A Thousand Names for Joy

Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are

By: Byron Katie, Stephen Mitchell

Narrated by: Byron Katie, Stephen Mitchell

Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In her first two books, Byron Katie showed how suffering can be ended by questioning the stressful thoughts that create it, through a process of self-inquiry she calls The Work. Now, in A Thousand Names for Joy, she encourages us to discover the freedom that lives on the other side of inquiry.

Stephen Mitchell, the renowned translator of the Tao Te Ching, selected provocative excerpts from that ancient text as a stimulus for Katie to talk about the most essential issues that face us all: life and death, good and evil, love, work, and fulfillment. The result is an audiobook that allows the timeless insights of the Tao Te Ching to resonate anew for us today, while offering a vivid and illuminating glimpse into the life of someone who for 20 years, ever since she "woke up to reality" one morning in 1986, has been living what Lao-tzu wrote more than 2,500 years ago.

With her stories of total ease in all circumstances, Katie does more than describe the awakened mind; she lets you see it and feel it in action. And she shows you how that mind is yours as well.

©2007 Byron Kathleen Mitchell (P)2007 Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"[A] genuine and fresh spiritual manifesto." (Publishers Weekly)

Katie - Another Name for Joy

Katie and Stephen do it again! I read it first and then ordered the audio and I'm glad I did. Katie and Stephen impart wisdom in chapter after chapter. One of my favorite concepts..."I trust everybody." I can trust everybody to do what they are going to do. What freedom comes from the truth. Decisions can be made with a clear head and no emotion. This is a book I will listen to again and again.

Dropping into Peace

Listening to this by KT dropped me into peace. I had worked with The Work before, but left it because of some unquestioned thought. This time I dropped into a feeling of peace and understand what can't be said how the mind tricks us and lies. But it's not about fighting our thoughts but loving them and seeing what is.

No question that KT is living what she talks of. I don't aways agree with her Kateism's but that doesn't take away from The Work or her living what is.

walking the talk of Now

Byron Katie has given us two books about her "Work." With them she shows how to question thoughts and beliefs and encourages us to break free of the grip of the thinking mind and live in the present moment.

With her new book she uses the Tao Te Ching to share her path of discovery, as well as how she is present. It is an amazing glimse into the mind of a clear presence.

AT LEAST WHILE YOU LISTEN, YOU ARE AT PEACE

Would you consider the audio edition of A Thousand Names for Joy to be better than the print version?

I can't imagine reading this and getting the same sense of peace from it. The voice of Byron Katie is what allows the listener to take what she is saying seriously. You understand the place of acceptance and love she speaks of because its conveyed in the way she says it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Thousand Names for Joy?

She spoke of a man holding a gun to her and she says she understood what it once felt like to feel like she HAD to do something too. When she relates her personal experiences, whether its from first person or third person, she truly gets across her point that nothing is really happening without believing the thought of it.

Which character – as performed by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell – was your favorite?

The hand that kills the ant.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It filled me with an understanding of unconditional love and acceptance.

Fantastic!

This work goes to a deeper level in consciousness than Byron Katies original work, "Loving What is". It may sound a bit strange to someone new to spritual work, yet I promise it will be life changing if given a chance. This is an audio you must give yourself to to truly comprehend it's richness. I'm a huge fan of Byron Katie and would recommend all of her works. It's life changing when applied.

A feast for the heart!

Byron Katie is an American original. A buddha and a bodhisattva. Her life and her message is all about giving and helping people to wake up to their true nature. She is uncompromising in her vision which sees everyone and everything as nothing less than divine perfection. What I found most compelling and enjoyable about this book is how she reconciles or expresses this vision with the nitty gritty details of daily life.

Katie, as she often points out, is a lover of what is. This is evident not only in the way she communicates to large groups but also in the way he relates one-on-one. This compassion and love comes through in his wonderful adaptation of the Tao Te Ching which is narrated by Katie and edited by her husband Stephen Mitchell.

Excited me for "The Work"

Where does A Thousand Names for Joy rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

This book got me so excited about Byron Katie's "The Work," that I had to download her audiobook, "Loving What is." This book, like many other related books paint a beautiful picture of what living in the moment is all about. However, this book doesn't explain how to do that. This book is great, but if you are looking for the process, just jump ahead to "Loving What is," by Bryon Katie.

Life changing

What did you love best about A Thousand Names for Joy?

Katie is on another plane but she's here to help us reach a higher ground. It's something to keep practicing. Can't just listen to it once and walk away. She opens doors for us and, I, for one am grateful for these recordings.

What does Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Listening is definitely easier than reading it. It seems to be more absorbable that way.

Deep and Provoking

Where does A Thousand Names for Joy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Byron Katie is unique...I would not compare her to anybody else I've read or listened to, except perhaps Geneen Roth

Which scene was your favorite?

Hearing her discuss her vision problems with all its ramifications was very inspiring to me. That she could say curing her eyes would be good, but not curing them would also be good was a personal look into what it means to accept reality as good.

Any additional comments?

This book takes a lot of pondering. I loved hearing it in her own voice and I find myself applying her wisdom to my life constantly.

Not for everyone

I'm somewhat skeptical of the overall value of what this woman is teaching. While her method, which she calls The Work, may be helpful for deflating personal prejudices, it is hard to believe it is the cure-all for neurosis that it is apparently purported to be. The concept is sort of one-size-fits-all and does not take into account personality types, the complexity of mental illness or the presence of evil in human activities. What seems to be a spiritual teaching is spiced up with suspicious anecdotes where peace, love and understanding have apparently triumphed in the author's life. She is an extraordinary human being who has enjoyed an equally extraordinary life, if she is to be believed. And she is gifted with the kind of smothering albeit joyous extroverted personality that would send this introvert running for the exits. And while this book allegedly has something to do with Taoism, I imagine this woman might send Lao Tzu up the mountain in search of solitude, although Chuang Tzu might simply fall down laughing.

Wonderful

Wonderful delivery full of inspiration and truth of lightness of all of it. High recommendation.