In Love With the World: What a Buddhist Monk Can Teach You About Living from Nearly Dying
by Yongey Mingyur
4.30 · Rating details · 1,078 ratings · 145 reviews
"One of the most generous, beautiful, and essential books I've ever read - beautifully written, thoroughly engaging, so clear, so honest, so courageous and full of wisdom... This book has the potential to change the reader's life forever." George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche's experience begins the night he has chosen to embark on a four-
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Kindle Edition, 262 pages
Published May 14th 2019 by Bluebird (first published May 7th 2019)
Original TitleIn Love with the World
ISBN0525512535 (ISBN13: 9780525512530)
Average rating4.30 · Rating details · 1,078 ratings · 145 reviews
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Krystal
Aug 17, 2019Krystal rated it liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, owned, think-deep, misleading-blurbs, freebies-and-gifts, from-the-publisher, struggletown, hippie-stuff, biography
This is a tricky one to rate.
There's two aspects to it, really: the Monk's journey (or, the beginning of it) and Buddhist teachings on life and death.
I think it was the contrast between the two that made this such a slow read for me, because it's two topics I'm rather fascinated by but it was jarring to switch between the two constantly with this book.
The journey: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche has lived his life as a Buddhist monk in relative comfort and luxury. He has risen through ranks with dedication to the teachings of Buddhist ways and is highly respected and thus treated with considerable respect. However he's decided it's time to discover how to 'be comfortable being uncomfortable' (my words, not his) so he sneaks out of the monastery compound with little money and possessions and sets out to explore. This book follows the first leg of his journey, where he sleeps at a train station for a few nights then moves on to a Buddhist site (sorry, the names are all a thousand letters long and hard to pronounce, so equally hard to remember and attempt to spell) where he eventually becomes sick.
The plug of the novel is what this book can teach you from his experience of nearly dying, but the near-death occurrence doesn't happen until nearly 200 pages in. So a lot of this book is spent waiting for things to take that dark turn, and when it does it's kind of ... underwhelming. SORRY. This guy actually nearly died and here I am talking about how his relating the experience was underwhelming! SORRY. But he's just so CHILL about it! It was really interesting but also I was just so baffled that he did nothing except meditate on it. I'm not reaching enlightenment any time soon, my sense of self-preservation is way too strong.
To be honest, I would have been really fascinated to read about his entire 'wander', since he apparently wandered for four years, and this only detailed a few weeks or so. It was fascinating to read about how his teachings comforted him (or didn't) when faced with unique experiences.
However, the story itself was constantly interrupted by ...
The teachings: While there were some interesting ideas amongst it all, this is heavy stuff. It is pages and pages of walls of text and it is full of concepts that kind of start by making sense but drift into me wondering where I lost the thread. It is full on. It was kind of like a race-car driver trying to explain to a two-year-old how to drive. With instructions like, 'the accelerator makes you move so you just stick your foot on it and drive' but the kid doesn't even know what any of those words mean.
It's me. I'm the kid.
I tried really hard to follow all the stuff about bardos and in-between and dying every day etc but in the end I honestly had no fkn clue what this dude was talking about. He's just so used to his way of life that it's impossible for him to dumb it down because he already thinks he is.
That was my impression, anyway. Perhaps people smarter than me, or with more experience of Buddhist teachings, will appreciate his message a little more.
So the story itself was a 4-star, but way too bogged down by the teachings. And the ideas in the teachings were about a 3-star, but then they were too dense for my dense mind to understand so the delivery was 2-star.
So overall I guess we have a 3-star novel with an interesting story, interesting ideas, but a slow, tedious, confusing sort of delivery.
Not one to read on a whim, friends, but if you want some deep insight into Buddhist living this account is well worth a read. (less)
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Debra
May 27, 2019Debra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: auto-biography, buddhism
“I am a monk; a son, a brother, and an uncle; a Buddhist; a meditation teacher; a tulku, an abbot, and an author; a Tibetan Nepali; a human being. Which one describes the essential me?”
In 2011 Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche left a note on his bed, walked out of his monastery in India and began a four year wandering retreat.
Inspired by Tibetan Buddhist Yogis of the past, he aspired to achieve enlightenment and experience his true Buddha nature.
Following the Tibetan principle of ‘adding wood to the fire’ he deliberately embraced difficult situations to work with them directly to reveal his Buddha nature.
Little did he realise that within days he would be facing his own death.
This book is part travelogue, part memoir and teachings on the Bardos - how we face the transitions and changes in our lives. Including the transition from life to death.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy. (less)
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Paul Oppenheimer
Jul 12, 2019Paul Oppenheimer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
An intimate teaching story
A first-person narrative of the author’s coming to terms with the teachings of his traditions. Written clearly and without pretending.
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Nuno R.
