Living without Stress or Fear is a great audiobook / course.ย Presented by an organization, Sounds True, which seems to have a number of courses up.ย I am not sure I would call this a course, because while he does expound greatly on certain concepts and practices, and encourages the listener to embody these through their own practice, there is less direct work with the listener that may be expected in a ‘course.’
These are all topics he has touched on in many places, but this was a good form, with the bonus of Thich Nhat Hanh doing the narration speaking.ย He has a very soothing approach, that helps one receive the work more readily.ย I am not sure if he narrates his other audiobooks, but I do enjoy listening to him speak.
This is a 6 part series, where he covers a lot of ground.ย He talks about mindful breathing, being present, compassion, interdependent origination, deep listening, nondiscrimination, loving speech, and touches on many parts of the eight-fold path.ย He explores seed consciousness, and how we influence ourselves through the various nutriments we consume – which extends far beyond food, and how to work with our suffering and the suffering of those around us.ย He speaks of the impact we have on those around us, particularly our family, and also does some work with expanding the scope of the inclusion of our perspective – seeing beyond our immediate selves and identifying with the larger group.ย And he speaks of the importance of strong community. He is particularly good at using common language to describe the practices and considerations, and spins humour out of occasionally unexpected places.
He has been a great teacher of and advocate for peace throughout his life and is truly a shining example of exemplary practice. His sense of calm and peaceful being extends beyond itself, and he has done much to organize a call for greater mindfulness in the West & throughout the world.ย ย