Against the Stream: A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries [Paperback]

Noah Levine (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 8, 2007

Buddha was a revolutionary. His practice was subversive; his message, seditious. His enlightened point of view went against the norms of his day—in his words, "against the stream." His teachings changed the world, and now they can change you too.

Presenting the basics of Buddhism with personal anecdotes, exercises, and guided meditations, bestselling author Noah Levine guides the reader along a spiritual path that has led to freedom from suffering and has saved lives for 2,500 years. Levine should know. Buddhist meditation saved him from a life of addiction and crime. He went on to counsel and teach countless others the Buddhist way to freedom, and here he shares those life-changing lessons with you. Read and awaken to a new and better life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Levine's first book, Dharma Punx, was the autobiography of a young hell-raiser. Having escaped juvenile hall and drug addiction through the slow discipline of Buddhist practices, the son of Buddhist author Stephen Levine is now a spiritual teacher. In this book he presents what he has learned about and through Buddhism. The compelling personal narrative may be gone, but the disarming, frank tone that made the first book persuasive remains. He writes about the challenge of celibacy, for example, a different kind of difficulty than that posed by intimate relationships. Levine has taken the Buddha's teachings to heart—he would call it heart-mind—and clearly returns to such central ideas as impermanence and suffering, giving his thinking simplicity and consistency. Considering there's a lot of Buddhism here, the book is free of a lot of Buddhist-speak. An appendix includes to-the-point instructions for a variety of meditations that relate to essential Buddhist qualities and ideas. Levine's no-frills approach makes this a short book that will be accessible for young adults with little or no experience of Buddhism. Whether the book is about a revolutionary way of life is arguable, but it is an honest book—what Buddhists would call right speech—driven by right intention. (July)
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Review

Free of Buddhist-speak, with to-the-point instructions, Levine’s no-frills approach makes this book accessible for young adults. (Publishers Weekly)

“An honest, fearless sequel... this is one to thumb through again and again.” (Mandala magazine)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; First Edition edition (May 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006073664X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060736644
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Pointed June 5, 2007

By Michael P. Maslanka

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Cutting through the White Noise, Levine just does not just explain the basic tenents but applies them to the lives we all lead. Dealing with sexual temptations? "Sexual suffering is caused not by the energy itself, but by our own inability to understand and skillfully deal with that energy." He suggests ways to do just that, all the while adhering to Sid's(short hand for the Buddha) blessing that while his finger may point us to the moon, his finger is not the moon. Forgiveness? Peel away the actor from the action. "An action from a confused and suffering being in the past doesn't represent who that being is forever;it is only an expression of the being's suffering." To lash out at those who hurt us because they have been hurt and are in pain only continues the cycle. A worthwhile contribution.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I was inspired by this book. December 5, 2008

By Spunk Monkey

Format:Paperback

A fairly simple and straightforward explanation of the tenents of Theravadian and Mahayana Buddhism from a "punk rock" perspective. Although perhaps too simple for most non newbies, I really appreciated the moral clarity and seeming earnestness of author Noah Levine's vision and got a lot out of it.

A former punk rock junkie/ thug turned spiritual/ meditation teacher, Levine found Buddhism conducive to his anti authoritarian mentality (as we can see from such section headings as "Defy the Lies," "Serve the Truth," "Beware all Teachers," and "Question Everything."

Levine takes his title from a quote of the Buddha where he claimed that spiritual path was a revolutionary one, which went "against the stream" of society which is founded on and valorizes hate, bigotry, greed, violence, oppression, and lies.

Levine appreciates the counter cultural bend of Buddhism, especially where the Buddha said as he lay dying to, "Be a light unto yourself." Similarly Levine implores us to not "Believe anything based on tradition or charasmatic presentation. Don't even believe the Buddha, and certainly don't believe me," and "Nothing must be accepted on blind faith. If any aspect of these teachings doesn't make sense when thoroughly investigated, reject it."

In the end, this text implores us to be revolutionaries in this world by practicing generosity, self compassion, have a willingness to protect others and alleviate oppression, to break our addictions, to attempt to see the world with open eyes and clarity, to face our personal demons and fears, and to explore our minds and emotions so they don't tyrannize us.

I found his explanations of the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path useful. I also found his interpretation of Buddhism intriguing colored as it was by his being a younger American with a punk rock background. His text is no nonsense and concise, as well as intelligently thought out.

And best of all, I feel like Levine made a sincere effort to be honest. He tells us he is not "enlightened" but has been helped by meditation and the teachings; he talks about his struggles battling addiction; he talks about his suffering in regards to his relationships; his struggle with his ego and his problem of blaiming others for his own mistakes; he talks about his fear and anger; and how the road was long and hard but worth it.

As a spiritual text providing suggestions for making the world a better place and encouraging the endeavor of relinquishing unhappiness, this book is a breath of sanity in an insane world.

Recommended. Not a scholarly affair, but a sincere moral statement of a spiritual journey from hell to recovery.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars punk enlightenment! July 9, 2007

By E. Hockenberry

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was blessed by receiving this book as a gift from my wife. This book helped me change alot of perspectives on life. I enjoyed the stories and the techniques taught in this book. Being young and rebellious were things I held dear, now that I am getting older, I found that I can still shake up the norm just by being buddhist and respecting all life. Great read. Thank you Noah! --Eric H. Pittsburgh PA