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Embracing Each Moment: A Guide to the Awakened Life
The awakened life is the essence and aim of the Buddhist teachings, according to Anam Thubten, and this book is a guide to cultivating the awakened mind and heart that allows this wonderful kind of life to happen. He illuminates the path to awakened living in a way that’s concise and completely accessible to anyone of any background—reflective of the diverse backgrounds of the students who attend his popular talks on which the book is based. "We all want to be happy," says Anam Thubten. "This seems to be our strongest impulse. Primarily our happiness comes from our state of mind, though we can’t deny the fact that outside circumstances play a big role. When we learn to embrace each moment of our lives, we’re empowered to let go of our emotional patterns and false beliefs about ourselves, and we discover the compassion that’s been there all along."
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 26, 2016
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330 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 14, 2016
This is a beautifully written book that will undoubtedly cause you to think a lot during the course of reading it. I know that it had that effect on me.
When I picked up this book, I was interested in the meditation aspects of it, but didn't fully know what to expect. What i found, is that this book was written by a very intellectual, compassionate author who really took the time to explain her beliefs in detail for her readers. I never felt lost or confused by the writing, and also felt it was easy to put much of this into practise.
If you are curious about living an awakened life and want to find a good place to start, this would be an excellent book to choose. I will definitely read this book again, and look forward to sharing the teachings here with my family and friends. Most worthwhile. Recommended.
This review is based on a galley copy provided by netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
When I picked up this book, I was interested in the meditation aspects of it, but didn't fully know what to expect. What i found, is that this book was written by a very intellectual, compassionate author who really took the time to explain her beliefs in detail for her readers. I never felt lost or confused by the writing, and also felt it was easy to put much of this into practise.
If you are curious about living an awakened life and want to find a good place to start, this would be an excellent book to choose. I will definitely read this book again, and look forward to sharing the teachings here with my family and friends. Most worthwhile. Recommended.
This review is based on a galley copy provided by netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
April 11, 2018
After reading many books on Buddhism I’ve come to believe that the most accurate and informative works are those from which you could delete all references to the word Buddha and the teachings would remain sound. And this is such a book. If you are looking for an introduction to Buddhism or just seeking to fill a void in your life (What’s the difference, right?), you won’t find any better.
A case in point: Thubten notes, “Most Westerners who come to my teachings are interested in the more meditative aspects of Buddhism.” And he clearly spends a lot of time hosting meditative retreats. At the same time, however, he does not fall into the trap of suggesting that meditation equals Buddhism.
He continues: “They seem to think they can transform their lives once they find the right methods.” This, I believe, is a result of the Western emphasis on the formal deduction of Aristotle and the resulting belief in the universality of cause and effect.
But everything in life is part of a duality. The other side of this preoccupation with method is the great strength of Western civilization because it is this worldview that is behind “The relentless curiosity and inquisitiveness that is the foundation of this modern culture [that] has helped me develop an intimate connection with a living and juicy Buddhism.”
Another duality: “It turned out that is all about becoming aware of your own limits and learning how to love. Quite simply, this is what Buddhism is all about.” And while the potential weakness of that definition is the ability to interpret Buddhism in some very superficial ways, that definition precludes misinterpretation. You literally can’t get it wrong and it is, therefore, I believe, the right one.
I think of Buddhism as the interconnection of everything in the universe over all of time, all in this instant, but the sentiment, I believe, is the same. Either way, there is no self. (The author can be quite humorous. In one passage he shares that after one retreat in Texas at which he explained the notion of anatta (no self), one helpful guess privately advised him, “Never again tell Americans there is no self.” I laughed out loud and that’s always a good thing.)
Personally, I seldom meditate. But I contemplate, often in isolation, 24/7. I agree with Thubten when he writes, “…to be spiritual is quite simple. It means someone spends lots of time taking care of his or her own mind. It is not about being holy.” Recognizing, of course, the “This fixed self is totally illusory. It only exists in your mind.” And, “The idea of karma is that we will never completely understand the mystery of our existence.” (A Taoist thought as well.)
My only hesitation came when he noted his growing acceptance of the integration of Buddhism and science. I don’t disagree with the idea but I do worry about our growing infatuation with science. I believe wholeheartedly in science, mind you, but science is a methodology, not a body of knowledge. And it is a methodology that requires the ability to isolate variables. And that, I believe, is its limitation. Not all variables in life or nature can be easily isolated. “You totally exist, but you are flowing energy. You are not a static entity that you can define, mold, categorize, or describe.”
My favorite quote is from a Tibetan master: “The bad news is that you have to jump out of the plane without a parachute. The good news is that there is no place to land.”
This is a very good book written with wit and clarity that is easy to understand and follow. One of the very best in the genre. I highly recommend it.
A case in point: Thubten notes, “Most Westerners who come to my teachings are interested in the more meditative aspects of Buddhism.” And he clearly spends a lot of time hosting meditative retreats. At the same time, however, he does not fall into the trap of suggesting that meditation equals Buddhism.
He continues: “They seem to think they can transform their lives once they find the right methods.” This, I believe, is a result of the Western emphasis on the formal deduction of Aristotle and the resulting belief in the universality of cause and effect.
But everything in life is part of a duality. The other side of this preoccupation with method is the great strength of Western civilization because it is this worldview that is behind “The relentless curiosity and inquisitiveness that is the foundation of this modern culture [that] has helped me develop an intimate connection with a living and juicy Buddhism.”
