Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Summary
Overview of Appreciate Your Life
Discover the essence of Zen in "Appreciate Your Life," where Taizan Maezumi's gentle wisdom transforms everyday moments into profound spiritual practice. Praised by Peter Matthiessen as "infinitely subtle," this Shambhala classic asks: Could the secret to inner peace be hiding in plain sight?
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Key takeaways
When You're Already Home But Still Searching
A Zen master once asked his student: "What comes thus?" The student struggled for eight years before finally giving up and answering, "When anything is said about it, you miss the mark." This isn't a riddle - it's the fundamental paradox of human existence. We spend our lives searching for something we already possess, trying to become someone we already are. Right now, as you read these words, you're living what Zen calls "the treasury of the true dharma eye" - the most precious treasure imaginable. Yet most of us experience our lives as anything but treasured. We're stuck in traffic, worried about bills, replaying yesterday's argument, dreading tomorrow's meeting. The gap between what we think our life should be and what it actually is feels vast. But what if there was never any gap to begin with? What if the very act of searching creates the distance we're trying to close? Your life itself is the koan - the fundamental question that must be resolved. Each of us, regardless of differences, has equal intrinsic value - the value of emptiness. To "come thus" means to be thus, as this - completely, without reservation. When there's even the tiniest discrepancy between who you are and who you are, it's off.
The Self That Blocks Itself and the Wisdom of Falling Apart
Three Doors to the Same Room
Sitting with What Is
Living Koans and True Compassion
The Intimacy of Arrows Meeting in Midair
Already Breathing with Buddha
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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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