I’m looking forward to hearing you discuss various books with this lens, Lekden. I hope to learn more about Buddhism in the process, and I have no doubt I’ll gain a new appreciation of the books too.
Thanks! I am excited to start the series. I talk _about_ how I read a lot, and so this is the next logical step. I haven't done this particular thing is this formalized of a format before, so it will be a learning process for me, too.
Great discussion on Buddhism basics and I love the idea of learning more about them through fiction. Looking forward to reading The Long Walk and hearing your thoughts next month!
Thanks! While I am (clearly) discussing Buddhist ideologies, I hope I can also demonstrate how a deep or intimate reading style can bring all sorts of meaningful interaction. with fiction. The next video should be out 9 December...
Very very here for this :) Just read my first King book this past week (Salem’s Lot). I loved the story so much. Was reminded of Jhana practice when reading about Mark Petrie’s harrowing escape from the Marsten House.
I'm happy to have you on board! That book definitely has a lot of contemplative moments, and Father Callahan is a pretty great character. I don't know yet if _Salem's Lot_ will end up as part of this project, I haven't planned that far out, we'll see. It is a great SK book to start with though, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Well, I have certainly never been accused of being normal, so bizarre tracks! Great to have you along for the ride. The goal, of course, is to have some sort of evergreen content so that even if someone can't follow along in real time they can still jump in and out on their own schedule. And the hope is that I can frame the videos in such a way that even if you have not read the book in question you can get something from the video, both in terms of becoming interested in the book but maybe more importantly in terms of thinking about the ideas I pull from it and the ways intimate reading can creates space for those ideas.
Great idea and an intriguing choice for first book. I haven't actually gotten round to reading any King yet, so it'll be interesting to see what he had to say so early on.
Thanks! Choosing books has already proven to be an interesting process... I did a completionist project back in 2022 where I filled in all of my SK gaps and re-read books I had forgotten, but there were a lot of books I _didn't_ re-read, too. As I look across a list of titles trying to pick out ones that will be useful for this project as I envision it (which in large part means not having all the books highlight the same small group of ideas) has involved dusting off a lot of cobwebs. It has actually been quite a few years since I last read _The Long Walk,_ but it did stick with me, and it seemed fitting, being King's first novel and all. We'll see how it goes!
@@arockinsamsara I think the only author I've put in a similar amount of completionism is Ursula K Le Guin - who might be worth a look for this series - but even her catalogue doesn't size up to King's, that's an impressive project. Looking forward to that first vid!
@@JamoboBorg There are a lot of authors who I could do a similar project with, for sure. I have read some short stories as well as _The Dispossessed,_ but that is it, so far, but intend/hope to read a lot more. As and if this project grows then I don't think future installments will stick to one author. I might do a general sci-fi version, or something like that. But that is too remote to really consider right now! I will focus on the SK edition of the project first, and see where we go from there.
I watched this video but didn't comment the other day. I studied some philisophical Buddhist texts in high school and college, on my own, even. I haven't read much Stephen King so I am not sure how he connects to it, but I know he is a complex and credible author enough. I am a Christian, though from what I have seen I believe that God is merciful enough to reincarnate people, which is controversial and contrary to the Bible. I have seen too much evidence of past lives and have knows some potential old souls, and even though I am a Christian I am not narrow minded. However, there is something that I have a hard time figuring, and it is even in my debut novel (which I am proofreading now). Karma. How can Karma exist without a God? Who decided to dole out the karmic justice? Isn't Karma a way of proving that there is an almighty judge that watches over us? Deep thoughts like that I love to attempt to tackle. Key word is attempt. Then, the simulation. Do we live in one or not. I hope not. But if we do, could that possible be what Nirvana is, breaking out of the simulation? I like thinking about things like that. One of my mentors used to say to me that there was no use in trying to figure out "The Great Mystery." He was a Christian himself, who taught political science using Greek and Roman Philosophy. He would also quote Flannery O'Conner and the christian mystic Simone Weil. He was particularly obsessed with her. My whole thing, the cornerstone of my beliefs, is that God is more merciful than what we think, but alternatively I believe that some people willingly choose to follow the devil and go to hell. There has to be a spectrum of the inbetween.
I think it is always useful to grapple with existential thoughts and maxims in a meaningful way. Stephen King does have anything to say about Buddhism, but he does explore the human condition, and as a reader I can read his work in such a way as to find meaningful insights and opportunities for contemplation and reflection.... I will discuss karma more eventually, when I make a video exploring a book that I think offers a good opportunity to really reflect on it.... I don't think comments sections are particularly goods mediums for contemplative discourse... But in short, karma is a natural law, like gravity. The whole point of understanding karma is that there is no judge, there is no cosmic being determining actions to be good, bad, or otherwise. There is no all-powerful agent behind karma, no one pulling the strings or making decisions, no one you can plead with or work out a special deal with.
I’m looking forward to hearing you discuss various books with this lens, Lekden. I hope to learn more about Buddhism in the process, and I have no doubt I’ll gain a new appreciation of the books too.
