Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
    Unavailable
    The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
    Unavailable
    The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
    Audiobook14 hours

    The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life

    Written by Jean Francois Revel and Matthieu Ricard

    Narrated by David Shaw-Parker

    5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Twenty-seven years ago, Matthieu Ricard gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism-not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters.

    Years later, this project was born, and Richard met with his father, Jean-Francois Revel-a French philosopher who became world famous for his challenges to both Communism and Christianity. At an inn overlooking Kathmandu, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history: Does life have meaning? What is consciousness? Is man free? What is the value of scientific and material progress? Why is there suffering, war, and hatred?

    Utterly absorbing, inspiring, and accessible, that conversation became this remarkable dialogue - one that engages East with West, ideas with life, and science with the humanities, providing wisdom concerning how to enrich the way we live our lives.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateNov 14, 2017
    ISBN9781520085661
    Unavailable
    The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
    Author

    Jean Francois Revel

    Jean-Francois Revel nació en Marsella el 19 de enero de 1924. Fue redactor jefe de las páginas literarias de France-Observateur (1960-1963) y editorialista literario y político de L'Express (1966-1978). Después fue director de L'Express hasta fecha muy reciente. Pubclió mas de 20 obras, entre las que han alcanzado notoriedad mundial NI Marx ni Jesús, La tentación totalitaria y La nouvelle censure.Revel murió en 2006 a los 82 años de edad.

    Related to The Monk and the Philosopher

    Related audiobooks

    Philosophy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Books | Come to Think of It

      Nov 8, 2019

      Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, a professor of history at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, has built on themes dispersed in many of his books to produce Out of Our Minds-a scholarly yet legible journey through history, science, religion,

      1 min read

    • Article

      Know Your Philosophers

      Aug 2, 2020

      Know Your Philosophers
      4 min read

    • Article

      Brave And Barmy New Worlds

      Jun 24, 2021

      Brave And Barmy New Worlds
      4 min read

    • Article

      Michael Wood On…

      Sep 1, 2022

      In my job, travelling the world making films on history and culture, I’ve spent a lot of time exploring religion in its many manifestations. Religion, after all, is a gift for the camera: full of colour, action and often moving rituals. It’s also a c

      3 min read

    • Article

      Michael Wood On…

      Jan 18, 2024

      Michael Wood On…
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Artist’s Challenge

      Nov 1, 2019

      Formal education within fine art institutions often direct students to learn from art history. It is common to see artists continue their research to include the work of other artists including ‘old masters’. A profound influence for Bernard Leach wa

      7 min read

    • Article

      Excerpt

      Dec 12, 2023

      “The general and accepted meaning of the Enlightenment today is that it was a great leap forward in the capacity of humans to control nature, generate wealth and direct their own destinies. It was, so the story goes, a crowning feat of progress and r

      2 min read

    • Article

      Evolution The Big Liee

      Oct 2, 2020

      Evolution The Big Liee
      4 min read

    • Article

      Michael Wood On...

      Jan 21, 2021

      I’m reading Camilla Townsend’s Fifth Sun, which won the 2020 Cundill Prize, the biggest literary prize anywhere for history. A boldly imaginative attempt to tell the story of the Aztecs from indigenous sources, it raises fascinating issues. The Spani

      3 min read

    • Article

      Freedom vs. Order

      Nov 5, 2020

      The author is the first deputy president of the Central Institute of Socialism Ancient Greek civilization is considered the cradle of modern Western civilizations, and Chinese civilization experienced crucial evolution around the same time during the

      4 min read

    • Article

      Viennese Whirl

      Aug 23, 2023

      Viennese Whirl
      3 min read

    • Article

      Mont Pèlerin 1947: Transcripts of the Founding Meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society

      Jan 25, 2023

      Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 2022. Pp. xxi, 222. $34.95 hardcover. In the late 1930s, during the worldwide Great Depression and as the totalitarian threat loomed large, a group of scholars gathered in Paris to discuss the fate of liber

      11 min read

    • Article

      We’re Naturally Supernatural

      Jan 5, 2023

      Historical Precedents, Moral Objections, New Realities Jeffrey J Kripal University of Chicago Press 2022 Hb, 256p, £28, ISBN 9780226820248 As a young Catholic, Jeffrey Kripal visited some Protestant churches in his American Mid-West town. He was baff

