Buddhist Meditation

Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering

by Phillip Moffitt

Average Rating:

"Most of the Dharma books that I've read fall into two categories: lightweight new-age fluff or heavily-footnoted scholarship. This book avoids both extremes. It's very compactly written, with no apparent filler. (If anything, I think he is too brief in touching on some important points.) I find the title of the book to be a bit unfortunate, but it's actually appropriate to the subject matter.

The book is structured around the Four Noble Truths, and as a long-time Buddhist (with a strong predilection for scholarly detail) I thought that it couldn't teach me anything new. It did, though, and on a number of levels. You might think you know all about the 4NT, but this version from the Samyutta Nikaya really adds a new dimension, and is directly applicable to one's practice.

In short, I give this book a pretty-much unqualified rave. A few stylistic weaknesses and an overuse of italics, but in content it's deeply inspiring and immediately useful."

Publisher: Rodale Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Turning the Mind Into an Ally

by Sakyong Mipham

Average Rating:

"Sakyong Mipham's writing style is simple and to the point. Sometimes you don't even know you're being hit with deep wisdom until the 2nd or 3rd time you read it, which is the way most good books seem to work. His style is very different from his father Chogyam Trungpa's. What's great about this book is that he actually explains in precise detail, using simple but profound metaphors, exactly why somebody would want to do meditation, and exactly what the benefits are for you and the people around you. His instructions are never vague and mushy the way so many new-age teachers seem to be. He makes it all accessible and the barriers to actually starting to practice meditation seem to fall away in a hurry. It's not some ancient tradition of mystic-worshippers; it's something that can inform and aid our lives right here and right now, no matter what kind of lifestyle we lead."

Publisher: Riverhead Trade | More reviews: amazon.com

Radical Self-acceptance

by Tara Brach

Average Rating:

"This is a lovely set of two tapes including guided meditations, which guide the listener into a space of deep relaxation and self-acceptance. The relief of past and even current pain is palpable and the feeling, at least for me, is one of gratitude and peace. I particularly liked side 2 of the first tape. In any case, after listening to all sides, I felt that if one could just practice this simple process of self-acceptance, one would likely not only draw deeply close to one's own core, but one would have a sound basis for open, loving relationships as well. Listen and enjoy. Thank you Tara!"

Publisher: Sounds True | More reviews: amazon.com

Meditation Now or Never

by Steve Hagen

Average Rating:

"Steve Hagen, the author of Buddhism: Plain and Simple,
is the best introduction to Zen and Buddhism you can find.
Written in language we regular folks can understand,
yet carrying the full meaning and experience
of the more ancient/esoteric writings.
Meditation is the bedrock
of fully experiencing the Zen and Buddhist message.
Meditation Now or Never should be a jewel in your personal tools pack.
I can not overly praise this man's works.
And he is a practicing monk as well.

Gene Reynolds
www,personal-recovery-tools.com"

Publisher: HarperOne | More reviews: amazon.com

Do You Do It or Does It Do You?: How to Let the Universe Meditate You

by Alan Watts

Average Rating:

"I love Alan Watts! He is an intelligent,innovative and entertaining speaker who presents Eastern philosophy in a manner that is both enlightening and amusing. "

Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated | More reviews: amazon.com

Quintessential Dzogchen: Confusion Dawns as Wisdom

by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Average Rating:

This hands-on guidebook adapts the Dzogchen path for the modern student while adhering to traditional principles. The book is based on the direct, accessible style of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and offers a thorough grounding in how to study, contemplate, and meditate in this rich spiritual environment. Guided by an introductory teaching by Rinpoche, as well as 42 selected teachings from great Dzogchen masters, readers learn to access the pure, clear awareness that lies hidden under the constant flow of anxious thoughts.

Publisher: North Atlantic Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Zen Meditation Balls (Miniature Editions)

by Alison Trulock

Average Rating:

"I own a pair of these balls in a larger scale, but this kit is perfect for carrying in the purse, the pocket or anywhere you like, thanks to the tiny bag included. They are not heavy at all.
The design of the book and the balls have changed slightly, so maybe the kit you'll buy would be different from the one shown as reference.
When you use the balls, you can actually hear them make a bell-sound like.
Be careful when handling them; if you drop them and they hit the floor, this can cause they lose their round shape or the enamel that covers them."

