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Zen and the Birds of Appetite
- Narrated by: Greg Chun
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
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Publisher's summary
Merton, one of the rare Western thinkers able to feel at home in the philosophies of the East, made the wisdom of Asia available to Westerners.
"Zen enriches no one," Thomas Merton provocatively begins in his opening statement to Zen and the Birds of Appetite, one of the last books to be published before his death in 1968. "There is no body to be found. The birds may come and circle for a while...but they soon go elsewhere. When they are gone, the 'nothing,' the 'no-body' that was there, suddenly appears. That is Zen. It was there all the time but the scavengers missed it, because it was not their kind of prey."
This gets at the humor, paradox, and joy that one feels in Merton's discoveries of Zen during the last years of his life, a joy that was very much present in this collection of essays. Exploring the relationship between Christianity and Zen, especially through his dialogue with the great Zen teacher D.T. Suzuki, the book makes an excellent introduction to a comparative study of these two traditions, as well as giving the listener a strong taste of the mature Merton.
Never does one feel him losing his own faith; rather, one feels that faith getting deeply clarified and affirmed. Just as the body of "Zen" cannot be found by the scavengers, so too, Merton suggests, with the eternal truth of Christ.
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Considered by many to be Hannah Arendt's greatest work, published as she neared the end of her life, The Life of the Mind investigates thought itself, as it exists in contemplative life. In a shift from her previous writings, most of which focus on the world outside the mind, this work was planned as three volumes that would explore the activities of the mind considered by Arendt to be fundamental. What emerged is a rich, challenging analysis of human mental activity, considered in terms of thinking, willing, and judging.
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English only please
- By angela cozea on 11-20-19
By: Hannah Arendt
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Eager to Love
- The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi
- By: Richard Rohr
- Narrated by: John Quigley O.F.M.
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved of all saints. Both traditional and entirely revolutionary, he was a paradox. He was at once down-to-earth and reaching toward heaven, grounded in the rich history of the Church while moving toward a new understanding of the world beyond. Franciscan Father Richard Rohr helps us look beyond the birdbath image of the saint to remind us of the long tradition founded on Francis' revolutionary, radical, and life-changing embrace of the teachings of Jesus.
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Richard Rohr Should Read Richard Rohr
- By Cloud Captain on 10-18-14
By: Richard Rohr
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Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path
- By: Urgyen Sangharaskhita
- Narrated by: Kulananda
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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The Eightfold Path is the most widely known formulation of the Buddha's teaching. It is ancient, reaching back to the Buddha's very first discourse, and it is highly venerated as a unique treasury of wisdom and practical guidance. The teaching of the Eightfold Path challenges us to grasp the implications of that vision, and asks us to transform ourselves in its light. Like the teaching itself, this work covers every aspect of life.
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Excellent
- By Anthony on 06-22-07
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50 Spiritual Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This unabridged guide to the literature of the spirit surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications - everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
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useful as review or starting point
- By connie on 01-03-09
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The Passion of the Western Mind
- Understanding the Ideas that Have Shaped Our World View
- By: Richard Tarnas
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 21 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Here are the great minds of Western civilization and their pivotal ideas, from Plato to Hegel, from Augustine to Nietzsche, from Copernicus to Freud. Richard Tarnas performs the near-miracle of describing profound philosophical concepts simply but without simplifying them. Ten years in the making and already hailed as a classic, The Passion of the Western Mind is truly a complete liberal education in a single volume.
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Great content, Reader not great
- By M. Henderson on 02-18-23
By: Richard Tarnas
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Knowing Christ Today
- Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge
- By: Dallas Willard
- Narrated by: David Cochran Heath
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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At a time when popular atheism books are talking about the irrationality of believing in God, Willard makes a rigorous intellectual case for why it makes sense to believe in God and in Jesus, the Son.
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Logical to a fault
- By cynthia on 05-13-10
By: Dallas Willard
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The Case for God
- By: Karen Armstrong
- Narrated by: Karen Armstrong
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Karen Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality that it called by many names, such as God, Brahman, Nirvana, Allah, or Dao. Focusing especially on Christianity but including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Chinese spiritualities, Armstrong examines the diminished impulse toward religion in our own time, when a significant number of people either want nothing to do with God or question the efficacy of faith. Why has God become unbelievable?
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Great recasting of how God should be interpreted
- By John Doyle on 02-18-11
By: Karen Armstrong
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The Meaning of Masonry
- By: W.L. Wilmshurst
- Narrated by: Chris Coxon
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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This set of essays discusses the esoteric side of Freemasonry. The Spirit of Masonry has been the essential source for anyone exploring the inner mysteries of the Masonic fraternity for more than 200 years.
