
Dharma Wheels
Zen, Motorcycling & Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Daniel Mintie
About this listen
Dharma Wheels is an examination of human happiness through the triple lenses of Zen Buddhism, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and the art of motorcycling. Each lens resolves particular details of one and the same picture - the great process of human living and dying. Zen addresses first questions of life’s meaning and death’s certainty. CBT provides leverage on the emotional aspects of existence. A six-week motorcycle tour through the American West is the vivid backdrop for this vital investigation.
Seekers have long sought out quiet places - desert cells, mountain hermitages - to locate their wellness at the center. The author threw a leg over his motorcycle. Like a hermitage, any day on a motorcycle is a laboratory, a controlled setting in which to see more deeply into the way things are. During a Zen retreat the author once sat still in a single place for 12 months. Dharma Wheels reports his sitting in this same stillness - at speed, atop a one liter motor. The book covers the essential ground of Zen and CBT while traveling through the classic Western landscapes of desert, mountain range, and coastline. Far from didactic, Dharma Wheels presents the wisdom of these two great world traditions in the only setting in which they ever come to life: the movements of one’s own own heart/mind.
Dharma Wheels reads on two levels. First, the story of a road trip through 11 western states that lie between the Continental Divide and the sea. The book puts the reader in the saddle to absorb firsthand the roadstead passing through. Glacial mornings silent save for the squeak of still-cold leathers. Pinion smoke wafting over late night country lanes. Meteors crisscrossing red rock canyon lands like some jai alai game of the gods. Six weeks sans email, wristwatch or phone, the ticking of the odometer the only clock.
Second, the ancient, ever-new story that is the human quest for happiness. Itself a journey, this quest is the backstory to any tale of the road. The author's whole life is an inquiry into the habits of heart and mind that enable us to live and to die well. As a Western cognitive scientist, his days are an investigation into precisely this. Forty years of Zen practice have helped him recognize the cognitive filters that cloud our direct apprehension of reality. Classic Zen texts and fMRI machines now agree: well-being is one the world over, throughout space and time. Through the lens of science East and West, Dharma Wheels snaps into sharp focus the moving parts of this well-being.
Dharma Wheel's two stories are not separate. The Buddha looked up from beneath the Bodhi tree, saw the morning star, and realized the truth that he’d been seeking. All people go the way from particular to particular, tree by tree, milepost by milepost, star by star. This way travels under local names, in any language ever spoken. Truth, wisdom, the good road, divine life, Tao, Buddha nature, mental health. These names are all fingers pointing. Dharma Wheels stands up in the place to which they point.
©2019 Daniel Mintie (P)2020 Daniel MintieListeners also enjoyed...
-
A Walk in the Woods
- Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Rob McQuay
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America - majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way - and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).
-
-
Informational
- By Amber C on 03-29-17
By: Bill Bryson
-
Desert Solitaire
- A Season in the Wilderness
- By: Edward Abbey
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Desert Solitaire was first published in 1968, it became the focus of a nationwide cult. Rude and sensitive. Thought-provoking and mystical. Angry and loving. Both Abbey and this book are all of these and more. Here, the legendary author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, Abbey's Road and many other critically acclaimed books vividly captures the essence of his life during three seasons as a park ranger in southeastern Utah.
-
-
Wrong narrator for Abbey
- By Todd Steele on 02-06-12
By: Edward Abbey
-
To Shake the Sleeping Self
- A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret
- By: Jedidiah Jenkins
- Narrated by: Jedidiah Jenkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the eve of turning 30, terrified of being funneled into a life he didn’t choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent 16 months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia. He chronicled the trip on Instagram, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living? In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Jed narrates his adventure - the people and places he encountered on his way to the bottom of the world - as well as the internal journey that started it all.
-
-
Different that I expected
- By Sabrina on 02-21-20
By: Jedidiah Jenkins
-
The Big Dark Sky
- By: Dean Koontz
- Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a girl, Joanna Chase thrived on Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana until tragedy upended her life. Now thirty-four and living in Santa Fe with only misty memories of the past, she begins to receive pleas—by phone, through her TV, in her dreams: I am in a dark place, Jojo. Please come and help me. Heeding the disturbing appeals, Joanna is compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten.
-
-
All the ’Koontsian’ elements are there but…….
- By whyNOTme on 07-22-22
By: Dean Koontz
-
Blue Highways
- A Journey into America
- By: William Least Heat-Moon
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed as a masterpiece of American travel writing, Blue Highways is an unforgettable journey along our nation's backroads. William Least Heat-Moon set out with little more than the need to put home behind him and a sense of curiosity about "those little towns that get on the map-if they get on at all-only because some cartographer has a blank space to fill: Remote, Oregon; Simplicity, Virginia; New Freedom, Pennsylvania; New Hope, Tennessee; Why, Arizona; Whynot, Mississippi." His adventures, his discoveries, and his recollections of the extraordinary people he encountered along the way amount to a revelation of the true American experience.
