As Easy as It Is to Level a Monk I Dont Want to Do It Again
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(My book had an updated cover, it was blue and hard back.)
I loved this book. To summarise my thoughts: this book is what you reach for when you're feeling low - it's a hug in book format. I recommend you don't read from cover to cover in one sitting - read when you need a little inspiration or pick me up. It's such a sweet and simple book - anyone could read and glean the wisdom it provides.... I recommend <3.(My book had an updated cover, it was blue and hard back.)
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- Be aware of your emotions as you experience them. They are passing through.
- Witness the emergence of a thought.
I listened to the audiobook of The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: Guidance on the Path to Mindfulness from a Spiritual Leader after seeing a few positive reviews for it. It's a short audiobook (approximately 3 hours) and while worth a listen, once, it didn't offer any groundbreaking or novel new ideas. At best, it's a reminder to be present in the moment. For example:- Be aware of your emotions as you experience them. They are passing through.
- Witness the emergence of a thought. Witness the disappearance of a thought.
You can't have the good without at least sometimes experiencing the bad. The audiobook was easy to listen to though at parts it seemed disjointed, transitioning to several (semi-related) topics in a short span of time, with extended pauses in between. Not sure what the actual book looks like and how the format of spacing and breaks are shown, but maybe that's how this was accounted for in the audio format.
A decent, fairly short listen with good reminders about the here and now, but not my favorite in this genre.
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When you read it you will feel like probably you have already met some of the advices mentioning here, but sometimes it's good to remind yourself, and this book is here for this reason.
❤ Sincerely simple things have their own magic, right book at the right time.
When you read it you will feel like probably you have already met some of the advices mentioning here, but sometimes it's good to remind yourself, and this book is here for this reason.
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Don't dwell on negative thoughts.
Forgive others.
Remember to treat yourself with compassion.
Perspective can change any stressful situation.
Choose happiness, not success.
Always take time to listen.
See more of my reviews: Blog // Instagram
Nothing new here but I somehow felt lighter as I kept reading.Don't dwell on negative thoughts.
Forgive others.
Remember to treat yourself with compassion.
Perspective can change any stressful situation.
Choose happiness, not success.
Always take time to listen.
See more of my reviews: Blog // Instagram
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by Haemin Sunim
I picked this up at the library thinking this would be a good book for inspiration or at least a feel good book. I was disappointed. It was really just common sense. Nothing I haven't thought of and try to do on my own now.
I did think the author was a bit full of themselves, lol, even in the title! If I already am thinking and doing these things does this make me a spiritual
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: Guidance on the Path to Mindfulness from a Spiritual Leaderby Haemin Sunim
I picked this up at the library thinking this would be a good book for inspiration or at least a feel good book. I was disappointed. It was really just common sense. Nothing I haven't thought of and try to do on my own now.
I did think the author was a bit full of themselves, lol, even in the title! If I already am thinking and doing these things does this make me a spiritual leader too? Lol!
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Home cooked homilies with an Eastern flavor.
Slow down and you'll not see anything new here. Chicken Soup for the Fortune Cookie.
Home cooked homilies with an Eastern flavor.
Slow down and you'll not see anything new here. ...more
This book has a lot of calming illustrations. Indeed this is a book for slowing down and ease our minds.
Nearly three million copies of the book have been sold worldwide since its publication in 2012, and it has been translated from its original Korean by Chi-Young Kim in collaboration with the author himself. This
I was given a copy of Haemin Sunim's The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by a dear friend after she undertook a stint of work experience at Penguin. Thoughtfully, Abbie wrote in her note that she thought this tome would be a good antidote to in-depth thesis reading, and it was.Nearly three million copies of the book have been sold worldwide since its publication in 2012, and it has been translated from its original Korean by Chi-Young Kim in collaboration with the author himself. This year, in fact, marks the publication of its first English translation. It is essentially a guide to mindfulness, of how to make the most of oneself despite outside factors sometimes wishing to throw us off course. The subtitle of The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down, 'How to Be Calm in a Busy World' will, I am sure, speak to many of us in the modern world. I am personally a very calm person, and rarely get stressed out, but I find books like this lovely to dip in and out of; they are soothing, almost.
Sunim is a Buddhist monk, who lives between his native South Korea and the United States, where he lectures. Building on a large Twitter and Facebook presence, where he tweets missives and guidance, he has aimed to offer 'advice on everything from handling setbacks at work to dealing with love and relationships'. His 'simple, compassionate teachings transcend religion, borders and ages, and serve as a calming reminder of the strength and joy that come from slowing down'. This inclusivity is admirable, certainly; one thing which we dearly need in this world is a demonstration of the things which unite us, rather than divide us.
