-
The Middle Way
- The Story of Buddhism
- Narrated by: David Timson, Anton Lesser
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $11.75
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
General interest in Buddhism has never been higher. The story and teachings of a man who lived 2,500 years ago have a special resonance for us today, perhaps because he taught a way of life that was not based on belief in a creator god but rather on personal experience. "Test my words for yourself," he said. But what lies behind those distinctive images of the Buddha, seated with unshakeable poise, with eyes half-closed and a slight smile? How did Buddhism develop, from the austere style which governed the life of the yellow-robed monks in ancient India to the more colorful, even magical expression of Tibet? And where does Zen fit in?
Jinananda, a Western-born Buddhist, divides the subject into the Three Jewels: The Buddha (a life of the historical figure), the Dharma (an account of the fundamental teachings), and the Sangha (the disciples, both lay and monastic, throughout the world). With extracts from some of the main sutras, Jinananda explains the key concepts that lie behind a system of thought and behavior that, like the universe itself, is continuously expanding.
Related to this topic
-
Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path
- By: Urgyen Sangharaskhita
- Narrated by: Kulananda
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Eightfold Path is the most widely known formulation of the Buddha's teaching. It is ancient, reaching back to the Buddha's very first discourse, and it is highly venerated as a unique treasury of wisdom and practical guidance. The teaching of the Eightfold Path challenges us to grasp the implications of that vision, and asks us to transform ourselves in its light. Like the teaching itself, this work covers every aspect of life.
-
-
Excellent
- By Anthony on 06-22-07
-
The Jewel Tree of Tibet
- The Enlightenment of Tibetan Buddhism
- By: Robert Thurman
- Narrated by: Robert Thurman
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tibetans call their cherished tradition of Buddhism a "wish-fulfilling jewel tree" for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. This path to enlightenment, it is taught, requires more than a sitting meditation practice alone. With The Jewel Tree of Tibet, honored scholar and teacher Robert Thurman brings these insights to you as they were meant to be transmitted, through the spoken word.
-
-
Takes A Couple Listens... But Worthwhile
- By Lotus54 on 03-21-11
By: Robert Thurman
-
Verses from the Center
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The understanding of the nature of reality is the insight upon which the Buddha was able to achieve his own enlightenment. This vision of the sublime is the source of all that is enigmatic and paradoxical about Buddhism. In Verses from the Center, Stephen Batchelor explores the history of this concept and provides listeners with translations of the most important poems ever written on the subject, the poems of 2nd century philosopher Nagarjuna.
-
-
Sublime
- By Krush on 06-19-22
-
The Bhagavad Gita
- A Walkthrough for Westerners
- By: Jack Hawley
- Narrated by: Jack Hawley
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Bhagavad Gita has been called India's greatest contribution to the world. In this audio version of his classic book The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners, Jack Hawley makes its wisdom clear to Western seekers.
-
-
The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners
- By Tammy on 10-12-12
By: Jack Hawley
-
The Meaning of Happiness
- The Quest for Freedom of the Spirit in Modern Psychology and the Wisdom of the East
- By: Alan Watts
- Narrated by: Kern Schmidt
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep down, most people think that happiness comes from having or doing something. Here, in Alan Watts’s groundbreaking third book (originally published in 1940), he offers a more challenging thesis: authentic happiness comes from embracing life as a whole in all its contradictions and paradoxes, an attitude that Watts calls the “way of acceptance.” Drawing on Eastern philosophy, Western mysticism, and analytic psychology, Watts demonstrates that happiness comes from accepting both the outer world around us and the inner world inside us,
-
-
Good Concepts Hard to Follow Along
- By Ryan on 04-13-20
By: Alan Watts
-
Counsels from My Heart
- By: Dudjom Rinpoche
- Narrated by: Simon Callow
- Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Counsels from My Heart is one of the few volumes of teachings by Dudjom Rinpoche, a legendary meditation master of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, to become available in English. It features talks to students presented in Dudjom Rinpoche's characteristically incisive and direct style, bringing the timeless heart-counsels of this great teacher vividly to life.
-
-
Content is exceptional, narration is absurd.