Apr 06, 2020Nuno R. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: _non-fiction, spirituality, biographical, x-authors-nepalese
Helen Tworkov's writting is wonderful: clear, bright and insightful, being up to the task of delivering such precious teachings. The book is more about what Yongey Mingyur learned from is Sadhu-like wandering retreat than about chronicling the journey itself. It is a deep, loving book. A great read in times of isolation, in which being able to deal with our own thoughts is important.
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Anneke
Mar 30, 2019Anneke rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: netgalley-read
Book Review: In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying
Author: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Helen Tworkov
Publisher: Random House Spiegel & Grau
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Review Date: March 30, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the blurb:
“A rare, intimate account of a world-renowned Buddhist monk’s near-death experience and the life-changing wisdom he gained from it.”
This is a fantastic book for Tibetan Buddhism students. When I requested the book on NetGalley, I was under the impression that it was a biography and memoir. That was how it was labeled. I am not a student of Tibetan Buddhism, or any type of Buddhism for that matter.
It turned out that the book is primarily a teaching book for Tibetan Buddhist students, based on the Rinpoche’s illness and near-death experience.
So, I was disappointed, as I was more interested in memoir, in his life story, then the teachings he presented.
The writing is clear; the story was interesting. I was not interested in the teachings, and was impatient for the story to continue.
So…if you are a Tibetan Buddhist student, this may be a book you’d very much want to read. If you want to read a memoir/biography, I’d give this book a pass. Unless you want to learn about Tibetan Buddhism.
If I had purchased this book, thinking I had bought a memoir. I would have been disappointed and less than happy.
With these caveats, I give the book 3 1/2-4 stars. 5 Stars if you want to read about Tibetan Buddhism.
Thank you to Random House for allowing me an early look at this book.
This review will be posted on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon.
#netgalley #randomhouse #tibetanbuddhism
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Gedun Drakpa
Feb 03, 2020Gedun Drakpa rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I have always been drawn to tales of seekers who abandon everything, everything that defines their life behind and wander in search of answer and meaning of life.
but, most people say to leave everything behind and live like a hobo on the street begging for food is foolish. most people say we could just practice in the comfort of our home and warm bed and warm fresh food.
some believe in getting rid of all the materials belongings because they breed attachments and are major distractions too.
I believe in a calling from higher self.. which demands a drastic change, something so divine you feel its ok to lose everything. and you lose everything.
and move towards it with all your heart and mind and come back anew, fully reformed , fully awaked, fully enlightened.
prince Siddarth did it
mingyur rinpoche did it
may be we should too if we are true seeker.
let me graduate first ;-)
very inspiring book.. I would love to read about his whole 4 years journey.
most pages of the book describes his inner world, analysing his thought and various emotions, this level of introspection I believe can only be achieved by a true practitioner.thank you mingyur rinpoche.
note to self: MEDITATE MORE! (less)
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Dawn Tessman
Sep 24, 2019Dawn Tessman rated it it was ok · review of another edition
The story of a monk who sheds himself of all his worldly possessions and creature comforts to go on a wandering retreat in search of enlightenment. Unfortunately, for me, the book seemed to be more focused on Buddhist practices and teachings than the monk’s journey. The beginning is so promising, filled with the rich imagery and excitement of Mingyur Rinpoche’s clandestine departure from his monastery. But, then, the story quickly loses all its charm by bogging the reader down in lessons of the most exhausting detail. Additionally, the rambling, repetitive nature of the writing simply caused me to lose interest altogether, making it a chore to finish the book. Beyond that, I found Mingyur Rinpoche to be unbearably whiny at times, likely the result of the pampered lifestyle he led up to the retreat. That said, I did appreciate his complete honesty in the telling of his experiences and felt I could have learned much from his keen insights if only the writing had been better. Finally, I really wish the book would have covered more of Mingyur Rinpoche’s 5-year journey and not just the first 6 months.
In short, both tedious and enlightening - worthwhile if you are interested in obtaining a better understanding of Buddhism, but not if you are looking for a biographical account of Mingyur Rinpoche’s life. (less)
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Producervan in Cornville, AZ from New Orleans & L.A.
May 27, 2019Producervan in Cornville, AZ from New Orleans & L.A. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Helen Tworkov. Nonfiction. Kindle Edition. Published 07 May 2019. 5 Stars.
Superb. An intense, introspective and one-of-a-kind memoir as Rinpoche takes us through his soul-searching journey from ego and physical death to his amazing emergence from its ashes. You’ll find yourself in the capable hands of a passionate and seasoned teacher as he generously shares his journey and practices from overcoming anxiety to a miraculous rebirth. This book is a pungent observation of human frailty through an enlightenment process that does not surrender its wisdom easily. Transmuted to gold by the crucible of life, he emerges with a truth as ancient and glowing as the Buddha himself. Highly recommend!
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Marc Mannheimer
Nov 16, 2019Marc Mannheimer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Wonderful book. Not only was this autobio, from roughly a month of a Buddhist monk's life, interesting, the teachings, both directly expressed and implicit helped me greatly in understanding several points of Buddhist experience on which I had been in the dark. The author, having experienced panic disorder throughout his life, made me feel at home with the teachings, and hopeful for my own progress, as I, too, suffer from anxiety.
