
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
Duración:00:00:23
Volume One
Duración:00:00:12
Epigraph to The New Middle Way
Duración:00:01:05
Introduction to The New Middle Way
Duración:00:18:07
Slicing and Dicing
Duración:00:16:57
Kleshas, the Pāramitās, the Brahmaviharas, and Karma
Duración:00:22:23
Woo-Woo World
Duración:00:30:41
Becoming Enlightened in This Lifetime
Duración:00:21:37
The Pure Land
Duración:00:21:18
Is It All About the Ego?
Duración:00:17:31
Moses, Tablets, Words, and the Kingdom of God
Duración:00:23:17
Masculinity and Femininity in Buddhism
Duración:00:09:34
Saints, Bodhisattvas, Yidams, and Poisons
Duración:00:07:44
My Journey—Roots
Duración:00:14:44
My Journey—Trauma
Duración:00:22:42
My Journey—Dharma
Duración:00:23:25
How to Find a Teacher and Sangha—Part One
Duración:00:18:11
How to Find a Teacher and Sangha—Part Two
Duración:00:24:10
Your Journey
Duración:00:07:12
Meditations and Contemplations
Duración:00:24:21
Words and Phrases
Duración:00:23:27
Volume Two
Duración:00:00:12
Epigraph to A Buddhist Path to Joy
Duración:00:00:29
Introduction to A Buddhist Path to Joy
Duración:00:13:55
Severance, Me, Impermanence, Resilience, and Maybe Amitabha
Duración:00:09:15
Awakening to Joy with Vajra Pride
Duración:00:16:08
If You're Goal Is Enlightenment, You Won't Make It
Duración:00:06:04
Lessons in the Ever-Changing Self
Duración:00:10:50
Seven Tips From Science, Buddhism, and Me on Being Happy
Duración:00:10:43
Karma, Victimhood, and Stupidity
Duración:00:22:02
The Tower of Labels
Duración:00:17:12
Seeking Answers to the Unknowable Creation Questions
Duración:00:10:48
Amor Fati and Other Compatible Teachings
Duración:00:14:39
Meet Me at the Intersection of Samadhi and Awareness
Duración:00:09:26
Equanimity and Emptiness
Duración:00:07:48
AI, Sentience, and Buddha Nature--Deep Questions for Claude, Us, and Generations to Come (AI Part One)
Duración:00:22:35
We'll Start Again With a Quote About Humor and Mortality (AI Part Two)
Duración:00:21:31
A Deeper Dive into Mahamudra and Tibetan Buddhism
Duración:00:14:30
A Review in Short Takes
Duración:00:21:39
Afterword
Duración:00:01:35
Acknowledgements
Duración:00:03:19
About the Author
Duración:00:01:29
A Final Word from Mel
Duración:00:00:43
Closing Credits
Duración:00:00:20