Publisher: Running Press Miniature Editions | More reviews: amazon.com

Lovingkindness Meditation

by Sharon Salzberg

Average Rating:

"Highly recommended! I really enjoyed Sharon Salzburg's introduction to the Buddhist metta practice, Lovingkindness Meditation. This is more of an education/explanation of metta than guided meditation sessions (i.e., she does not have long, substantive, discrete meditation sessions, but works brief examples into her explanation), but I found the explanation so good that it gave me an excellent intro to metta, which I subsequently felt like I could practice on my own. In fact, I had an interesting and symbolic dream about a mentor/benefactor figure the same night I had tried out the metta practice and included him, so it seemed the meditation reached my subconscious too!

Ms. Salzburg's presentation is detailed, conversational in style, and easily accessible to Westerners without seeming like a simplification, sentimentalization, or co-opting of the original practice. Her examples and stories given along the way make metta seem doable and practical and not like some overly idealized level of compassion that is impossible for many of us to reach. The Sounds True website has sound samples of this work (and many of their other authors' CDs and cassettes), something Amazon should be doing as well. If you like this tape, you might also enjoy the meditation CD (also available on Amazon) by Bodhipaksa titled "Guided Meditations: For Developing Calmness, Awareness, and Love," which includes a complete metta practice, along with two other meditations. I found Salzberg and Bodhipaksa's works very complementary--the Bodhipaksa CD gives a complete 27-minute meditation session of metta in an incredibly soothing voice, while this tape provides the in-depth explanation that gives the practice sense and purpose.
"

Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated | More reviews: amazon.com

Meditation for Beginners

by Jack Kornfield

Average Rating:

" I have been a practicing Yogi for many years and have a library full of books, videos, tapes and CD's on Yoga, meditation, sprituality and the like.

This program by Jack Kornfield (available as a video as well as audio) is the best single place I can think of starting from if you want to begin a meditation practice..

Jack Kornfield is a perfect teacher of meditation, especially for Westerners because he approaches it in a non-sectarian way. He gets to the heart of the practice, uses clear explanations and stories to give the listener/viewer some sense of the depth of the practice. He leads the meditations in a way that gives enough guidance without becoming a distraction. He also has a very soothing voice which enhances the overall experience of the program.

The program starts with the most basic form of meditation on the breath, and leads through ever slightly more subtle forms of Vipassana Meditation.


Very Highly Recommended!


Some other related meditation programs I would highly recommend are: Plum Village Meditations w/ Thich Nhat Hanh and Sister Jina which are guided Meditations. I have been using this tape for about 7 years daily. I use it during the day prior to lunch to renew myself for the rest of the day.

Stephen Cope's "Yoga For Emotional Flow" which has 2 CD's, the 1st CD is about Yoga Philosophy and the 2nd has guided practices which I find very helpful in my life. Also check out his book "Yoga and The Quest for the True Self" which is contains the ideas of the 1st CD in an in depth manner, one of the best books I've ever read (and I'm re-reading it for the 3rd time).

Jack Kornfield has many other wonderful books and audio programs in the "Sounds True" catalogue which are wonderful, one is a more in depth series (6 tapes) on meditation called "The Inner Art Of Meditation".

Jon Kabot-Zinn is a wonderful teacher as well. See his "Meditation for Optimum Health w/ Andrew Weil, as well as Andrew Weils audio, "Breathing, the Master Key To Healing" which is very much related to meditation, these are guided breathing (pranayama) exercises plus an in depth explanation as to the benefits of breath work.

Namaste"

Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated | More reviews: amazon.com

The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Average Rating:

"I remember when I was a student at the Dharmadhatu Center of Los Angeles. The rules were to simply meditate and that was it! The same with Hindu Yoga. The same with all Eastern paths. Then I stumbled on this book. It was wonderful. Did you know that you can put in as little as 10 minutes a day of sitting meditation and then apply this mindfulness of breath to "washing the dishes"? Later, apply mindfulness (being aware) to taking a bath. To eating. Well, you will meditate now for 1 hour a day. In fact, Buddhist Masters state that minfulness in daily life is more important than the actual sitting meditation! Buy this book and become a 16-hour a day meditator. Doing "TV meditation", "conversation meditation", "telephone meditation", "cooking meditation". you name it. Nhat Hanh gives a variety of sitting meditations. Pick the one that feels right. Then do the meditation in daily life. Right now, I am doing "write a review meditation". I wasn't at first. But I am presently. The feel of everything that is happening in the present. Good luck."

Publisher: Beacon Press | More reviews: amazon.com