      11 min read

    • Article

      School’s Out

      Oct 7, 2019

      School’s Out
      8 min read

    • Article

      Tadao Ando

      Oct 25, 2021

      Se rifletto sulla storia dell’espressione artistica e architettonica, rimango tremendamente affascinato dai movimenti sorti in Europa all’inizio del XX secolo, agli albori del Moderno. L’introduzione del Cubismo da parte di Pablo Picasso catalizzò nu

      3 min read

    • Article

      Varieties of Experience

      Sep 1, 2020

      THERE IS A PUZZLE at the heart of my academic work. I am an anthropologist, and among other things, I study the voices (or auditory hallucinations) of people in different countries who have schizophrenia. Their voices are clearly shaped by local cult

      4 min read

    • Article

      Count Down!

      Jul 10, 2023

      Count Down!
      16 min read

    • Article

      'Enlightenment Now' Says Human Progress Is Real, Remarkable, And Yet Often Unacknowledged

      Feb 27, 2018

      Steven Pinker marshals data from detailed studies that show the stirring extent of progress human beings have achieved since the 18th century.

      4 min read

    • Article

      How To Disagree Well

      Jan 27, 2022

      IT WAS ON CHRISTMAS EVE that I realised I’d been subjected to a social media drive-by shooting. That pinnacle of modern ecclesiastical power, the president of Humanists UK, Professor Alice Roberts had deduced from the headline of an interview I gave