Thanks! I am excited to start the series. I talk _about_ how I read a lot, and so this is the next logical step. I haven't done this particular thing is this formalized of a format before, so it will be a learning process for me, too.
This is a wonderful introduction! I’m excited to hear all you have to share about Buddhism and King’s fiction through this project.
Thanks so much! I hope I can make the series half as good as I envision it in my head. We'll see...
Great discussion on Buddhism basics and I love the idea of learning more about them through fiction. Looking forward to reading The Long Walk and hearing your thoughts next month!
Thanks! While I am (clearly) discussing Buddhist ideologies, I hope I can also demonstrate how a deep or intimate reading style can bring all sorts of meaningful interaction. with fiction. The next video should be out 9 December...
Very very here for this :) Just read my first King book this past week (Salem’s Lot). I loved the story so much.
Was reminded of Jhana practice when reading about Mark Petrie’s harrowing escape from the Marsten House.
I'm happy to have you on board! That book definitely has a lot of contemplative moments, and Father Callahan is a pretty great character. I don't know yet if _Salem's Lot_ will end up as part of this project, I haven't planned that far out, we'll see. It is a great SK book to start with though, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I love this idea and look forward to more!
Thanks! It feels a little ambitious, but that makes it more fun!
What a bizarre project! I’m intrigued and interested. I read the Long Walk way back in the 80s. I’m going to follow along when I can.
Well, I have certainly never been accused of being normal, so bizarre tracks! Great to have you along for the ride.
The goal, of course, is to have some sort of evergreen content so that even if someone can't follow along in real time they can still jump in and out on their own schedule. And the hope is that I can frame the videos in such a way that even if you have not read the book in question you can get something from the video, both in terms of becoming interested in the book but maybe more importantly in terms of thinking about the ideas I pull from it and the ways intimate reading can creates space for those ideas.
Neat idea!
Thanks, I hope it works as well in practice as it does in my head!
Great idea and an intriguing choice for first book. I haven't actually gotten round to reading any King yet, so it'll be interesting to see what he had to say so early on.
Thanks! Choosing books has already proven to be an interesting process... I did a completionist project back in 2022 where I filled in all of my SK gaps and re-read books I had forgotten, but there were a lot of books I _didn't_ re-read, too. As I look across a list of titles trying to pick out ones that will be useful for this project as I envision it (which in large part means not having all the books highlight the same small group of ideas) has involved dusting off a lot of cobwebs. It has actually been quite a few years since I last read _The Long Walk,_ but it did stick with me, and it seemed fitting, being King's first novel and all. We'll see how it goes!
@@arockinsamsara I think the only author I've put in a similar amount of completionism is Ursula K Le Guin - who might be worth a look for this series - but even her catalogue doesn't size up to King's, that's an impressive project. Looking forward to that first vid!
@@JamoboBorg There are a lot of authors who I could do a similar project with, for sure. I have read some short stories as well as _The Dispossessed,_ but that is it, so far, but intend/hope to read a lot more. As and if this project grows then I don't think future installments will stick to one author. I might do a general sci-fi version, or something like that. But that is too remote to really consider right now! I will focus on the SK edition of the project first, and see where we go from there.
I watched this video but didn't comment the other day. I studied some philisophical Buddhist texts in high school and college, on my own, even. I haven't read much Stephen King so I am not sure how he connects to it, but I know he is a complex and credible author enough. I am a Christian, though from what I have seen I believe that God is merciful enough to reincarnate people, which is controversial and contrary to the Bible. I have seen too much evidence of past lives and have knows some potential old souls, and even though I am a Christian I am not narrow minded. However, there is something that I have a hard time figuring, and it is even in my debut novel (which I am proofreading now). Karma. How can Karma exist without a God? Who decided to dole out the karmic justice? Isn't Karma a way of proving that there is an almighty judge that watches over us? Deep thoughts like that I love to attempt to tackle. Key word is attempt. Then, the simulation. Do we live in one or not. I hope not. But if we do, could that possible be what Nirvana is, breaking out of the simulation? I like thinking about things like that. One of my mentors used to say to me that there was no use in trying to figure out "The Great Mystery." He was a Christian himself, who taught political science using Greek and Roman Philosophy. He would also quote Flannery O'Conner and the christian mystic Simone Weil. He was particularly obsessed with her. My whole thing, the cornerstone of my beliefs, is that God is more merciful than what we think, but alternatively I believe that some people willingly choose to follow the devil and go to hell. There has to be a spectrum of the inbetween.
I think it is always useful to grapple with existential thoughts and maxims in a meaningful way. Stephen King does have anything to say about Buddhism, but he does explore the human condition, and as a reader I can read his work in such a way as to find meaningful insights and opportunities for contemplation and reflection....
I will discuss karma more eventually, when I make a video exploring a book that I think offers a good opportunity to really reflect on it.... I don't think comments sections are particularly goods mediums for contemplative discourse... But in short, karma is a natural law, like gravity. The whole point of understanding karma is that there is no judge, there is no cosmic being determining actions to be good, bad, or otherwise. There is no all-powerful agent behind karma, no one pulling the strings or making decisions, no one you can plead with or work out a special deal with.