The Middle Way
Jinananda
Sep 2000 · Naxos AudioBooks · Narrated by David Timson
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Audiobook
3 hr 55 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
General interest in Buddhism has never been higher. The story and teachings of a man who lived 2,500 years ago have a special resonance for us today, perhaps because he taught a way of life that was not based on belief in a creator god but rather on personal experience. ÔTest my words for yourself,Õ he said. But what lies behind those distinctive images of the Buddha, seated with unshakeable poise, with eyes half-closed and a slight smile? How did Buddhism develop, from the austere style which governed the life of the yellow-robed monks in ancient India to the more colourful, even magical expression of Tibet? And where does Zen fit in? In The Middle Way, Jinananda, a Western-born Buddhist, divides the subject into The Three JewelsÊÐ The Buddha (a life of the historical figure), The Dharma (an account of the fundamental teachings) and The Sangha (the disciples, both lay and monastic throughout the world). With extracts from some of main sutras, Jinananda explains the key concepts that lie behind a system of thought and behaviour which, like the universe itself, is continuously expanding.
About the author
Duncan Steen was born in Bedford, United Kingdom in 1952. He was an antiquarian bookseller in London before becoming involved in the Buddhist community. In 1986, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk with the name Jinananda. He taught meditation and Buddhism at City Lit, the LSE, and the West London Buddhist Centre. He wrote several books including The Essential Englishman, The Middle Way, Meditation: The Buddhist Way, Karma and Rebirth - in a Nutshell, Meditating, and Warrior of Peace. He also translated Sophocles' Oedipus the King. He was also an audiobook narrator for several books including Marcus Aurelius's Meditations and Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy and On the Genealogy of Morals. He died of cancer in December 2017 at the age of 65.
John Henley Heathcote Williams was born in Helsby, Cheshire, England on November 15, 1941. He studied law at Christ Church, Oxford, but left without earning a degree. He was a poet, playwright, and actor who used every artistic means available to express his outrage at royal privilege, private property, environmental degradation, and numerous other targets. His first book, The Speakers, was published in 1964. His collections of poetry included Whale Nation, Sacred Elephant, Falling for a Dolphin, Autogeddon, Royal Babylon: The Case Against the Monarchy, and American Porn. His plays included The Local Stigmatic, AC/DC, The Immortalist, and Remember the Truth Dentist. He also appeared in several movies including The Tempest, Wish You Were Here, Orlando, and Basic Instinct 2. He wrote the television drama What the Dickens!, about Charles Dickens's fondness for staging amateur magic shows for friends. It was broadcast on the BBC in 1983. He died from lung disease on July 1, 2017 at the age of 75.
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