-
-
A new Mark Twain... this is a great book
- By Mr. on 01-25-13
-
Ghost Rider
- Travels on the Healing Road
- By: Neil Peart
- Narrated by: Brian Sutherland
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In less than a year, Neil Peart lost both his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, and his wife, Jackie. Faced with overwhelming sadness and isolated from the world in his home on the lake, Peart was left without direction. That lack of direction lead him on a 55,000 mile journey by motorcycle across much of North America, down through Mexico to Belize, and back again.
-
-
Not happy, but fascinating
- By Jim In Texas! on 09-25-14
By: Neil Peart
-
A Walk in the Woods
- Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Rob McQuay
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America - majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way - and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).
-
-
Informational
- By Amber C on 03-29-17
By: Bill Bryson
-
Desert Solitaire
- A Season in the Wilderness
- By: Edward Abbey
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Desert Solitaire was first published in 1968, it became the focus of a nationwide cult. Rude and sensitive. Thought-provoking and mystical. Angry and loving. Both Abbey and this book are all of these and more. Here, the legendary author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, Abbey's Road and many other critically acclaimed books vividly captures the essence of his life during three seasons as a park ranger in southeastern Utah.
-
-
Wrong narrator for Abbey
- By Todd Steele on 02-06-12
By: Edward Abbey
-
To Shake the Sleeping Self
- A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret
- By: Jedidiah Jenkins
- Narrated by: Jedidiah Jenkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the eve of turning 30, terrified of being funneled into a life he didn’t choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent 16 months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia. He chronicled the trip on Instagram, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living? In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Jed narrates his adventure - the people and places he encountered on his way to the bottom of the world - as well as the internal journey that started it all.
-
-
Different that I expected
- By Sabrina on 02-21-20
By: Jedidiah Jenkins
-
The Big Dark Sky
- By: Dean Koontz
- Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a girl, Joanna Chase thrived on Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana until tragedy upended her life. Now thirty-four and living in Santa Fe with only misty memories of the past, she begins to receive pleas—by phone, through her TV, in her dreams: I am in a dark place, Jojo. Please come and help me. Heeding the disturbing appeals, Joanna is compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten.
-
-
All the ’Koontsian’ elements are there but…….
- By whyNOTme on 07-22-22
By: Dean Koontz
-
Blue Highways
- A Journey into America
- By: William Least Heat-Moon
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed as a masterpiece of American travel writing, Blue Highways is an unforgettable journey along our nation's backroads. William Least Heat-Moon set out with little more than the need to put home behind him and a sense of curiosity about "those little towns that get on the map-if they get on at all-only because some cartographer has a blank space to fill: Remote, Oregon; Simplicity, Virginia; New Freedom, Pennsylvania; New Hope, Tennessee; Why, Arizona; Whynot, Mississippi." His adventures, his discoveries, and his recollections of the extraordinary people he encountered along the way amount to a revelation of the true American experience.
-
-
A new Mark Twain... this is a great book
- By Mr. on 01-25-13
-
Ghost Rider
- Travels on the Healing Road
- By: Neil Peart
- Narrated by: Brian Sutherland
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In less than a year, Neil Peart lost both his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, and his wife, Jackie. Faced with overwhelming sadness and isolated from the world in his home on the lake, Peart was left without direction. That lack of direction lead him on a 55,000 mile journey by motorcycle across much of North America, down through Mexico to Belize, and back again.
-
-
Not happy, but fascinating
- By Jim In Texas! on 09-25-14
By: Neil Peart
-
Molded on a Motorcycle
- A Rider's Journey
- By: Wes Stephenson
- Narrated by: Wes Stephenson
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A ten-day challenge—just 240 hours allotted for riding their motorcycles through each of the 48 contiguous U.S. states: Through fascinating stories from a lifetime on the road, through a descriptive narrative that bridges across three generations of father and son riders, Wes Stephenson instills a sense of “being there”, crossing the continent in the saddle of a motorcycle or sitting around a campfire swapping tall tales with larger-than-life characters that add to the richness of life.
-
-
Wes is a great guy a great writer.
- By Anonymous User on 03-15-24
By: Wes Stephenson
-
Different Natures
- And the Spaces In-Between
- By: Graham Field
- Narrated by: Graham Field
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Different Natures takes you on three journeys. Each gives an honest and passionate insight into the evolution of a compulsive traveler. Looking for direction with the wrong eyes spawned Graham’s lust for wandering. The miles cleared his vision, and the hunger for longer distance grows with an insatiable appetite for new experiences.
-
-
happy pills required
- By rick on 10-18-23
By: Graham Field
-
Eureka: Finding the Line Between Desire and Contentment, Then Riding It
- By: Graham Field
- Narrated by: Graham Field
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After the success of his first book In Search of Greener Grass, Graham Field hits the road again with his bargain-basement KLR650, recording his experiences in his inimitable and revealingly honest diary style. The Caucasus region is often overlooked by travelers, but Graham may inadvertently be about to change all that.
