Don't Take Your Life Personally Paperback – November 1, 2010

This is my first time reading Ajahn Sumedho, and I relished every minute of it. I purposely read this book over nine month because I needed to carefully digest the words, so to echo Farrah Griffin, I “read until I understood.”I selected this book to enrich my practice of Theravada Buddhism. However, I feel as though I am walking away having taken the “master class” on living Theravada. I truly appreciated how he, as an White American male, came to Buddhism with certain privilege that shaped his eventual conversion and robing. That insight helped me see how vastly different Western society sees the Buddhist world. As a Black female Westerner, the book help me understand more about the conditioned and the unconditioned. I came to this subject of the “conditioned versus unconditioned” through my higher education as a language scholar, so I understood his basic premise. But the text opened my eyes to how badly I am conditioned, much more than I realized, especially as it relates to my career.He discusses a number of different elements about insight and/or vipassana meditation, the dharma, the sangha, and, of course, the Buddha. I don’t have a teacher in the Theravada lineage yet, but I feel as though I now do. One of the big takeaways for me is recognizing all of my humanly experiences as “it is just this.” Ajahn Sumedho opened my mind with that one big time! My way of understanding that phrase is “such is life.” Let the emotion or experience be what it is and let it go.The text reads like an actual lecture, so you should consider that if you want to read it. Nonetheless, I found the style accessible with clear diction and uncomplicated sentences. He does an effective job of presenting information in Pali and then explaining its translation into English. It appear repetitive at times, but he is scaffolding ideas about Theravada Buddhism, so you must understand that is how effective teaching works.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the practice of Theravada Buddhism.

The author, Ajahn Sumedho is the real deal. As of this writing he is 88 year old monk and still teaching at a monastery in England. American born and the first foreigner to study under Ajanh Chan. And, the first foreign Abbot for a monastery in Thailand where people like Ram Dass and his followers were exposed to his training...yet, no one mentions this oddly. The book is clearly written, straight forward with a simple message originally put forth by Ajanh Chan yet it can transform your life and anyone can understand and follow it. I find his writing very relatable perhaps since I am American and an "old guy" too. Still, give it a try. If this message can open my eyes and mind I am sure you could also benefit. You can also hear Ajanh Sumedho at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery. Make sure you listen to Ajanh Sumedho and some of his earlier teachings. Good luck and enjoy life while you still have it. cheers

Very powerful teachings from direct experience and we are encouraged to test these experiences out, to see for ourselves. Very grateful for this book and the experience of reading it.

Easy to read, but not simple. Has all of it- what you might find in a dozen books, laid out like clothes to put on, the space we seek. Understandable, accessible Truth.

I am a practitioner in the Soto Zen lineage and have never known much about the Theravadin tradition. I am so happy to have come across this volume. It has helped my practice and insight into Buddhism. I liked another reviewer’s comment that it was “almost Zen-like.” I found it that way too, in some ways more to the point concerning the essence of practice than some works I’ve read by Zen teachers. I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars only because I found it repetitive in the last several chapters.

Every once in a while, you will hear a radio interview with a professional athlete that strikes a chord, even though you have only be a amateur jock yourself. When asked what he has learned over the past seasons in his particular sport, the MLB or NBA player might say something like: "I have learned to LET THE GAME COME TO ME." Is it a brand new, earth-shattering idea? No, but might really be helpful if you are trying too hard to "make something happen" during your games. With the psychological bent in America, that seems to be a easy trap for those On The Path.I get the same value from Ajahn Sumedho's books. I read for 5-10 minutes each morning before meditation just to set the tone . . . NOT to acquire new ideas . . . just to get encouragement and support. Doing 10 years of daily meditation is not like doing Billy Blanks' Tae Bo workout videos for 10 years. That change would surely be obvious!! I find the spiritual path to be less clear. Has ANYTHING changed?? Then I read a page or two, and Sumedho reminds you . . . "The goal is not to CHANGE YOURSELF . . . but become more MINDFUL of just what shows up . . .Like This . . . filtered through all your expectations and delusions . . . It is like hitting the re-set button when my computer is bogged down . . .I re-boot and feel clearer . . . I read his previous book,The Sound of Silence this way for a couple years before this title showed up in print. Same message, but it has been helpful to have some different words to allow the message to reach my . . . heart/soul/ whatever you choose to call it.I will say, as a final note that with him having been a Peace Corps Volunteer before he studied in the Thai Forests, it seems like he can understand and work with the default settings that might be in my way. Also, I like that these are TALKS spoken to retreatants not deeply, metaphysical WRITINGS that occurred while he was alone with his laptop. Something about the spoken word works for me, less academic and more relational.He and Pema Chodron have been wonderful guides for this former Midwestern altar boy who has been exploring a different spiritual path for the past decade. They both shine the light in front of you . . .so you can start to discover your own path and learn from YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES . . . as the Buddha encouraged his followers to do. Plenty of rocks to trip over in the dark and strange voices in the woods, but never boring. As Mary Oliver likes to say: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Profoundly insightful and helpful. One of my all-time favorite books.

Este libro es una maravillosa y sencilla introducción a la meditación budista, pero también un conjunto de sabios y profundos consejos para el practicante medio o inicial. Como no soy avanzada en la práctica de la meditación (llevo unos 21 años practicando regularmente), debo atreverme a afirmar que el Venerable Ajahn Sumedho no puede decepcionar a nadie con sus consejos y sus enseñanzas, antes bien, nos motiva a seguir practicando. Todos sus consejos siempre son dados con mucha compasión y amor infinito de su parte. Muy feliz por la compra. Ojalá hubiese una traducción al español pronto.

The package got lost in transport, and when I took contact with the seller for tracking, they offered to send another immediately without any extra cost. They are super polite and helpful! The book is in the condition exactly as description. I'm so so satisfied with both purchase and seller. Highly recommended!

Absolutely delighted to have come across this book. Liberation is possible in the here and now, explained so simply n clearly. Suffering is all around us, in our inside n outside world but we only have to look deeply to see the light

Ce livre est mon livre de chevet auquel je eviens sans cesse et qui toujours amène de nouvelles choses à mon attenetion, celles que je n'avais pas vues...!

This is the most recent collection of Dhamma talks by Ajahn Sumedho. Once again, his experience as a western bhikkhu, his humor and straightforward explanations really help clear any misunderstanding of Dhamma that can sometimes arise in buddhists raised in the west. His talks on the unconditioned and the nature of Nibbana are massively helpful. Anyone interested in learning about the buddhist way of dealing with our conditioned state of being will benefit immensely from this book.The perfect balance of profound teachings coupled with his unassuming style of exposition and life exemples makes this the perfect gift to a person close to you that would be interested in learning about Dhamma.