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Great!
- By Go Seigen on 12-12-23
By: W.L. Wilmshurst
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The Experience of God
- Being, Consciousness, Bliss
- By: David Bentley Hart
- Narrated by: Tom Pile
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Despite the recent ferocious public debate about belief, the concept most central to the discussion "God" frequently remains vaguely and obscurely described. Are those engaged in these arguments even talking about the same thing? In a wide-ranging response to this confusion, esteemed scholar David Bentley Hart pursues a clarification of how the word "God” functions in the world’s great theistic faiths.
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The clearest thinking I have heard in ages.
- By Carlos Miranda on 06-17-15
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Working from existing translations, Thomas Merton composed a series of his own versions of the classic sayings of Chuang Tzu, the most spiritual of Chinese philosophers. Chuang Tzu, who wrote in the fourth and third centuries BC, is the chief authentic historical spokesperson for Taoism and its founder, Lao Tzu (a legendary character known largely through Chuang Tzu’s writings).
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Way of Merton -- Chuang Tzu, not so much
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New Seeds of Contemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widely known and best-loved books. Christians and non-Christians alike have joined in praising it as a notable successor in the meditative tradition of St. John of the Cross, The Cloud of Unknowing, and the medieval mystics, while others have compared Merton's reflections with those of Thoreau.
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Must read for those on a spiritual journey
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The Wisdom of the Desert
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The Wisdom of the Desert was one of Thomas Merton's favorites among his own books, surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit. The personal tones of the translations and the blend of reverence and humor so characteristic of him show how deeply Merton identified with the legendary authors of these sayings and parables, the fourth-century Christian fathers who sought solitude and contemplation in the deserts of the Near East.
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150 sayings & stories for Desert Fathers
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The Seven Storey Mountain is the extraordinary spiritual testament of Thomas Merton (1915-1968), a man who experienced life to its fullest in the world before entering a Trappist monastery. By the end of his life, he had become one of the 20th century's best-known and beloved Christian voices. This autobiography deals...not with what happens to a man, but what happens inside his soul.
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Letter to Audible
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Thomas Merton on the Twelve Steps of Humility
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You are invited into the classroom in which Thomas Merton delivered some of his most impassioned lectures on a timeless topic. In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality.
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A Must Listen from Merton
- By BKW on 10-30-19
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Thomas Merton’s Path to the Palace of Nowhere
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First presented at a series of popular retreats, this full audio program takes a participatory approach to Merton's most useful teachings, helping us to discover our true self...to disappear into God; to be submerged into his peace; to be lost in the secret of his face, as Merton said, through daily practices including contemplation, prayer, and faith. In the end we find ourselves in what the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu called the Palace of Nowhere, where all the many things are one.
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Deserves a slow, attentive listen
- By Sarah Bensen on 03-01-16
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The Way of Chuang Tzu (Second Edition)
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Must read for those on a spiritual journey
- By Perry Smith on 10-05-24
By: Thomas Merton
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The Wisdom of the Desert
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A Must Listen from Merton
- By BKW on 10-30-19
By: Thomas Merton
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Thomas Merton’s Path to the Palace of Nowhere
- By: James Finley
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- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
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First presented at a series of popular retreats, this full audio program takes a participatory approach to Merton's most useful teachings, helping us to discover our true self...to disappear into God; to be submerged into his peace; to be lost in the secret of his face, as Merton said, through daily practices including contemplation, prayer, and faith. In the end we find ourselves in what the Taoist sage Chuang Tzu called the Palace of Nowhere, where all the many things are one.
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Deserves a slow, attentive listen
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Ways of Prayer: Thomas Merton on a Desert Father's Wisdom
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Born in the fourth century, Saint John Cassian (AD 360 - 435) lived when tensions between the traditional and innovative peaked. A monk and theologian, Cassian made the Christian tradition relevant for the needs of his day in his spiritual works. Indeed, his spirituality remains essential today; he influenced Saints Benedict and Ignatius of Loyola, and his works continue to be read worldwide.
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Order of listening
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Contemplative Prayer
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This is Merton at his best, applying ancient wisdom to the longings of our age through thoughtful commentary on Scripture and writers of the Western spiritual tradition. This book distills Merton's own reading and long experience with contemplation.
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Another beauty by one of my favorite authors
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Thomas Merton on Prayer
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Renew your prayer life with Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton was one of the great spiritual masters: a Trappist monk, profound mystic, and brilliant writer. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. In 1967, near the end of his life, Merton gave a powerful set of lectures on prayer to the Sisters of Loretto. He channeled a lifetime full of wisdom, piety, and prayerfulness into these erudite yet down-to-earth talks.