- By JDKC on 09-01-21
By: Dudjom Rinpoche
-
Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path
- By: Urgyen Sangharaskhita
- Narrated by: Kulananda
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Eightfold Path is the most widely known formulation of the Buddha's teaching. It is ancient, reaching back to the Buddha's very first discourse, and it is highly venerated as a unique treasury of wisdom and practical guidance. The teaching of the Eightfold Path challenges us to grasp the implications of that vision, and asks us to transform ourselves in its light. Like the teaching itself, this work covers every aspect of life.
-
-
Excellent
- By Anthony on 06-22-07
-
The Jewel Tree of Tibet
- The Enlightenment of Tibetan Buddhism
- By: Robert Thurman
- Narrated by: Robert Thurman
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tibetans call their cherished tradition of Buddhism a "wish-fulfilling jewel tree" for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. This path to enlightenment, it is taught, requires more than a sitting meditation practice alone. With The Jewel Tree of Tibet, honored scholar and teacher Robert Thurman brings these insights to you as they were meant to be transmitted, through the spoken word.
-
-
Takes A Couple Listens... But Worthwhile
- By Lotus54 on 03-21-11
By: Robert Thurman
-
Verses from the Center
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The understanding of the nature of reality is the insight upon which the Buddha was able to achieve his own enlightenment. This vision of the sublime is the source of all that is enigmatic and paradoxical about Buddhism. In Verses from the Center, Stephen Batchelor explores the history of this concept and provides listeners with translations of the most important poems ever written on the subject, the poems of 2nd century philosopher Nagarjuna.
-
-
Sublime
- By Krush on 06-19-22
-
The Bhagavad Gita
- A Walkthrough for Westerners
- By: Jack Hawley
- Narrated by: Jack Hawley
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Bhagavad Gita has been called India's greatest contribution to the world. In this audio version of his classic book The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners, Jack Hawley makes its wisdom clear to Western seekers.
-
-
The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners
- By Tammy on 10-12-12
By: Jack Hawley
-
The Meaning of Happiness
- The Quest for Freedom of the Spirit in Modern Psychology and the Wisdom of the East
- By: Alan Watts
- Narrated by: Kern Schmidt
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep down, most people think that happiness comes from having or doing something. Here, in Alan Watts’s groundbreaking third book (originally published in 1940), he offers a more challenging thesis: authentic happiness comes from embracing life as a whole in all its contradictions and paradoxes, an attitude that Watts calls the “way of acceptance.” Drawing on Eastern philosophy, Western mysticism, and analytic psychology, Watts demonstrates that happiness comes from accepting both the outer world around us and the inner world inside us,
-
-
Good Concepts Hard to Follow Along
- By Ryan on 04-13-20
By: Alan Watts
-
Counsels from My Heart
- By: Dudjom Rinpoche
- Narrated by: Simon Callow
- Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Counsels from My Heart is one of the few volumes of teachings by Dudjom Rinpoche, a legendary meditation master of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, to become available in English. It features talks to students presented in Dudjom Rinpoche's characteristically incisive and direct style, bringing the timeless heart-counsels of this great teacher vividly to life.
-
-
Content is exceptional, narration is absurd.
- By JDKC on 09-01-21
By: Dudjom Rinpoche
-
Buddha is as Buddha Does
- The 10 Original Practices for Enlightened Living
- By: Lama Surya Das
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Of all the Buddha's teachings, perhaps his greatest gift can be found in "the Bodhisattva ideal", a template for living in the world as an "Awakener", a servant of the highest good for all. With his previous best-sellers including Awakening the Buddha Within, American-born Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Surya Das has made the helpful, healing insights of the Buddha accessible to millions.
-
-
Puts the heart into mindfulness meditation
- By Steven on 01-18-18
By: Lama Surya Das
-
Asian Journals
- India and Japan (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
- By: Joseph Campbell
- Narrated by: Fred Stella
- Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the beginning of his career, Joseph Campbell developed a lasting fascination with the cultures of the Far East, and explorations of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy later became recurring motifs in his vast body of work. However, Campbell had to wait until middle age to visit the lands that inspired him so deeply. In 1954, he took a sabbatical from his teaching position and embarked on a year-long voyage through India, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally Japan.
-
-
What a journey!