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down has been split into several sections - 'Rest', 'Mindfulness', 'Passion', 'Relationships', 'Love', 'Life', 'The Future', and 'Spirituality'. Each chapter opens with an essay, which muses upon the subject in question and how best Sunim thinks we should approach it, and is then followed by a series of short pieces, 'words of advice and wisdom'.
To me, a lot of the short sections felt a little cheesy and patronising, which I'm sure was unintentional on part of the author; we are told, for example: 'Pat yourself on the back for the hard work you are doing. Then go to bed one hour earlier as a gift to your body'. I preferred the essays, which were largely thoughtful and well thought through. There are some nice pieces of advice given about how best to take notice of the world around us, and spending time with loved ones. Occasionally, though, this advice is just plain odd, and blunt in its delivery: 'A good family trip can prevent divorce'.
Much of the book, as one might expect, spirals around spirituality and religion, two topics which do not particularly appeal to me as an atheist. I did find that Sunim came across as rather preachy at times, which did not endear me to him. However, he suggests meditation as a way to grasp one's own consciousness of the world and their place within it, which, I felt, was quite a nice piece of advice which could be easily worked into even a hectic day. Some of his ideas are nice, and he is clearly passionate about what he is writing about, however, so there is a nice balance to be found within. It does seem at times as though Sunim was merely working through his own insecurities whilst writing, and several of the asides seem downright obvious.
On an aesthetic level, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down has been beautifully designed, and put me in mind of the recent craze of lovely hygge hardbacks. Lovely illustrations have been included throughout, which add yet another dimension of calm to the tome.
I believe that The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down will be of most use to those who suffer with anxiety disorders and depression; it is a rather light but fitting book that can be read one small part at a time, and offers useful advice for seeing positives and focusing upon things of importance to the individual. The author, in fact, recommends that it is not read all in one go, from cover to cover; rather, he says, sections should be digested and reflected upon by the reader before he or she moves on. The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down would be a very thoughtful addition to a loved one's bedside table or reading stack, to provide respite from hectic lives, stresses, and other problems.
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It is divided in eight chapters, each focussing on a different topic: Rest, Mindfulness, Passion, Relationships, Love, Life, The Future, Spirituality. Each part starts with a short personal story by Sunim before moving on to a c
This is a lovely and sweet collection of aphorisms and essays phrased by a Buddhist monk and teacher. It is essentially a guide to mindfulness, comprising spiritual advice on dealing with anything from relationships to stress and a book that is easy to dip in and out of.
It is divided in eight chapters, each focussing on a different topic: Rest, Mindfulness, Passion, Relationships, Love, Life, The Future, Spirituality. Each part starts with a short personal story by Sunim before moving on to a collection of advices and occasionally relevant quotes from other influential people. I guess it is one of the books that make the most sense if you refer to it whenever you find yourself in a situation of needing some words of wisdom on something specific, as it just quite dense with information and sometimes too specific to gain from if there is no relevance.
I personally found especially the chapters on Rest and Mindfulness interesting, but in general Sunim advocates being a gentler, empathic and more perceptive person. There was one passage that I particularly enjoyed, which made me think about how similar every humans experience of being human ultimately is, despite how different all of our lives may seem:
"[N]o matter how many wonderful accomplishments one has had, we all have our share of setbacks, heartbreak, and loss. We have to face challenges we have no control over. Loneliness and the fear of death will accompany us to our final days. Everyone is on the same treacherous journey of life's tainted glory."
All in all, this is a genuinely kind collection to refer to sometimes and that might provide comfort to some in times of need for a voice of both reason and heart.
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It is a peaceful read,I must say !
This is really quite a sweet little book. Each chapter contains a very short essay, followed by an illustration and then some short soundbites to ponder on (kind of in the style of the Dhammapada, perhaps). It's not breaking new ground and there are other more comprehensive guides to mindfulness, but it's nevertheless a nice book to have and dip into for subjects for meditative thought. I particularly liked the author's open-minded attitude to other religions and beliefs. The illustrati
3.5 starsThis is really quite a sweet little book. Each chapter contains a very short essay, followed by an illustration and then some short soundbites to ponder on (kind of in the style of the Dhammapada, perhaps). It's not breaking new ground and there are other more comprehensive guides to mindfulness, but it's nevertheless a nice book to have and dip into for subjects for meditative thought. I particularly liked the author's open-minded attitude to other religions and beliefs. The illustrations are rather lovely too.
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"What makes music beautiful is the distance between one note and another. What makes speech eloquent is the appropriate pause between words. From time to time we should take a breath and notice the silence between sounds."
"Do not fight your negative emotions. Observe and befriend them."
"When blinded by anger, we make choices we later regret. Leaving the room before the bridge is burned is a sign of maturity."