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Donniesands
Jul 30, 2020Donniesands rated it really liked it · review of another edition
An excellent mix of Buddhist teaching alongside Mingyur Rinpoche’s experiences practicing the lessons of mindfulness from a Buddhist perspective by living on his own on the streets, trying to put what he’s learned into practice. To see what he went through and how he could gain insight into humanity through hardship helped me see the world differently as well.
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Markus Stobbs
Sep 14, 2020Markus Stobbs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Such a wonderful interweaving of adventure story and Tibetan Buddhist teachings. Few books I’ve read have grounded the Buddhist teachings into daily life with such accessibility. Destined to be a spiritual classic.
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Cherie
Mar 22, 2020Cherie rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: non-fiction, spirituality
A Buddhist monk who has basically been born into Buddhist royalty has this idea of doing a wandering retreat for a year; he sneaks off to do it, encountering a very different world than he has ever experienced. He gets down to who he is, and almost loses himself in the process. But compassion saves him, as it saves most often. Lovely story.
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Upasana
Jun 09, 2020Upasana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
The most startling book I’ve read for years. It opens my heart.
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Dorie
May 05, 2019Dorie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: spiritual
In Love With The World : A Monks Journey Through The Bardos of Living and Dying
by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
due 5-7-2019
Random House/Spiegel & Gran
5.0 / 5.0
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche began studying Tibetan Buddhism and attending retreats to help learn how to deal with death. A bardo believes the stage between ´dying´ and ´rebirth´ is ´becoming´. Yongey felt it would help him come closer to the state of Pure Awareness. Yongey went on a retreat and became deathly ill with food poisoning. He was told he might die. Yongey was able to use his studies to practice his training with living with death.
This is beautifully written and presented in a way that is easy to understand and follow. The idea of perpetual awareness-staying open to the moment-not grasping for permanence....the idea that everything you ever wanted is here in your present moment of awareness really resonate with me. Its one of the reasons I began studying Buddhism years ago. When we attempt to equate productivity with success, to grasp on to life, make them solid and we begin to lose ourselves. The trick is to stay open and accepting to the present.
I loves this...its a great introduction to an awesome mindset.
Thanks to the publisher and author for this e-book ARC for review.
#netgalley #InLoveWithTheWorld (less)
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John Kaufmann
Apr 21, 2020John Kaufmann rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Shelves: philosophy-religion
Mingyur abandons his Tibetan monastery to "live among the people" for three years. I thought this was an interesting premise. However, I thought the narrative was slow. For example, almost halfway through the book he was still into only the second day of his experience. And, while the book was ostensibly about using his meditation practice to guide him through the "chaos" of living the world he would be experiencing, I felt that it actually got in the way -- it helped him avoid really experiencing what life was like for and among "the people." Rather than being "empty" and experiencing life as it is, in the present moment, I felt his "monkey mind" was busy explaining it away and trying to quarantine it with his "theory." And he never gave himself to service with or on behalf of others, of really joining them in the poverty and understanding and empathizing with them -- I thought he used his meditation as a shield around the mental cocoon he made for himself.
I feel bad giving this book such a poor review. I feel guilty criticizing or "judging" someone who has "mastered" meditation. But I had a knee-jerk reaction against what I saw a using the spiritual wisdom he had supposedly attained to keep his distance from the people, even while he was amongst them. (less)
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Sammy
Dec 28, 2019Sammy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I first saw this book with my best friend who had borrowed it from a local cafe near our school. Then my ex recommended it to me. Then I saw someone in my class reading it and I knew I had to read this book.
Being somewhat familiar with Buddhist teachings, I unlike some, don’t find the content of this book too complicated in terms of the teachings.
This book too me is an inspiring account of a genuine Buddhist practitioner working with the hardest of circumstances and thriving because of the dharm ...more
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Kristine
May 08, 2019Kristine rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: amazon-reviewed
In Love with the World by Yonget Mingyur Rinpoche is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early May.
The writings of Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk on retreat/sabbatical to study other religions and end-of-life rituals in Asia. It has some elements of The Celestine Prophecy where the journey is the book’s way of conveying lessons and teachings (i.e. chaptered vignettes on mindfulness, facing and acknowledging anxious thoughts and transgressions, impermanence, experiencing both awareness and emptiness). (less)
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Stephanie
Jun 19, 2019Stephanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This book is absolutely fabulous. The insights and wisdom shared by Mingyur Rinpoche are endless. I listened to this book on Audible and after chapter 1 purchased it in hard copy as it is lesson upon lesson of how to move beyond everything you identify with source your identity from pure awareness. I laughed, I got sweaty palms as he had to beg for his first meal...I cried as he wrestled with the decision for life or death. This book is beauty, love and wisdom. It is a must read for life!
