In Love with the World

A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying

A rare, intimate account of a world-renowned Buddhist monk’s near-death experience and the life-changing wisdom he gained from it

“One of the most inspiring books I have ever read.”—Pema Chödrön, author of When Things Fall Apart

“This book has the potential to change the reader’s life forever.”—George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo

At thirty-six years old, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was a rising star within his generation of Tibetan masters and the respected abbot of three monasteries. Then one night, telling no one, he slipped out of his monastery in India with the intention of spending the next four years on a wandering retreat, following the ancient practice of holy mendicants. His goal was to throw off his titles and roles in order to explore the deepest aspects of his being.

He immediately discovered that a lifetime of Buddhist education and practice had not prepared him to deal with dirty fellow travelers or the screeching of a railway car. He found he was too attached to his identity as a monk to remove his robes right away or to sleep on the Varanasi station floor, and instead paid for a bed in a cheap hostel. But when he ran out of money, he began his life as an itinerant beggar in earnest. Soon he became deathly ill from food poisoning—and his journey took a startling turn. His meditation practice had prepared him to face death, and now he had the opportunity to test the strength of his training.

In this powerful and unusually candid account of the inner life of a Buddhist master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche offers us the invaluable lessons he learned from his near-death experience. By sharing with readers the meditation practices that sustain him, he shows us how we can transform our fear of dying into joyful living.

Praise for In Love with the World
 
“Vivid, compelling . . . This book is a rarity in spiritual literature: Reading the intimate story of this wise and devoted Buddhist monk directly infuses our own transformational journey with fresh meaning, luminosity, and life.”—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge
 
“In Love with the World is a magnificent story—moving and inspiring, profound and utterly human. It will certainly be a dharma classic.”—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart
 
“This book makes me think enlightenment is possible.”—Russell Brand

Informative, Honest, Helpful.

These type of personal, spiritual stories are inspirational and inform my own experiences. Loved the openess, lack of pretence and specific focus on the mind and death. Very modern communication style.
Wish the narrator had been better schooled in Sanskrit pronunciation, but otherwise clear and informative, like a newscast.

Wow!

What a wild ride. Mingyur Rinpoche’s journey in this book is quite a listen. A lot happens during his journey and he does a great job interweaving meditative and Buddhist insights into each moment, providing a sort of real-world application to his strategies. Very cool, would recommend for both meditator and non-meditator, Buddhist and non Buddhist.

Inspirational autobiographies needed now more than ever

We need to hear more stories like this now more than ever.
To be inspired to be curious, courageous, and compassionate.
Articulating clearly the journey, we find that we too can embark and achieve the becoming “In Love with the world »

a perspective unimaginable

this story will stay with you for a long time. my mind and heart has opened wider.

my only gentle complaint is that the author reads almost like a game show host. but, it did not detract from the story being told.

A Good Story, But…

I was a little disappointed in the story because of the apparent naivete of the author with life outside the monastery. He had all the intelligence to discuss meditation and a lot of Buddhist thought, but when it came down to him catching a stomach virus, he almost dies by not getting simple help. I would think most travelers would be aware of the possibility of catching something like this while traveling in India, no matter what kind of food they eat or where it is from. Otherwise the Buddhist topics discussed where well done.