"We know the world only through the
"Knowledge wants to talk. Wisdom wants to listen.""What makes music beautiful is the distance between one note and another. What makes speech eloquent is the appropriate pause between words. From time to time we should take a breath and notice the silence between sounds."
"Do not fight your negative emotions. Observe and befriend them."
"When blinded by anger, we make choices we later regret. Leaving the room before the bridge is burned is a sign of maturity."
"We know the world only through the window of our mind. When our mind is noisy, the world is as well. And when our mind is peaceful, the world is, too. Knowing our minds is just as important as trying to change the world."
"The most dangerous people are those who have passion but lack wisdom."
"It is a sign of great spiritual strength to keep someone else's secret."
"When conversation turns to someone's flaws, try not to participate and gently redirect the conversation."
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"If work is making you unhappy
And you're sacrificing mind and soul
Consider how your work is helping others
And keep sacrificing yourself for them ✌🏻☺️🥰"
"If you're unhappy
Go to sleep
I swear
It works ✌🏻"
"Are negative memories haunting you?
Live in the present
And keep running away
From your past 🥰❤️🏃"
"Having trouble falling to sleep?
Think of all your loved ones
And you'll sleep right away
They're boring as fuck 🛏😴💤"
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Highly unsuitable if you've got mental health problems (like me), with advice such as: "If work is making you unhappy
And you're sacrificing mind and soul
Consider how your work is helping others
And keep sacrificing yourself for them ✌🏻☺️🥰"
"If you're unhappy
Go to sleep
I swear
It works ✌🏻"
"Are negative memories haunting you?
Live in the present
And keep running away
From your past 🥰❤️🏃"
"Having trouble falling to sleep?
Think of all your loved ones
And you'll sleep right away
They're boring as fuck 🛏😴💤"
...ok I may have interpreted this a little different but I SWEAR this gave me anger issues. It's clearly written by someone who's not experienced PTSD or any other form of mental illness. I genuinely needed to meditate AFTER reading pieces of this to get rid of all my anger.
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Full of good advise and common sense.
This book make me consider that life become harder when me think out of my control.
This book teach me to stop and look at when I feel tired of this life. This book encouraging me to understand people's feeling. Life is not about talk but also is about listen people.
This book also tell about passion, being happy , forgiveness , relationship, love , life, future, spirituality. I am thankful for Haemin Sunim to write this book. Really amazing and
I don't know what stars i should give for this book.This book make me consider that life become harder when me think out of my control.
This book teach me to stop and look at when I feel tired of this life. This book encouraging me to understand people's feeling. Life is not about talk but also is about listen people.
This book also tell about passion, being happy , forgiveness , relationship, love , life, future, spirituality. I am thankful for Haemin Sunim to write this book. Really amazing and make me more humble to other person.
There is some words from this book, that amazed me :
"Has something disappointed you?
Has something made you sad?
It's the school of life trying to teach you an important lesson. When you feel ready, take the time to understand the lesson"
"But if you calm yourself and look more deeply, you will see that the person who hurt you is suffering, too."
"Do not try to control those around you. When you can't control even your own mind, what makes you think you can control others?"
"Choose happiness, not success as your life's goal. If you become succesful but aren't happy, then what is the point?"
"Does the person you hate deserve to be carried around in your heart? Keep in your heart only those who love you. If you carry around with you people you hate, it causes only angst and depression"
"Love need to be balanced. If you like him more than he likes you, give him time and space to catch up. It is important to hold back your emotions when your feelings are not balance with his."
"We should love people like sun loves the earth. The sun loves the earth without choosing to
It nourishes tree and flowers, expecting nothing in return. It doesn't withhold its rays but brightens everything with its presence."
"Life is like a slice of pizza. It looks delicious in an advertisement, but when we actually have it, it is not as good as we imagined."
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3,8 of 5 stars!
"The more grateful we feel, the happier we become. This is because gratitude helps us realize we are all connected. Nobody feels like an island when feeling grateful. Gratitude awakens us to the truth of our interdependent nature."
I dunno why but i think the situation is around me is not getting better (especially my working place) and i just need some books that lighten and enriching my minds. so thats why reading this pieces is makes me more grateful in ju
** Books 68 - 2019 **3,8 of 5 stars!
"The more grateful we feel, the happier we become. This is because gratitude helps us realize we are all connected. Nobody feels like an island when feeling grateful. Gratitude awakens us to the truth of our interdependent nature."
I dunno why but i think the situation is around me is not getting better (especially my working place) and i just need some books that lighten and enriching my minds. so thats why reading this pieces is makes me more grateful in just a small things. I try to be more happier than before with such a small stuff (Winning over Rock-paper-scissors) or even i got chance reviewed an ARC Books can give me a small butterflies in my stomach
I try to not really care about what people think of me. I just wanna to be myself. I know what things that makes me happy. I wanna spread more kindness since i dunno why but i think somehow i get the kindness in others form without i am notice. I realize i just happy with a small things that happen around me. It can be i am more into to get an simple life? yes life is already giving me such a hardships and i just wanna to stay away for an complicated stuff.
This books is really help me to get more peaceful minds. I recommend this books to you if you have an foul moods and needs to be reminds how to be more grateful in your life for a small things :)
Thankyou Bookmate!
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it also talks a lot about mindfulness and gratitude which are things that i absolutely need to focus more on. other that that, the book gives amazing advice about love, relationships, etc. i honestly think everyone can benefit from reading this book
oh and the illustrations in this book??? so so beautiful and elegant i don't often read self-help books but this one was so eye-opening and beautiful. i'm not a spiritual person but the advice this book gives is so true
it also talks a lot about mindfulness and gratitude which are things that i absolutely need to focus more on. other that that, the book gives amazing advice about love, relationships, etc. i honestly think everyone can benefit from reading this book
oh and the illustrations in this book??? so so beautiful and elegant ...more
If you're in the demographic, this is a great book. It's also not very long, so even if yo
I'm definitely not in the demographic for this. It was specifically written for people born and raised in the Korean work culture, but also resonated with Chinese and Japanese citizens (according to the author's introduction). That makes a lot of sense to me. I don't know if it's because I'm from the West or because I've read several self help books, but all the information in here seems like common sense.If you're in the demographic, this is a great book. It's also not very long, so even if you're not in the demographic, you can read it in an evening.
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Divided in eight distinctive chapters – rest, mindfulness, passion, relati
The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down comprises of a series of inspiring essays by Zen Buddhist teacher and author Haemin Sunim, interspersed with thought provoking quotes by him and other influential people in the world of mindfulness. Alongside these there is also stunning art by Youngcheol Lee, which not only beautifully compliments the writing but provides a serene backdrop for contemplation in its own right.Divided in eight distinctive chapters – rest, mindfulness, passion, relationships, love, life, future and spirituality – this is a book that can be read back to front (like I did to be able to review it), but I would advise instead to dip in and out of relevant chapters depending on your own current needs. That way you can soak up the inspiring words much better and apply the teachings and ideas within your own life, rather than all of the advice and 'aha' moments blending together.
I'll definitely be returning to a few of the chapters that are particularly poignant to my own life right now to be able to get more value out of the wise words captured within.
I personally found the essays more interesting than the individual snippets of advice blended in through the medium of short quotes, just because there were so many of them and it did become difficult to distinguish one from the other after a while. They would work great as individual quote cards or posters, but within the book there were just too many together on the same page.
There were a few that particularly stood out, but I had to write them down separately to remember them. One that I especially loved and try to stand still by more now is:
"Those who work in a playful, relaxed manner tend to work efficiently and creatively, those who work nonstop, driven only by stress, work without joy."
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down is a very inspiring read, filled with poignant advise and calming art work. But to get the most value out of each of the chapters, I definitely recommend consuming them in bite-sized chunks rather than all in one go.
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I want you to know that I love your ordinariness, because I, too, am ordinary. The truth is, we are all ordinary.
After reading this, I started seeing people in the lenses of Ordinary And no matter how famous, established, beaut
A little book that's full of soothing words and wisdom. I read this book in leisure because it's simple and yet still can make me feel good and at peace. I like this one subchapter under Chapter 5: Love, and that is I Love Your Ordinariness. The author's note is like this:I want you to know that I love your ordinariness, because I, too, am ordinary. The truth is, we are all ordinary.
After reading this, I started seeing people in the lenses of Ordinary And no matter how famous, established, beautiful or excellent we are, at the end of the day, we are still the same as the others. Ordinary. And that, I believe, make me (or others as well) feel more humble than ever.
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Born in South Korea and educated at Berkeley, Harvard, and Princeton, he received formal monastic training from Haein monastery, South Korea and taught Asian religions at Hampshire College in Massachusetts for seven years.
He is one of the most influential Zen monks in the world, with over 1.5 million follow
Zen Buddhist teacher, bestselling author & founder of the School for Broken Hearts in Seoul.Born in South Korea and educated at Berkeley, Harvard, and Princeton, he received formal monastic training from Haein monastery, South Korea and taught Asian religions at Hampshire College in Massachusetts for seven years.
He is one of the most influential Zen monks in the world, with over 1.5 million followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. His first book, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down has been translated into more than 35 different languages and sold over four million copies.
His second book, Love for Imperfect Things was the number one bestseller of the year 2016 in South Korea and became available in multiple languages in 2019. Haemin resides in Seoul when not travelling to share his teachings.
Source: haeminsunim.com
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In contrast, when people who know you well respect you, it is probably because you deserve it."
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