#mindfulness

I've been working through this one again gradually as a complement to the MMTCP Training I'm doing and in which the practice of #RAIN features quite prominently. Now that I have more practice under my belt, I'm struck by how versatile the practice truly is and how it not only is connected to other practices (such as #tonglen, and, less explicitly, Nonviolent Communication #NVC), but also complements and is complemented by these same practices.

#MMTCP #TaraBrach #NonviolentCommunication #mindfulness #compassion

There is one advantage to realizing that you're never going to get it right: you do begin to stop expecting everyone else to get it right too, which makes for less frustration when other people turn out to be just as human as you are.

― Jeff Wilson, Buddhism of the Heart: Reflections on Shin Buddhism and Inner Togetherness

#Buddhism #Dharma #ShinBuddhism #mindfulness

A common refrain I have heard from several #meditation teachers is that it is good periodically to return to basic instructions for the dual reason that it tends to correct any unskillful patterns which have emerged and that the questions that arise as a result of one's own meditation practice aid in learning and allow the practitioner to absorb more from the same or similar material. This advice has definitely held true as I read this book for the second time (this time with my ears via the recorded voice of Edoardo Ballerini).

I read Mindfulness in Plain English for the first time nearly 20 years ago, and even though the basic contents of the book were familiar to me on this second read-through, nearly the whole book struck me as remarkably fresh. The introduction alone opens with wonderful force, directly addressing the #unsatisfactoriness which is likely familiar to anyone who comes into contact with the the book, and has the dual ability not only to convince (or at least intrigue) those new to meditation that it might be a worthwhile endeavor, but also to imbue experienced #meditators with a renewed sense of purpose and urgency.

On my way through this book, I found myself wishing that I had returned to it before now, as it addresses many of the challenges I have faced and currently am facing in such a clear and understanding manner that I was able to apply the advice immediately. Indeed, looking back on my years of meditation experience, I realize that the guidance in this book would have been enough to address the majority of the challenges I've faced over the years.

The one possible weakness I could find in this book is the strong emphasis to place the attention on the breath at the nostrils and nowhere else, which I have indeed found to be one excellent place for the attention. However useful following the breath at the nostrils is, it is not the only place the breath can be followed at a relatively small, fixed point, and for some, this may be unhelpfully inflexible, while for others the inflexibility of the suggestion may be a helpful simplification of the abundance of options which are available when beginning a meditation practice. The good news is that this weakness is counterbalanced by Bhante Gunaratana's clarity that these are instructions based on one very specific tradition, and, in this newer addition, the new afterword giving an introduction to loving friendliness or metta, which itself is also an excellent practice and gateway for anyone wishing to start a meditation practice.

Overall, I am pleased that I took the time with this book again and now understand why it has acquired the status of a classic among meditation manuals: it is brief, yet comprehensive and contains everything one needs to start or reinvigorate a practice of insight meditation.

#mindfulness #meditation #metta #BhanteG #BhanteGunaratana #HenepolaGunaratana #vipassana #insightmeditation #breath #breathing #breathmeditation #anapanasati #meditationmanual #meditationmanuals #Buddhism

I've read from others that they consider Thích Nhất Hạnh's The Miracle of Mindfulness to be useful only to beginning meditators, but I think it is so much more than that. Especially with the context given in translator Mobi Ho's introduction that the book was originally written as a long letter, and then having read the book myself as someone who has been meditating for years, it is clear to me that the book is equally valuable or perhaps even more valuable as an inspiring reminder to practice and how practice can be done.

Beyond the main text of the letter, I was impressed by the list of practices and the selection of suttas/sutras at the end. I have read very few manuals of meditation which left with the feeling that they were enough to cultivate a practice, but this one is written and put together in such a way that I would be confident recommending it as an excellent candidate for the category of "if you read only one book on the subject of meditation, read this one."

#meditation #mindfulness #PlumVillage #interbeing #peace #ThichNhatHanh #Buddhism #Zen #engagedBuddhism

The subtitle of We Were Made for These Times is "10 Lessons for Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption" and the book delivers exactly that, but HOW it delivers! I have seldom come across a book teaching #mindfulness practices which is at once so direct, simple, beautiful, and eminently practical.

Drawing mainly from the Plum Village Tradition of her root teacher, Thích Nhất Hạnh, former nun Kaira Jewel Lingo fills each brief lesson with just enough clarity and examples to begin practicing immediately, complete with tips for practicing in daily life and including journaling exercises to further explore the topic of each lesson.

All of that alone would be enough, but to top it all off, in the audio version she sings near the end of each lesson, each instance of which has the amazing quality of summarizing what was taught, inviting reflection, touching the heart, and perhaps even subtly inviting the listener to sing along as part of practicing the path.

Whether you've been practicing mindfulness for a long time or are simply interested in dipping your toes into the practice, this book is a wonderfully inspiring way to engage with the practice.

#mindfulness #PlumVillage #PlumVillageTradition #ThíchNhấtHạnh #ThichNhatHanh #Thầy #Thay #resilience #impermanence #equanimity