Another duality: “It turned out that is all about becoming aware of your own limits and learning how to love. Quite simply, this is what Buddhism is all about.” And while the potential weakness of that definition is the ability to interpret Buddhism in some very superficial ways, that definition precludes misinterpretation. You literally can’t get it wrong and it is, therefore, I believe, the right one.
I think of Buddhism as the interconnection of everything in the universe over all of time, all in this instant, but the sentiment, I believe, is the same. Either way, there is no self. (The author can be quite humorous. In one passage he shares that after one retreat in Texas at which he explained the notion of anatta (no self), one helpful guess privately advised him, “Never again tell Americans there is no self.” I laughed out loud and that’s always a good thing.)
Personally, I seldom meditate. But I contemplate, often in isolation, 24/7. I agree with Thubten when he writes, “…to be spiritual is quite simple. It means someone spends lots of time taking care of his or her own mind. It is not about being holy.” Recognizing, of course, the “This fixed self is totally illusory. It only exists in your mind.” And, “The idea of karma is that we will never completely understand the mystery of our existence.” (A Taoist thought as well.)
My only hesitation came when he noted his growing acceptance of the integration of Buddhism and science. I don’t disagree with the idea but I do worry about our growing infatuation with science. I believe wholeheartedly in science, mind you, but science is a methodology, not a body of knowledge. And it is a methodology that requires the ability to isolate variables. And that, I believe, is its limitation. Not all variables in life or nature can be easily isolated. “You totally exist, but you are flowing energy. You are not a static entity that you can define, mold, categorize, or describe.”
My favorite quote is from a Tibetan master: “The bad news is that you have to jump out of the plane without a parachute. The good news is that there is no place to land.”
This is a very good book written with wit and clarity that is easy to understand and follow. One of the very best in the genre. I highly recommend it.
May 10, 2019
This book is phenomenally beautiful. With simple, direct language, Anam Thubten teaches the perspective for everyone on a spiritual path. While you can read so many books on this topic, this is all that you need. It is truly a gift.
December 30, 2017
Such a beautiful gentle book and the ideal thing to read just after losing my Mum before Christmas. Anam Thubten writes beautifully about love and acceptance, each chapter is loaded with grace.
We all need to find ways to embrace the present moment with greater awakening and clarity. The reminder to love and accept ourselves and others where we are is also a much needed message in todays increasingly driven society.
We all need to find ways to embrace the present moment with greater awakening and clarity. The reminder to love and accept ourselves and others where we are is also a much needed message in todays increasingly driven society.
November 16, 2018
A deceptively small and simple book that packs more insight and wisdom into its few pages than an encyclopaedia. I found It needs to be read slowly and thoughtfully and then put to one side while what has just been read is absorbed into my mind and body tissue. It will stay close by me as I intend to reread and reread it.
August 18, 2016
I won this book on Goodreads. For never reading anything about Buddhism, this book was very enlightening. Thubten explains in a way that everybody can understand.
October 11, 2016
This is an inspiring and thought provoking book. I just finished it and I want to start reading it again right away. This is a book I will be re-reading many times during the course of my life.
December 30, 2018
I randomly selected this book at my local bookshop and it ended up defining 2018 for me. It’s a beautiful, poignant and clear read. I found myself returning to passages and finding solace and clarity just by glancing at little pieces I’d highlighted. If you’re on a journey of self-discovery of just yearning for new perspectives, highly recommended!
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August 17, 2020I love this man!
I have heard Anam Thubten speak maybe for five minutes.....But, I hear him in every sentence, of every book of his I have read, or, am reading. He is so profound AND a total scream!! So funny! So precious!
Any and all of his books, are a MUST read!!
I have heard Anam Thubten speak maybe for five minutes.....But, I hear him in every sentence, of every book of his I have read, or, am reading. He is so profound AND a total scream!! So funny! So precious!
Any and all of his books, are a MUST read!!
September 12, 2020
Simple and straightforward writing. A good base for a beginner like me.
July 8, 2021
A beautiful book.
January 9, 2025
Took me a whole year to read but it was a journey. I really engaged with this book and I think that’s what the author would want and in a way I surrendered and learned a lot along the way. A lot of typical Buddhist thoughts were broken down in a new way to which I could finally understand it. Very grateful for this gift and this read. I will carry its lessons with me.
June 28, 2019
Anam has a gift at taking what others make complex or hard for non-Buddhists to understand and saying it in a way almost anyone could appreciate. This work, a selection from his oral teachings, is like The Magic of Awareness: simply superb. To me, after some 25 years reading Buddhist works, Anam has become my favorite. These selections, like the oral ones in The Magic of Awareness - which I read three times -, can easily be read a chapter at a time. They are informational and, more so, inspirational. I do not believe any writer or book is a "a must read," but, if you are interested in reading Buddhism for everyone, not only Buddhists, I highly recommend this work and The Magic of Awareness, as well as the video recordings of Anam teaching.
November 25, 2016
What a disappointment. Not clear, not about what the book should be about, not the chapters, not the examples he uses. There are some powerful truths in there but explained so much better by other writers.
December 23, 2016
These short transcriptions of Anam Thubten's talks are best savored as food for contemplation or daily inspiration. They can be read over and over again to gain more understanding.
May 7, 2022
I just reread Thubten's first 3 books. They all contain clear, simple, good-humored, & profound dharma-- warm & readable. I would read them in order (the first 2 are my faves).
August 30, 2025
Eh this was okay, I think some of these modern Buddhist writings really don't hit with me
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews