Beyond Happiness

The Zen Way to True Contentment

By: Ezra Bayda

Narrated by: Tom Pile

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Many books have been published in recent years on happiness. Ezra Bayda, a remarkably down-to-earth Zen teacher, believes that the happiness "boom" has been largely a bust for listeners. Why? Because it's precisely the pursuit of happiness that keeps us trapped in cycles of dissatisfaction and suffering. In Beyond Happiness, Bayda draws on Zen teachings to question our conventional notions about what happiness is and where we can find it. Most of us seek happiness in things that are external to us. We imagine that getting more money, a better relationship, or going on a nice vacation will finally make us happy. But Bayda shows us that the deepest and most lasting form of happiness does not rely on external circumstance at all. Bayda offers Zen insights and practices that point listeners toward the true sources of lasting happiness: mindfulness, compassion, gratitude, and generosity.

©2010 Erza Bayda (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Good material.

Some excellent comments are brought to the surface in this book. it is a book that can be read multiple times because of these deep reflective comments.

Opening

Loved it. It open my eyes to see where true happiness is in this world. It is beyond the self. Thank you.

A practical approach to happiness

An easy to follow approach to genuine happiness rooted in the true nature of humanity.

Stop struggling and start living

Powerful, insightful, and gets to the core of happiness. A must for all seeking the inner path.

Wake up

Where was this wisdom in my elementary education? Thank you for allowing me to find this...

Great Book

I listen to it every few months as a reminder. highly recommend it to all.

Life Altering

I was looking for anger manegement books and something in the summary caught my eye along with the reviews from readers. This book is the gift that keeps on giving.

The author gives real examples that fit me (or that I have experienced or witnessed) and it is presented in a manner that I, as an Atheist, did not have to overcome any obstacles around spirituality in order to benefit from it.

I will be listening to this one often as I work through my personal baggage and get to know myself and not just my thinking mind.

Note: I did download this from the plus catalog via my membership plan. I want to say thank you to Audible for including quality content in the plus catalog and not just one hour teaser books.

Great energy

This is a great read with great energy. I have recommended this book to several family members. Highly recommend this book to anyone who feels down and unhappy and can’t quite figure out why.

Changed my Life -Simple to Understand

At times, books on Zen or meditation have strong over-tones of Spirituality, this book does not. It is perfect for those individuals with a more intellectual or logical approach to life or work. I particularly enjoyed the narrator's voice and have enjoyed listening to this book 4 times in the past 2 months during a very difficult time in my life when I needed to find methods to quiet too many thoughts and worries leading to anxiety. I highly recommend Beyond Happiness for those seeking a better understanding of why you might be unhappy. I could sum it up in one sentence, but it would ruin your opportunity to learn for yourself, which means so much more.

A Spiritual Masterpiece

Ezra’s book is beautifully written and read. Zen is often seen as inscrutable and mysterious, but Ezra presents its essence clearly and connects its practice with everyday life. A most accessible book, although nonetheless provocative, as it challenges our root assumptions about the true nature of happiness.