
A Buddhist Path to Joy
Mel Pine
A funny thing happened on the way to my death...
Finding joy through Buddhist practices doesn’t require a pilgrimage to Kathmandu or years of living in a cave. It took me decades, but it needn’t take you as long. This book is my end-of-life effort to point the way.
"Written with humility, openness, and humanity, A Buddhist Path to Joy...provides a welcome starting-point for readers who want to go past the superficial layers of pop-culture meditation and yoga through understanding," says the IndieReader review. It's an "excellent overall primer to a living practice of modern Buddhism."
This isn't another scholarly treatise on Buddhism. It's dharma from the trenches—honest, accessible, and refreshingly free of spiritual pretense. Pine calls himself a "Jewish Buddhist contrarian," and his irreverent yet profound voice guides readers through everything from AI consciousness and Buddha Nature to the practical art of dying well while fully alive.
Whether you're new to Buddhism or a seasoned practitioner, this book offers a modern middle way between rigid tradition and shallow spirituality. Pine proves that awakening isn't reserved for monastery dwellers—it's available to anyone willing to make friends with their mind and embrace the radical ordinariness of joy.
"I am awake!" Pine declares with hard-earned confidence. His invitation is simple: you can be too.
NOTE: The author narrates this book, with voice actor Robin McAlpine playing the parts of AI platforms in conversation with the author in two chapters. It contains no AI narration.
Duration - 9h 46m.
Author - Mel Pine.
Narrator - Mel Pine.
Published Date - Friday, 10 January 2025.
Copyright - © 2025 Mel Harkrader Pine ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
A funny thing happened on the way to my death... Finding joy through Buddhist practices doesn’t require a pilgrimage to Kathmandu or years of living in a cave. It took me decades, but it needn’t take you as long. This book is my end-of-life effort to point the way. "Written with humility, openness, and humanity, A Buddhist Path to Joy...provides a welcome starting-point for readers who want to go past the superficial layers of pop-culture meditation and yoga through understanding," says the IndieReader review. It's an "excellent overall primer to a living practice of modern Buddhism." This isn't another scholarly treatise on Buddhism. It's dharma from the trenches—honest, accessible, and refreshingly free of spiritual pretense. Pine calls himself a "Jewish Buddhist contrarian," and his irreverent yet profound voice guides readers through everything from AI consciousness and Buddha Nature to the practical art of dying well while fully alive. Whether you're new to Buddhism or a seasoned practitioner, this book offers a modern middle way between rigid tradition and shallow spirituality. Pine proves that awakening isn't reserved for monastery dwellers—it's available to anyone willing to make friends with their mind and embrace the radical ordinariness of joy. "I am awake!" Pine declares with hard-earned confidence. His invitation is simple: you can be too. NOTE: The author narrates this book, with voice actor Robin McAlpine playing the parts of AI platforms in conversation with the author in two chapters. It contains no AI narration. Duration - 9h 46m. Author - Mel Pine. Narrator - Mel Pine. Published Date - Friday, 10 January 2025. Copyright - © 2025 Mel Harkrader Pine ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:23
Volume One
Duration:00:00:12
Epigraph to The New Middle Way
Duration:00:01:05
Introduction to The New Middle Way
Duration:00:18:07
Slicing and Dicing
Duration:00:16:57
Kleshas, the Pāramitās, the Brahmaviharas, and Karma
Duration:00:22:23
Woo-Woo World
Duration:00:30:41
Becoming Enlightened in This Lifetime
Duration:00:21:37
The Pure Land
Duration:00:21:18
Is It All About the Ego?
Duration:00:17:31
Moses, Tablets, Words, and the Kingdom of God
Duration:00:23:17
Masculinity and Femininity in Buddhism
Duration:00:09:34
Saints, Bodhisattvas, Yidams, and Poisons
Duration:00:07:44
My Journey—Roots
Duration:00:14:44
My Journey—Trauma
Duration:00:22:42
My Journey—Dharma
Duration:00:23:25
How to Find a Teacher and Sangha—Part One
Duration:00:18:11
How to Find a Teacher and Sangha—Part Two
Duration:00:24:10
Your Journey
Duration:00:07:12
Meditations and Contemplations
Duration:00:24:21
Words and Phrases
Duration:00:23:27
Volume Two
Duration:00:00:12
Epigraph to A Buddhist Path to Joy
Duration:00:00:29
Introduction to A Buddhist Path to Joy
Duration:00:13:55
Severance, Me, Impermanence, Resilience, and Maybe Amitabha
Duration:00:09:15
Awakening to Joy with Vajra Pride
Duration:00:16:08
If You're Goal Is Enlightenment, You Won't Make It
Duration:00:06:04
Lessons in the Ever-Changing Self
Duration:00:10:50
Seven Tips From Science, Buddhism, and Me on Being Happy
Duration:00:10:43
Karma, Victimhood, and Stupidity
Duration:00:22:02
The Tower of Labels
Duration:00:17:12
Seeking Answers to the Unknowable Creation Questions
Duration:00:10:48
Amor Fati and Other Compatible Teachings
Duration:00:14:39
Meet Me at the Intersection of Samadhi and Awareness
Duration:00:09:26
Equanimity and Emptiness
Duration:00:07:48
AI, Sentience, and Buddha Nature--Deep Questions for Claude, Us, and Generations to Come (AI Part One)
Duration:00:22:35
We'll Start Again With a Quote About Humor and Mortality (AI Part Two)
Duration:00:21:31
A Deeper Dive into Mahamudra and Tibetan Buddhism
Duration:00:14:30
A Review in Short Takes
Duration:00:21:39
Afterword
Duration:00:01:35
Acknowledgements
Duration:00:03:19
About the Author
Duration:00:01:29
A Final Word from Mel
Duration:00:00:43
Closing Credits
Duration:00:00:20