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>she does not feel any sort of progress or growth on any level. I think the flip side of this is that many people are so focused on progress and looking forwar
by bumby 5y ago
>she does not feel any sort of progress or growth on any level.
I think the flip side of this is that many people are so focused on progress and looking forward to the next goal line that they become unable to appreciate the moment and, ironically, happiness is always one more goal away. Recently, I’ve been reading books on Buddhism (specifically how it differs from many Western value systems) and it sheds some light on this. The same goes for the inability to be happy sans constant stimulation.
- jbmny 5y agoAny particular books you'd recommend?
- bumby 5y agoYou can absolutely find people more qualified for book recommendations on the subject than me, but here are a few: "Confession of a Buddhist Atheist" by Stephon Batchelor. Useful to me for understanding the cultural context of Buddhism. Insight Meditation by Joseph Goldstein. I just find Goldstein's style the easiest to comprehend in a field that often comes across as frustratingly esoteric Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I thought this book is interesting because it draws parallels to Western authors, particularly Thoreau. Sam Harris's "Waking Up" app may also be worth a listen. Besides the actual mindfulness practice, there are a lot of discussions on theory and he has conversations with a variety of people that come to the topic from different perspectives.
- tomp 5y agoThe way of Zen by Alan Watts.