Reddit reviews Buddhism Plain and Simple: The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day

Take a break from drinking. It doesn't help anything.

I'm a lawyer and an accountant, and drinking is a huge problem in the law, too. I was at a big firm for almost seven years where we worked 70-100+ hour weeks. Everyone drank. Well, except for the people who were using hard drugs. There were a number of them, too.

Long story short, I quit drinking at the end of March 2013. I went on antabuse. The first week was not a whole lot of fun. I had DTs and could barely sleep, and what sleep I got was full of nightmares. Things got a little better after the first week, but I was kind of miserable the first month.

Then everything got a lot better. Really, it did. I don't miss alcohol and things are good. I did tell all of my family and friends that I had a problem and that I can't drink any more. Everyone was fine with that. No pressure to drink and everyone knows I'll be a DD.

As for meditation, how familiar are you with it? It can be very helpful. The book that brought me in is Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen. I wasn't religious, raised atheist, even. There is no belief in the supernatural here. There is nothing unscientific. It is a different way to look at life and I found it very compelling. Instruction for meditation is clear and precise. There are no drawbacks to trying it, so why not? Maybe you won't find a benefit, but you won't lose much by trying. On the other hand, you might find it incredibly useful. You can read through the book in a night or two, but it is one of those rare books that takes a few months to sink in and take hold. I eventually converted, something I never thought would happen to me. I don't know if it would be right for you. But that is something for you to think about. If you're curious, this book can open the door.

I sincerely hope you find a way to crawl out of the bottle. Life is better without it.

Read this:

http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Plain-Simple-Steven-Hagen-ebook/dp/B005CVTTWM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411138791&sr=1-1&keywords=buddhism+plain+and+simple

Buddhism is all about gaining control of your desires, and hate is very much fueled by desire (probably two very conflicting desires -- one that you're marriage was still healthy and one that your marriage had never existed). The book I linked to above is a very accessible intro to Buddhist thinking and it really helped me.

I used Simply Being for a little bit. Mostly, meditation and mindfulness exercises put me to sleep. But I have terrible anxiety on planes and Simply Being was really helpful.

I got a lot out of the book Buddhism Plain and Simple. It's very nonreligious if that's your thing; I'm practicing Christian and it was still perfect.

Buddhism Plain and Simple: The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CVTTWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_spnyDbMH695F7

It's not a book about meditation but I highly recommend it. There is one chapter about practicing meditation but the whole book is about the concept of the self. And don't worry its not about joining a religion. It explains the key ideology behind Buddhism without all the ceremonial and symbolism crap

still a more reasonable argument than "every time you form a concept you lose sight of reality"

Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steven Hagen (recommended on /r/Buddhism)

I simply sit in lotus position and focus on my breath. I try to return to my breathing sensations as soon as I catch myself thinking.

To be more precise, I try to follow the teachings of Steven Hagen on his books Meditation: Now or Never and Buddhism Plain and Simple.

I am not a Buddhist. I study Buddhist philosophy and try to live my life aligned with the Budda’s teachings (not by any means the same thing)...so I may not be a good source for your question. However...

My advice is to not get too caught up in the various details and such. Buddhism today is like any other organized religion in the sense that it seeks to influence your thinking and behaviors in such a direction that benefits the leadership of that religion. So, instead, I would recommend you start with a couple of interesting books that talk about Buddhist philosophy without bogging down in the dogma. I recommend:

Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Buddhism-True-Philosophy-Enlightenment-ebook/dp/B01MPZNG63/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525851744&sr=8-1&keywords=why+buddhism+is+true+robert+wright



And

Buddhism Plain and Simple: The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CVTTWM/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o01_?ie=UTF8&psc=1


These two books look at Buddhism in a sober, modern light and do a very good job of pointing out the basic teachings. They both also reference other sources that you can then use to expand your exploration, if you so desire.



Best of luck to you, on your path....