In Love with the World

At thirty-six, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche was already a renowned Tibetan Buddhist master and abbot of three monasteries. Then one night, he walked away from it all—slipping out into the darkness to begin a four-year wandering retreat as a penniless beggar. What he discovered on the streets of India would test everything he thought he knew about meditation, death, and what it means to be alive.

This rare, intimate memoir chronicles Rinpoche’s journey from respected teacher to anonymous wanderer, where railway stations became his bedroom and food poisoning nearly claimed his life. When death came knocking, his years of Buddhist practice faced their ultimate examination. The result is a startlingly honest account of spiritual practice meeting raw human experience—no monastery walls, no safety net, just one person confronting the most fundamental questions of existence.

Acclaimed by spiritual teachers and readers alike:

• “One of the most inspiring books I have ever read.”—Pema Chödrön
• “This book has the potential to change the reader’s life forever.”—George Saunders
• “A rarity in spiritual literature.”—Tara Brach

More than a spiritual memoir, In Love with the World offers practical meditation techniques for transforming our fear of death into a deeper appreciation for living. Rinpoche’s vulnerability and wisdom create something luminous—a book that feels less like reading about enlightenment and more like experiencing a glimpse of it yourself. Whether you’re drawn to Buddhist practice or simply curious about what happens when we let go of everything we think defines us, these pages hold something profound.

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