-
-
Loved It!!
- By Amazon Customer on 08-28-22
By: Graham Field
-
Almost Anywhere
- Road-Trip Ruminations on Love, Nature, Recovery, and Nonsense
- By: Krista Schlyer
- Narrated by: Marisa Vitali
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What do you do when your world ends? At 28 years old, Krista Schlyer sold almost everything she owned and packed the rest of it in a station wagon bound for the American wild. Her two best friends joined her - one a grumpy, grieving introvert, the other a feisty dog - and together they sought out every national park, historic site, forest, and wilderness they could get to before their money ran out or their minds gave in.
-
-
No a travelogue - its a diary
- By Jonathan on 12-29-20
By: Krista Schlyer
-
We Stood upon Stars
- Finding God in Lost Places
- By: Roger W. Thompson
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You are made for freedom and adventure, friendship and romance. Yet too much of your life is spent unfulfilled at work, restless at home, and bored at church. All the while, you know there is something more. You'll find some of life's best moments waiting for you over a campfire, on a river - even in that coffee shop or brewery you didn't know you'd discover along the way. It's time to begin the search.
-
-
Such a good book
- By The Great Bambino on 06-16-21
-
Miracle Country
- A Memoir
- By: Kendra Atleework
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kendra Atleework grew up in Swall Meadows, in the Owens Valley of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, where annual rainfall averages five inches and in drought years measures closer to zero. Kendra's family raised their children to thrive in this harsh landscape, forever at the mercy of wildfires, blizzards, and gale-force winds. Most of all, the Atleework children were raised on unconditional love and delight in the natural world. But it came at a price.
-
-
The best memoir I've read
- By Patricia on 08-15-20
By: Kendra Atleework
-
Zen and Now
- On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- By: Mark Richardson
- Narrated by: Buck Schirner
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1968, Robert Pirsig and his son, Chris, made the cross-country motorcycle trip that was the basis for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a book that has inspired generations with its searching personal and philosophical narrative. After rereading the book at the onset of middle age, reporter Mark Richardson tuned up his old Suzuki dirt bike and became a "Pirsig Pilgrim".
-
-
Wonderful
- By James on 04-17-09
By: Mark Richardson
-
American Ramble
- A Walk of Memory and Renewal
- By: Neil King
- Narrated by: Will Tulin
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Neil King Jr.’s desire to walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City began as a whim and soon became an obsession. By the spring of 2021, events had intervened that gave his desire greater urgency. His neighborhood still reeled from the January 6th insurrection. Covid lockdowns and a rancorous election had deepened America’s divides. Neil himself bore the imprints of a long battle with cancer.
-
-
Had Potential Failed to Execute
- By L. Mortensen on 04-15-23
By: Neil King
-
Distant Suns
- Every Day an Adventure, Book 3
- By: Sam Manicom
- Narrated by: Sam Manicom
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sam Manicom's dynamic third book transports you to Southern Africa, South and Central America. Sam has a gift for describing the vibrancy of people and places, and you are led effortlessly through three very different parts of the world by his enthusiasm and his acute observations. Human behavior, drama, passion, disaster, humor, and the pure adrenaline buzz of overlanding such far-flung, wild and exotic places are all here.
-
-
Love this book. Eagerly awaiting the next
- By Seattle_BassMan on 05-24-16
By: Sam Manicom
-
Across America by Motor-Cycle
- Remastered and Reset
- By: C. K. Shepherd, Mark L. Hunnibell
- Narrated by: Will de Renzy-Martin
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A veteran of World War I, British RAF Captain C.K. Shepherd arrived in New York in June 1919, bought a top-of-the-line Henderson four-cylinder motorcycle, and headed west on a solo cross-country adventure to see America. He set off on his adventures, arriving in San Francisco two months later. Having completed his voyage, he sold his beloved motorcycle, dubbed “Lizzie”, on the street in San Francisco and then made his way back to his home in Birmingham, England.
-
-
A Great Account of Early American Travel by a Brit
- By Theodore John on 07-16-19
By: C. K. Shepherd, and others
-
Virga & Bone
- Essays from Dry Places
- By: Craig Childs
- Narrated by: Rick Adamson
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of The Secret Knowledge of Water and Atlas of a Lost World comes a deeply felt essay collection focusing upon a vivid series of desert icons - a sheet of virga over Monument Valley, white seashells in dry desert sand, boulders impossibly balanced. Craig Childs delves into the primacy of the land and the profound nature of the more-than-human.
-
-
a great collection of Craig's most recent writing
- By Malcolm Childers on 06-19-20
By: Craig Childs
-
Nowhere for Very Long
- The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life
- By: Brianna Madia
- Narrated by: Brianna Madia
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this beautifully written, vividly detailed memoir, a young woman chronicles her adventures traveling across the deserts of the American West in an orange van named Bertha and reflects on an unconventional approach to life
-
-
not what I thought
- By J. Abrego on 04-16-22
By: Brianna Madia