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Extraordinarily Relevant
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The Interior Castle
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The Interior Castle, also titled The Mansions, is a classic work of Christian mysticism by St. Teresa of Ávila. Published in 1588, the text serves as a practical guide for those who wish to achieve mystical union with the divine. Teresa viewed the soul as a “castle made of a single diamond”, which contains seven mansions or dwelling places. The concept of the immanence of God - who dwells in the seventh mansion - was central to her spirituality.
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Great book!
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Thomas Merton on Contemplation
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You are invited to sit at the feet of a contemplative master. In the words of renowned theologian Fr. Lawrence Cunningham, Thomas Merton was perhaps "the greatest spiritual writer and spiritual master of the 20th century". With a poet's sensibility, an intellectual's inquiring mind, and a prophet's courage, Merton has captured the hearts of readers and listeners around the world.
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Fantastic!
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By: Thomas Merton
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Food for the Heart
- The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah
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This collection brings together for the first time Ajahn Chah's most powerful teachings, including those on meditation, liberation from suffering, calming the mind, enlightenment and the "living dhamma". Most of these talks have previously only been available in limited, private editions and the publication of Food for the Heart, therefore, represents a momentous occasion: the hugely increased accessibility of his words and wisdom.
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You Don't Need to be a Buddhist to Understand Him
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Thomas Merton on Augustine, Jerome, and Ambrose: The Philosophy of the Great Latin Fathers
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Three men laid the groundwork for Christianity’s philosophy, theology, and learning. Seventeen centuries later, Thomas Merton, a spiritual visionary, taught gripping classes on these Church Fathers.
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Brief recorded lectures on Patristic writings
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Thomas Merton on Chinese & Greek Philosophy
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A leading Christian intellectual and a global citizen, Thomas Merton was known for his mission to understand and learn from other cultures’ worldviews and philosophies. Now, as you listen to these nine captivating talks on Chinese and Greek philosophy, your own interest in these ancient schools of thought, Eastern and Western, will be ignited.
By: Thomas Merton
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Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom
- Indestructible Joy and the Path of Letting Go
- By: James Finley
- Narrated by: James Finley
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The 13th-century mystic Meister Eckhart was the most brilliant Christian scholar of his day, but he was also legendary for the way that he opened listeners to the direct experience of God during his public talks. Today, his written wisdom remains alive as ever, ready to illuminate us. With Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom, James Finley, one of today's best-known teachers of the Christian contemplative tradition, invites us into Eckhart's insights in the same way that this luminary teacher delighted in sharing them.
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Great stuff but missing links are unfortunate
- By Mrs Whitney on 08-21-19
By: James Finley
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Thomas Merton on the Contemplative Way
- By: Thomas Merton
- Narrated by: Thomas Merton
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Follow the contemplative path with Thomas Merton as your guide. In 1942, Thomas Merton relinquished a promising academic career to join the Abbey of Gethsemani. Instead of running away from the world, however, he actually developed his most profound wisdom about it.
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Very approachable, but has specific context
- By Philo on 03-09-18
By: Thomas Merton
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Thomas Merton on the Search for Wholeness
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In this audio program, Merton will challenge you with questions about man's individual destiny, the human condition, prayer, and the nature of time. Originally delivered in 1965, these timeless lectures have been remastered and released as a set for your enjoyment. Delivered with wit and profound insight, these recordings will transport you into the abbey where Merton taught and imparted his spiritual wisdom.
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It's about time and what we choose to do with it.
- By Jackie St. Hilaire on 02-25-18
By: Thomas Merton
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The Way of Zen
- By: Alan Watts
- Narrated by: Jeremy Stockwell
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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With a rare combination of freshness and lucidity, he delves into the origins and history of Zen to explain what it means for the world today with incredible clarity. Watts saw Zen as “one of the most precious gifts of Asia to the world,” and in The Way of Zen he gives this gift to listeners everywhere.
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Just fantastic.
- By Amazon Customer on 02-10-23
By: Alan Watts
What listeners say about Zen and the Birds of Appetite
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Zed
- 10-25-23
Inspiring, informative, historical
It had me looking up locations on maps and fining links to historical detail. Wow!
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- Nick V
- 04-09-22
a great book for those with a Christian belief
this book was a great read, he drew a lot of parallels between Christianity and Buddhism. As a Freemason I got a lot out of this book as it draws a lot of parallels also with the Masonic teachings.
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