Original Love by Henry Shukman Summary
Overview of Original Love
Discover the transformative path of "Original Love" where Henry Shukman replaces original sin with radical connection. Praised by Sam Harris as "one of the wisest teachers of dharma," this guide offers four powerful steps to awakening that neuroscience confirms can rewire your stressed brain.
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Key takeaways
When Everything You Thought You Were Falls Away
Have you ever wondered if the person you see in the mirror is actually who you are? Most of us carry an unshakable conviction that we're separate beings-distinct, isolated, fundamentally alone. But what if this certainty is actually an elaborate illusion, like a mirage that vanishes the moment you get close enough to see clearly? This isn't philosophical speculation. It's a lived reality accessible through meditation, one that reveals something extraordinary: beneath our constructed identities lies an infinite, unconditional love that forms the very fabric of existence. This isn't romantic love or the conditional affection we're used to-it's what we might call "original love," a boundless appreciation and connection that exists prior to all our stories about ourselves. The journey to discover this isn't reserved for monks in mountain caves. It's available to anyone willing to sit quietly and look within. Think of meditation as traveling along a cart track with two essential wheel-ruts. A cart needs both wheels to move smoothly-one wheel alone just spins you in circles. The first wheel is mindfulness practice, the gradual cultivation of present-moment awareness. The second wheel is awakening, the recognition that what you're seeking already exists within you. Neither path alone can carry you forward. This track winds through valleys, passing four distinct inns where transformation unfolds naturally, each revealing deeper dimensions of what you truly are beneath the surface of your everyday identity.
Slowing Down and Coming Home to Your Actual Life
Making Friends With What Gets in the Way
Opening to the Support That's Already Here
When the Boundary Between You and the World Dissolves
The Accident You Can't Force But Can Prepare For
The Ground That Isn't There and the Love That Always Was
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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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