Meditation Time: Know Yourself and the World Around You

by Laurent Grenier

Laurent born in Paris, France, from Canadian parents, on January 5, 1957. Three months later, his family moves back to Canada permanently. On June 4, 1974, the strapping teenager he had grown into, with a passion for sports, suffers a neck injury in a diving accident, which results in quadriplegia (near complete paralysis). Suddenly, everything that had motivated him to live until then and whatever future he had imagined for himself become impossible; his life appears absurd and hopeless. “Why live?” This existential question has been the centerpiece of his meditations for the last 40 years, and his insightful, educated answer—which in the end engages every field of human knowledge—is his greatest achievement. May it be of much benefit to you, dear reader.

168 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2019

About the author

Laurent Grenier: philosopher born in Paris, France, on January 5, 1957, to Quebec parents. His family returned to Canada a few months after his birth.

Over the last 40 years, he has dedicated himself to meditation, study and writing, in an effort to develop an art of living and a vision of things that make the world understandable and habitable. His latest essay, "Life Revisited," marks the culmination of this effort.

Reviews

[Scherry]

Most self-help books are quick to tell you that they are different, that they are not going to magically fix your issues but have in some way found the avenues that can help you do so. Indeed, reading the first pages of Meditation Time I expected to find exactly that. But instead what I found was complete honest of what the book was, how it might come across. It was the following line that drew me in:

‘The truth is, my book appears untidy and incomplete because it is, despite my best effort to approach the mystery of existence in a factual, coherent, and luminous fashion. I see no point to a system of those whose pretense of tidiness and completeness amounts in the end to pure illusion.’

For how I was feeling, I did not want tidy. I did not want more organised. Or at the very least, I did not want the illusion of it, that much I could get with my coloured highlighters. I wanted the real thing and I had hope that this was a step in the right direction.

Divided into 28 relatively short chapters, I treated Grenier’s book almost like a textbook, dedicating time to one chapter per night that I picked up the book. Granted this meant that it took me almost a month to get through all 170 pages but taking my time with it meant that I got the most out of it.

Full review on https://avidbards.com/2019/09/05/time...

[Bob Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you make the right choices, the worst imaginable disaster can lead to wisdom and even enlightenment.
Laurent broke his neck as a teenager, and became quadriplegic. I am sure he went through endless times of despair, and anger, and self-pity -- who wouldn’t -- but he ended up in a place of wisdom and contentment.
The Dalai Lama says, the reason for enlightenment is to be of service to others. Laurent has written this book to be of service to all of us who seek wisdom and contentment.
Meditation Time is not a book to read, but one to study. You need to take in one of his short essays, think about it, digest it, perhaps for days. Later, after having done the same for other offerings within the book, you may want to return and consider what it says again.
Most of us live physically more fortunate lives than being unable to move below the neck. If Laurent could make his life a good one, regardless, then surely you and I can follow him.
For inspiration, instruction and a mental challenge, you can’t do better.