Don't Worry, Be Grumpy: Inspiring Stories for Making the Most of Each Moment

by Brahm

Overview

Laugh aloud even as you look at life anew with these stories from the bestselling author of Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?

In 108 brief stories with titles like "The Bad Elephant," "Girlfriend Power," and "The Happiness License," Ajahn Brahm offers up more timeless wisdom that will speak to people from all walks of life. Drawing from his own experiences, stories shared by his students, and old chestnuts that he delivers with a fresh twist, Ajahn Brahm shows he knows his way around the humorous parable, delighting even as he surprises us with unexpected depth and inspiration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614291671
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	10/21/2014
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	433,223
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

After pursuing a degree in theoretical physics from Cambridge University, Ajahn Brahm, born in London as Peter Betts, headed off to a forest monastery in Thailand, where he studied under the famed meditation master Ajahn Chah for nine years starting in the mid 1970s. A Buddhist monk for over thirty years, he is now the abbot and spiritual director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia in Perth, and he is in demand worldwide both as a spiritual teacher and as a popular speaker. He is the author of Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?, The Art of Disappearing, and Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond.

Editorial Reviews

08/11/2014
In 108 light-hearted, and very short, stories, Ajahn Brahm (Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?) illustrates the “monk method” of “separating the mind from the difficulties that surround it.” The British-born abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia offers eclectic tales that illuminate key Buddhist values, particularly kindness and compassion. Some are adapted from traditional parables, often feature animals, but Ajahn Brahm also draws widely from his experiences as a student of the Venerable Ajahn Chah in Thailand, as a spiritual counselor for local Buddhists, and as a collector of oddball anecdotes. Kind ghosts, chicken farmers, disappearing motorcycles, bullies, and lucky lottery shops all make appearances. His quirky sensibility is not for all tastes: the tales can be a trifle morbid, off-kilter, or perplexing, and the author is more effective at finding humor in life’s absurdities than he is at addressing such topics as rape and the loss of a child. Acute insight (“Happiness is the ‘must have’ commodity of the modern age”) and wise advice (“Put the work down when it feels too heavy to bear, and rest for a little while”) mingle with cheerful self-promotion and stereotypes (“Boys want good-looking girlfriends. Girls often want rich husbands”). Ajahn Brahm has a gift for deriving comedy—and an easily digested Buddhist lesson—from much of what his restless mind encounters. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"I love a book that I can open randomly to any page and know I’ll find a valuable teaching. This describes the delightful new book Don’t Worry Be Grumpy. With every story, the irrepressible Ajahn Brahm gently challenges our conventional views, giving us a fresh perspective imbued with wisdom and compassion."

Toni Bernhard

"In irreverent and inescapably humorous ways, Ajahn Brahm's Don't Worry, Be Grumpy collection of stories become unforgettable learning experiences."

Jean Smith

"If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a good metaphorical story is worth that many more. Ajahn Brahm’s latest collection of stories are funny, endearing, and, of course, infused with wisdom."

Arnie Kozak