A Yearning For Learning

27 Mar 2013 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , , ,

A Yearning For LearningFollowing on from yesterdays looks at books, the rhymes just keep coming. As we all strive for Buddhahood, the life-state of Learning is a wonderful place to be. I love reading and listening to instructional podcasts and devote as much time as I can to these every day.

Understanding the principles behind our practice is so important. If understanding is missing, chanting and working towards enlightenment is a largely futile exercise. But help is at hand. So much is available on the internet that you can always find the information you need to take your knowledge to the next level.

To make the most of every minute of every day, I often download podcasts from Karen and Jason Jarrett’s website, A Buddhist Podcast. There are dozens of topics covered, as you would imagine, they have been online since 2005, though there has been a slight lull since they moved to Canada.

There are also podcast versions of The Reluctant Buddhist and Buddhism and the Science of Happiness, both read by William Woollard himself, and The Buddha, Geoff and Me, all of which are hugely inspirational.

Learning is not just the way forward, it is the insurance against going back to where we have come. If we stop learning, we stop living, at least living to the full.

Learn While You Earn

18 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

The Buddha, Geoff & MeI guess I’m fortunate. For one, I have a job, something that can’t be taken for granted these days. I know, I’ve been in the life-energy sapping situation of being unemployed. For another, I can listen to music while I’m writing code or developing web pages. I find it helps me concentrate because it keeps all the office mutter away.

Today I’ve been working on the new company website. It’s an environment I know so well that I can almost work with my eyes shut. So for the whole day, I’ve been listening to Jason Jarrett’s podcast version of The Buddha, Geoff and Me.

I know I keep banging on about this book, but it is simply brilliant. There are hundreds of books covering various Buddhist traditions, but if you want to get a really good grounding in Nichiren Buddhism, in an easily absorbed format, these podcasts are the bees knees (as Piers would say).

You can listen to them all on Jason’s website, or if you want to download them for your MP3 player they are also to be found here.

The story follows Ed, a guy who’s having more than his fair share of bad luck, and his journey of discovery of Nichiren Buddhist with Geoff, the local Buddha. It is written in modern language and covers the main aspects of the Tradition in easy to understand examples that weave seamlessly into the narrative.

Nothing prepares you for the moment when you read the book that’s going to change your life …

I can’t count the number of times I’ve read or listened to this book. The lessons I have learned from it have changed my life. If you only read one book this year, this is the one to choose, you will wish you had done so years ago.