      3 min read

    • Article

      Pinker’s progress

      Oct 8, 2021

      Pinker’s progress
      18 min read

    Reviews for The Monk and the Philosopher

    5/5

    4 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Excelente. Es una buena intro teórica al budismo. Lo recomendaré a académicos occidentales :) gracias scribd
    • 4/5
      The Monk and the Philosopher~ The Provident SonThe relationship between father and son is always complex. Fathers want the best for their sons, and sons balance a natural tension of wanting to learn from father, and live up to his father’s expectations, while exploring all that is new and exciting in the world. It is a respectful yet powerful tension between old and new, experience and novelty, obedience and autonomy, belief and curiosity, advice and adventure. This tension is richly realized throughout the remarkable dialogue created by these two brilliant men. The monk shares and explains what he learns from his years of conscientious practice of the Buddhist traditions. The philosopher critically analyzes what the monk presents and compares it to the philosophical traditions of the West while struggling to learn from his son.The philosopher-father begins by asking the monk-son why he decided to leave a promising career as a molecular biologist to commit himself completely to the Buddhist practice. “In short”, he answers, “science however interesting wasn’t enough to give meaning to my life.” Based on the limited exposure he had to the contemplative lifestyle through extraordinary documentary films by Arnaud Desjardins, he saw that the monks were the most sincerely happy people he knew of, and he wanted to explore and experience their authentic lifestyle for himself. “I had the impression of seeing the living beings who were the very image of what they taught.” He goes on to say, “here were beings who seemed to be the living examples of wisdom.” He met the Tibetan Buddhist lama, Kangyur Rinpoche and eventually studied with him for years until the teacher’s death in 1975. He went on to study with Khysntse Rinpoche for 12 more years and was ordained as a monk in 1979. The younger monk seems wholly content with his decision.“Suffering is the result of ignorance,” he learned, and “ignorance, in essence is belief in a truly existing self and in the solidly of phenomena”. However skeptical at first, observing the perfect being of his teacher convinced him of this truth and inspired him to absorb himself in the practice. He went on to learn that negative emotions arise from the notion of a self, the “me” that we all cherish, however, “attachment to the self is a fact, but the self that is the object of that attachment has no true existence; it exists nowhere and in no way as an autonomous and permanent entity.” Destructive thoughts, such as hatred, are “liberated by looking at their nature”, recognizing that thoughts have no substance, and releasing yourself from the illusion of their grip.To dissolve a thought, begin by breaking the flow of thoughts for a few minutes. Just remain in awareness of the present moment, free of any conscious thoughts. As thoughts reappear, begin to examine the nature of discursive thoughts, looking for their source and substance, until you reach a state of ‘not found’ where thoughts vanish without leaving a trace. With the thought dissolved you can enter a state of inner simplicity, clear mindfulness, and awareness absent of any concepts. The monk attests that “working on oneself inwardly in this way gets rid of hatred, desire, jealousy, pride, and everything else that disturbs the mind.”The extraordinary introspective skills and beliefs of Buddhist monks are the results of years of conscientious practice guided by “contemplative science.” The philosopher is skeptical, and refuses to accept evidence that is not materially observable by anyone wishing to see for himself. The monk compares the feats of Buddhist contemplatives to the skills of an Olympic athlete, who after many years of training, can jump 8 feet high. Certainly the ability to jump that high is extraordinary, and greatly exceeds the ability of any untrained athlete. We would not believe this was possible if we could not go to a track meet or watch coverage on TV and see extraordinary athletes repeating this amazing skill. The skills of highly trained monks are equally extraordinary, but not observable by others. However we can consider reliable testimony by many credible practitioners who have no reason to mislead or deceive. “A statement can be accepted as valid”, the monk argues, “when there are substantial reasons for believing the person making it”. In addition, we can directly observe the serenity of these expert practitioners.“Action on the world is desirable”, the monk tells his father, “while inner transformation is indispensable.”, “This opening of the eyes of wisdom” he says referring to dismissing the illusions, “Increases your strength of mind, your diligence, and your capacity to take appropriate and altruistic action.” This requires a strong mind, an unshakable certainty, and a radiant personality, without the slightest trace of ego, selfishness, or self-centeredness. “If a prisoner wants to free his companions in misfortune, he must first break out of his own chains”, the monk assures us, “It’s the only way to do it”. The philosopher asks, “Do you mean that the only way to attain lasting peace in the world is the reform of the individuals?” The monk replies, “To think otherwise is surely utopian.” “In any case,” the monk elaborates, “the first thing is to make peace within oneself — inner disarmament; then peace in the family; then in the village; and finally in the nation and beyond.” “Western efficiency is a major contribution to minor needs” the son proposes to his skeptical father, “What Buddhism could help to change is the overall attitude that consists of giving priority to ‘having’ over ‘being’. It’s a matter of establishing a new order of values, giving priority to the quest for inner well-being.” Buddhism provides a vision of tolerance, open-mindedness, altruism, quiet confidence, a science of the mind through which all people, including westerners, can find their own inner peace. Buddhism simply offers to share an experience with anyone who wishes. The point isn’t to convert people but to contribute to their well-being.A disturbing chapter describes the Chinese invasion, occupation, and on-going destruction of Tibet, its people, and its culture since 1950. Millions of Tibetans were slaughtered, and 6,150 monasteries were destroyed nearly annihilating this unique and most peaceful culture. Despite this genocide the strong will of the Tibetan people still survives. The Dalai Lama lives in exile with about 100,000 Tibetans who still seek a peaceful return to their homeland. He often says, “Tibet has no petrol for engines, like Kuwait, but it does have petrol for the mind which should justify other countries coming to its rescue.” He points out the advantages to be gained in making Tibet a buffer state, a haven of peace in the middle of major Asian powers. He passionately advocates for support from the most powerful nations and patiently awaits their action.The monk offers us many more pearls; each explored in much more depth in the book:+ Truth is strong enough by itself to convince, and should never be imposed by force.+ The goal of nonviolence is specifically to diminish violence. It’s not a passive approach. + Evil has no more existence than a mistake; it is only an incorrect perception of reality. + The great virtue of sin is precisely that it doesn’t have any true existence. There’s therefore no negative action or thought that can’t be dissolved, purified, or repaired. + The idea of man’s true nature can be understood as a state of balance, while violence is a state of imbalance.+ It’s obvious that unless a sense of responsibility develops in all the individuals sharing this planet, it’ll be very difficult to apply any democratic ideals. + Enlightenment is the discovery of the ultimate nature of both oneself and phenomena. + Mastery of oneself, like so many other qualities, is only something of true value when it’s based on the right motivation and metaphysical principles. + What Buddhism calls meditation is a gradual discovery, over years of practice, of the nature of the mind and how mental events appear in it.+ It doesn’t make much sense to think that because a truth is an ancient truth it’s no longer worth bothering about.+ In spiritual practices the difficulties come at the beginning, and in worldly practice the difficulties come at the end.+ Without wisdom, reason will just argue about human happiness without ever actually bringing it about. Education needs to be more than just the accumulation of knowledge; it should really be education on how to be. In the end each man gains a deeper understanding and appreciation for the other’s beliefs, but neither abandons his chosen path.

      2 people found this helpful