- By Anonymous User on 08-11-18
By: Joseph Campbell
-
Buddhism Plain and Simple
- By: Steve Hagen
- Narrated by: William Hope
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The observations and insights of the Buddha are practical and eminently down to earth, dealing exclusively with awareness in the here and now. Buddhism Plain and Simple offers listeners these fundamental teachings, stripped of cultural trappings that have accumulated around Buddhism over the past 25 centuries.
-
-
Thrilled this Is Finally an Audiobook
- By Asha Ember on 01-28-17
By: Steve Hagen
-
The Heart of Meditation
- Discovering Innermost Awareness
- By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jeffrey Hopkins - editor/translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 3 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
His Holiness the Dalai Lama provides intimate details on an advanced meditation practice called Dzogchen using a visionary poem by the 19th-century saint Patrul Rinpoche, author of the Buddhist classic Words of My Perfect Teacher. The Dalai Lama deftly connects how training the mind in compassion for other beings is directly related to - and in fact a prerequisite for - the very pinnacle of Buddhist meditation.
-
-
What a deep book....
- By Cian on 01-31-18
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
-
Buddhism Is Not What You Think
- Finding Freedom Beyond Beliefs
- By: Steve Hagen
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author and renowned Zen teacher Steve Hagen penetrates the most essential and enduring questions at the heart of the Buddha's teachings: How can we see the world in each moment, rather than merely as what we think, hope, or fear it is? How can we base our actions on reality, rather than on the longing and loathing of our hearts and minds? How can we live lives that are wise, compassionate, and in tune with reality? And how can we separate the wisdom of Buddhism from the cultural trappings and misconceptions that have come to be associated with it?
-
-
great message, annoying narrator
- By Pamela Radtke on 11-28-19
By: Steve Hagen
-
A Path with Heart
- A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life
- By: Jack Kornfield
- Narrated by: Jack Kornfield
- Length: 3 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack Kornfield's A Path with Heart has been acclaimed as the most significant book yet about American Buddhism, a definitive guide to the practice of traditional mindfulness in America today. On this audio edition, Kornfield teaches the key principles of Buddhism's cherished vipassana (insight) tradition and puts them into direct service, with the unique needs of the contemporary seeker in mind.
-
-
NOT THE BOOK
- By E Carroll on 06-07-18
By: Jack Kornfield
-
Buddhism Without Beliefs
- A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Stephen Batchelor
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before it was a religion, a culture, or even a system of meditation, what was Buddhism? On Buddhism Without Beliefs, celebrated teacher, translator, and former Buddhist monk Stephen Batchelor takes us back to the first years after the Buddha's awakening to reveal the root insights of Buddhism hidden beneath centuries of history and interpretation.
-
-
Disingenuous.
- By Zoltan on 04-15-16
-
50 Spiritual Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This unabridged guide to the literature of the spirit surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications - everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
-
-
useful as review or starting point
- By connie on 01-03-09
-
Hinduism
- Adopting Hinduism as a Way of Life + The Ultimate Guide to Hindu Gods, Hindu Beliefs, Hindu Rituals and Hindu Religion
- By: Cassie Coleman
- Narrated by: sangita chauhan
- Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hinduism is the oldest and the third largest religion by population. There are more than a billion Hindus in India, Nepal, Indonesia (Bali), Mauritius, Canada, New Zealand, Kenya, and elsewhere in the world who practice the faith. However, many scholars and practitioners believe that Hinduism is not a religion at all - it is a way of life.
-
-
informative
- By Rose Ericson-Caen on 04-24-19
By: Cassie Coleman
-
From Death to Birth
- Understanding Karma and Reincarnation
- By: Pandit Rajmani Tigunait Ph.D.
- Narrated by: D. C. Rao Ph.D.
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens when we die? How does our present life shape our future? What part of us survives death? From Death to Birth takes us on a vivid tour of the soul's journey from one lifetime to another, revealing little known or understood aspects of spiritual life along the way. Through a series of lively stories drawn from the ancient scriptures and his own experience, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait reveals the truth about karma, how we create it, why it becomes our destiny, and how we can use it to shape the future of our dreams.
