Go-to bedside book for me. And I adore the illustrator's work. ( )

The author is a Zen monk from Korea. This book is not a novel but a book filled with inspirational texts that help to provide spiritual insight and understanding.

There are chapters about Mindfulness, Relationships, Passion, Love, Life, The Future and Spirituality.

The book has apparently been number one on the best-seller list in Korea for 41 weeks and is translated into several languages.

The author says the world is experienced according to the state of one’s mind. “When the mind is joyful and compassionate, the world is, too. When your mind is filled with negative thoughts, the world appears negative, too.”

“When we are comfortable with ourselves and have accepted ourselves wholly, others will find us approachable and will like us for who we are.”

“Love yourself despite your imperfections, --- You are so eager to help your friends, but you treat yourself so poorly. Stroke your heart once in a while and tell yourself ‘I love you’.”

“Do not fight your negative emotions. Observe and befriend them.”

“The reason you regard me as pure and compassionate is that you are pure and compassionate yourself.”

“If you are sincere about reaching enlightenment, you can learn even from a child or from the person who insults you on the street. The entire world becomes your teacher.”

“Your spirituality deepens because of those who insult you and give you a hard time. They are your spiritual teachers in disguise.”

“If I want to convince someone, I first listen attentively and try to understand them.”

“Love is like an uninvited guest. Love will come when it wants to. Love will leave when you ask more of it.”

“Love has the power to stop the world for a moment.”

When you struggle to hold on to her, she leaves. When you decide to let her go, she stays.”

The book does not contain only beautiful words but also beautiful, peaceful illustrations.”

Read this book if you want inspiration and peace and calm.

Firstly, I want to thank the author/publishers for choosing me as a winner in the giveaway, I am very grateful.

I really loved this little book. Not only did I love the inside, I loved how the book was made as well. Much smaller but thicker than your average hard cover book, but with not very many words on each page and very very wide spacing.

The only problem I find with books like these, especially as a person with a long history and has been around the block a few times, they just make me realize how far from the mark I am from being a 'good ' person. It gives so many tips, thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc to do things, say or think things that I already know is the opposite of how I react or behave now. So while I loved it and highly recommend it, I walked away feeling that I am a far worse person than I already felt, which was pretty bad to start with. ( )

Some nice sayings and observations, nothing earth shattering. An easy read. ( )

Good common sense

I picked up "The Things You Can See..." as an Audible Daily Deal for $0.99 which was certainly one of the best bargains I've seen on that Audiobooks site.

Sunim himself suggests that you don't read the book in a single sitting but stop to ponder the various thoughts, sayings, aphorisms, anecdotes and true-life stories in order to get the most benefit from them. That is easier done with a physical book, but it is not really the manner that you will commonly use an audiobook e.g. I use them during travelling and commuting mostly.

So I can only say that I liked "The Things You Can See.." but probably did not retain that much information from it after a single listening. What I remember seems to be more along the lines of common sense and good advice e.g. don't be quick to anger, let go of perceived slights and don't hate and/or seek revenge etc. ( )