono što tvrdite da vjerujete."