-
-
Karma Clarified
- By Persephone on 02-25-23
-
Paths to God
- Living the Bhagavad Gita
- By: Ram Dass
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now, in a fascinating series of reflections, anecdotes, stories, and exercises, Ram Dass gives us a unique and accessible road map for experiencing divinity in everyday life. In the engaging, conversational style that has made his teachings so popular for decades, Ram Dass traces our journey of consciousness as it is reflected in one of Hinduism's most sacred texts. The Gita teaches a system of yogas, or "paths for coming to union with God."
-
-
Well, I guess that's this books work taken care of
- By Jeremy Teeter on 11-30-17
By: Ram Dass
-
The Diamond Sutra
- The Buddha Also Said...
- By: OSHO
- Narrated by: OSHO
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written more than 25 centuries ago, the Diamond Sutra is the first text to record the Buddha's own teachings, and it remains one of the most popular. Osho comments in a series of talks on these sutras and brings Buddha's teachings into the 21st century. One day, after the Buddha finishes his daily walk to collect alms, a senior monk steps forth to ask how he can best help humanity. Buddha responds, and thus begins a dialogue regarding the nature of perception.
-
-
A true teacher of the Buddhist texts
- By Mike on 04-01-16
By: OSHO
What listeners say about The Middle Way
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- LeperSmurf
- 11-16-04
Rocking...
I've got a lot of audible books on Buddhism. So far this has been my favorite one, and have listened to it numerous times. Lot's of information and told in a very easy way to listen to. The voice they used for Gotama Buddha is now burned into my brain as the voice of Gotama Buddha.
Check it out, it's totally worth it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Valerie
- 11-19-09
Informative. Challenging. and Gentle.
It takes several times through to understand what is so simply set out... And it's lovely. The voice of David Carradine as the Buddha is a perfect fit.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KRS
- 07-15-18
Clear and Interesting
I got this to take a break from modern Buddhist teaching and its "Feel good/Self-help" quality and review the basics. This book is a clear and comforting path. It covers the main story of the Buddha, important parts of the Dharma, and the history of the different lineages and sangha. The reading is enlivening, and it is written as a logical step-by-step understanding. Definitely a good way to review the "bones" of the practice.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Micah J. Hall
- 02-01-11
An excellent listen
Really glad I selected this title with this months credit. It brought a lot of clarity to the subject and the way it is broken down into Buddha, Dharma, Sangha really works. Highly recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Louise
- 05-13-05
Well Written and Superbly Narrated
Makes you feel like a child sipping hot cocoa while a loving adult reads an adventure to you.
Take a break from Tricycle, Chodron, Surya Das, et al and get back to basics with this beautifully read tale that reminds us to stay aware of the core of Buddhist thought.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Barbara
- 06-22-05
Wonderful
Entertaining, informative and inspiring. Explains all of the basic concepts of Buddhism, including conditionality. Play this CD over and over. It's always enlightening and interesting!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- David
- 07-09-07
To the point...
This is one of the best introductions to Buddhism that I've listened to. Just listening to it calms my nerves. A great listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Ian
- 08-12-11
magnificent
i love The Middle Way: The Story of Buddhism. it's impeccably and passionately read (and by "passionately," i do NOT mean "over the top" - not in the least - but simply that the readers clearly care very much about what they're reading, and speak each word and phrase with appropriate feeling and intent), highly educational, and provocative of insight; no single influence i've encountered over the years has done more to interest me in the possibility of stepping onto the Buddhist path, nor to help me along in my understanding. i only wish i could find more sources of information that take so purely philosophical and non-religious a view of Buddhism. my personal opinion is that religion is a refuge of the weak-minded - indeed, as this very book points out, "it is much easier to follow rules and commandments than to be aware" - and i don't see any more reason to saddle Buddhism with the taint of "religion" than i do to so saddle Christ's teachings. this non-religious approach is one of the great attributes of this book, and i only hope i'll be able to find such purity of approach elsewhere.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Teri
- 04-01-17
excellent information
I very much enjoyed this book. It explains much about Buddhism. Very good book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Kacy
- 11-30-06
Not the best
I listened the the entire book. But I was not impressed from the very beginning. I found that it did not flow easily. It was almost rough to listen to. It was short though, so I didn't feel that I wasted too much time. I could have done without having purchased it though.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful