 "Best Meditation Book Ive Read" | 2009-11-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: AHYSDQTWJMZB4 |
This book is the best out of the few dozen books on meditation I've read. He writes about making meditation enjoyable, not a chore, and convinced me to take the same attitude. Other books I've read gave me a lot of info, things to look for, but this one will get you on the cushion. Highly recommended for beginners and probably anyone else.
Also, don't let the fact that this is "Theravada" style meditation fool you into thinking it's less than Zazen or other types. The style has been experimented with and written about for thousands of years by millions of people, it's worth checking out! |
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| "One of the most profound and useful books ever written" | 2009-09-20 |
| - Reviewed By vonbilly |
How do you even begin to review a book that changed your life? Especially when you can count on one hand, the number of books that have done this. I came to this book during a hard time in my life, having it recommended to help me with dealing with a plague of traumatic experiences that had occured. I came away from this book a changed person; on a path or re-discovery of my spiritual self that I had squashed and hidden for many years. Although based in Buddhist teachings, this book is not a book about Buddhism. It is a book about practical means for dealing with your thoughts, emotions, and all other aspects of living a modern life. It teaches you how to learn about the inner workings of yourself, and as you learn these things, peace results.
I am a very practical person. Books that deal with the metaphysical must be practical, simple, and applicable for me to even finish them. This book is all of that and more. The author presents ideas that are almost beyond description with a clarity and practicallity that is only done by someone with years and years of living and teaching what he speaks.
The reading is often funny, and hits home in a way that anyone can relate to. One of my favorite quotes about learning meditation comes from this book: in describing meditation during the beginning stages, the author says that as you watch all of the stuff churning and bubbling in your mind: "....you will quickly come to realize that you are quite insane." I laugh every time I think of this quote.
It is this ability to relate to real people that makes you feel normal, and really understand what he is getting at.
Do not get the idea that this book will change you overnight. Not even in a week. What happens, is that if you practice what is taught in this book, a slow, almost inperceptual change starts to occur. You probably won't even notice until several weeks into it. But if you stick with it, and really pay attention to what is happening inside you, you will begin to see small changes in your perception of things; changes that at first may seem so small that you write them off to coincidence. But these changes become more and more frequent, and more and more noticeable, until one day you realize that a transformation has been taking place. I can't put it into words, except to say that this book will transform your very existence and bring you to a place of peace you have never thought possible.
This is a master work that should be listed among the most important modern self-help books ever written. All of the Dr. Phil's, Dwayne Dyer's, and other mega-stars of self-help should aspire to works of this greatness. |
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| "Superb" | 2009-09-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A197IE826EIWPI |
| Nutshell review - This is one of the best books on meditation that I have read. If you are looking for a book on Buddhist (vipassana/insight) meditation then this is it. If you only ever read one book on the subject then make it this one. Concise, clear, compassionate, insightful. Superb and deserving of all the high reviews it has received. |
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 "One way of meditating" | 2009-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: AZFRQKKS6V431 |
| Be aware that this is a Buddhist monk teaching a method of Buddhist meditation. There are many types of meditation and mindfulness which are not covered. Just keep that in mind while reading this book. |
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 "In plain English?" | 2009-07-31 |
| - Reviewed By charn426 |
This is a good book but IMO some of the language was anything but plain English. For example, Mr. Gunaratana writes:
1. Mindfulness sees the true nature of all phenomena.
2. It is mindfulness that notices the change.
3. Mindfulness is non-superficial awareness. It sees things deeply down below the level of concepts and opinions.
4. Mindfulness is not trying to achieve anything. It is just looking. Mindfulness simply accepts whatever is there.
Mindfulness is simply a process and yet throughout the book the author seems to treat it like a conscious life form--a sentient being with human characteristics. It's a bit like saying necessity sent me, or road-rage makes him act that way. Personification is definitely not plain English because it obscures the actor--in this case the individual practicing the mindfulness.
In plain English we clarify the subject and predicate. How can mindfulness see, notice or accept anything? Surely the meditator is the one doing the seeing, noticing, and accepting. I would prefer it if the author had written:
1. When we are mindful we see the true nature of all phenomena.
2. When mindful, we notice the changes.
3. Mindfulness is non-superficial awareness. It helps us see things deeply down below the level of concepts and opinions.
4. We are not trying to achieve anything. We are just looking. When practising mindfulness we simply accept whatever is there.
Another problem I had was with the affirmations Mr. Gunaratana asks the reader to repeat at the beginning of each meditation session. For example:
"May I be well, happy, and peaceful. May no harm come to me. May no difficulties come to me. May no problems come to me. May I always meet with success. May I also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems and failures of life."
Do these affirmations seem a little odd to you? May no difficulties come to me AND may I be able to meet and overcome the inevitable difficulties that come to me. Is there some serious cognitive dissonance here or is it just me? Instead, how about this variation of a Tony Robbins affirmation.
"Everything happens for a reason and a purpose, and it serves me. May I have the patience, courage, understanding, and determination to skilfully deal with what happens."
In the Introduction the author also states his intention to present us with the clearest and most concise directions for vipassana meditation available in the English language. Well I'm not sure he delivered on that either as I found the following directions a little vague.
"Sitting anxiously in the dentist's office, meditate on your anxiety. Feeling irritated while standing in line at the bank, meditate on irritation. If you are angry, meditate on anger. Learn to recognize your negative emotions and start to break them down."
How exactly does one meditate on anxiety, irritation and anger? And how do we recognize our negative emotions and break them down? Are these clear instructions? Not to me. I took the liberty of re-writing them making them more concise.
"Sitting anxiously in the dentist's office, meditate on your anxiety `by getting in touch with your physical sensations.' Feeling irritated while standing in line at the bank, meditate on irritation `by watching your thinking.' If you are angry, meditate on anger `by noticing your posture and facial expressions.' Learn to recognize your negative emotions and break them down `by objectively observing the physical sensations associated with them." Do my instructions seem a little more clear and concise?
Having said the above, I did get a lot of value from the book. For example, "Seated meditation itself is not the game. It's the practice. The game in which these basic skills are to be applied is the rest of one's experiential existence." This was a hugely important distinction for me. Somehow or other I had mistakenly seen the practice of meditation as the game and my day-to-day life as the secondary practice.
According to the author, "Meditation that is not applied to daily living is sterile and limited." "The most important moment in meditation is the instant you leave the cushion." As someone who practices vipassana meditation this is advice I definitely needed. Daily living is far surely more important than time on the cushion. How could I have mixed those wires up!
There were also many other interesting insights such as, "We are simply not paying enough attention to notice that we are not paying attention."
All in all this is a good book. IMO it just needs a little more plain English.
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| "Great book for a begginer" | 2009-06-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1XEMCYYGGWJJW |
| I love this book, my dad recommended it to me, and even that I have been doing meditation for couple of years, it helped me so much, gave me new tips and understanding. It's a great book for someone who is looking for simple and effective tools and guidelines for their meditation practice, without ideology or religious ideas. I just bought another one for my boyfriend, it's a great book to read of you are just trying to find out what meditation is all about. |
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