Customer Reviews

The Heart of Buddhist Meditation: Satipatthna: A Handbook of Mental Training Based on the Buddha's Way of Mindfulness

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"This book is issued in the deep conviction that the systematic cultivation of Right Mindfulness, as taught by the Buddha in his Discourse on Satipatthana, still provides the most simple and direct, the most thorough and effective method for training and developing the mind for its daily tasks and problems as well as for its highest aim: mind's own unshakable deliverance from Greed, Hatred and Delusion."

So opens this humble mastepiece of a book written with great depth, extraordinary knowledge, profound humanity, and in a style that is simple and direct. If the reader is looking for "The" definitive book on how to correctly practice meditation in all its subtle detail, be he Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Sufi-Muslim, Taoist, or even Buddhist, this is "that" book. Period.

The heart of the book takes place in the six opening chapters wherein the great German scholar monk, Nyanaponika Thera, opens petal by petal the immense scope of the Buddha's "Way of Mindfulness" for those seeking instruction on how to obtain insight and wisdom in this lifetime. Each chapter builds up to the next, explaining and further elucidating the subtle insights which make up the Buddha's far-reaching and incomparable teachings.

For the experienced meditator who has never practiced Vipassana meditation, this book will open your eyes to the vast landscape of emptiness which you have been seeking all these years. For the uninitiated seeker taking his first steps in the art of meditation, it will be a valued primer in the art of true mental training. Practicing real mindfulness in one's everyday activities is not an easy endeavor. It takes constant application and sustained effort on the part of the practitioner in order to obtain the real benefits of the practice. This is the reality of mindfulness practice which one would do best to realize and heed if he is truly seeking the peace of mind that this method of training will provide.

The chapter on "Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension" will supply the experienced practitioner with a treasure trove of insight and practical instruction rarely seen in published form. It will answer questions and provide clear and valuable insructions in the true intent of mindfulness practice, which is the cessation of suffering. If one can successfully put to use the information contained in this one chapter, it will truly revolutionize one's life. The age-old religious injunctions of renunciation and detachment will no longer be the rarefied arena of those who devote their whole lives to the religious life. It will be obtainable to any person who can maintain this discipline.

The chapter on Anapana-sati, or "Mindfulness of Breathing," may furnish one who has never tried this method of meditation with an experience of such tranquility that he has never before obtained. Success in this half of the two part method of Vipassana meditation will lead to a deepening of one's ability in concentration which in turn will lead to success in being able to accomplish entry into the Jhanas, or the meditative absorptions. And from this advanced point the goal of every meditator's dream--the mind's liberation--lies palpably before him through the development of insight, if he will but continue to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Satipatthana method originally expoused by the Buddha, this book will help to clarify its eminently intelligent approach, first through the cultivation in the practitioner of the ability to concentrate and then through the development of insight into the true nature of the world and one's consciousness resulting in liberation of the individual mind. With a clear comprehension of the major aspects of the Buddha's thought--the Three Characteristics of Existence consisting of Anicca or Impermanence, Dukkha or Dissatisfaction, and Anatta or No-Self--and a cultivation within the mind of the reality of these three characteristics, which represent the world's true nature, any dedicated practitioner can achieve liberation and true peace of mind.

A lot of schools in Buddhism hammer in the need for study. Some Zen schools describe such study as "poisonous" to your practice and preach "PAINTED CAKES WILL NOT SATISFY HUNGER!" My Thai Buddhist monk teacher told me that I did not need to read anything, so this can cause a lot of confusion. I do not want to upset your practice, but the greatest book on how to do Insight Meditation seems to be "Mindfulness in Plain English". And the main Bible of Insight Meditation seems to be this book, "The Heart of Buddhist Meditation". I read it 25 years ago and immediately fell in-love. It really gets to the heart of Buddhism. You will discover how and why the vipassana practice will help you in ALL areas of your life. In relationships. In your job. In reducing anxiety and tension. It is simply a must read for someone WHO IS NOT PRACTICING WITH A TEACHER RIGHT NOW. If you aren't, get these two books. The Why is in this book. The How is in "Mindfulness in Plain English". If you have $200, "The Insight Meditation Course" is simply wonderful. And you will have a teacher by e-mail and by mail. Good luck. One more thing. Stretching exercises may really come in handy. Doing the lotus position can really be a blessing.

This book is a commentary on the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha's discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness. I read the book when I started meditation practice five years ago and have reread it twice since then, finishing my most recent read a week ago. This book explains the sutta in very clear, understandible terms making it and the practice it describes more accessible to modern western readers. The sutta and the book describe the whole of mindfulness practice both as a meditation practice and as a way of life. As a friend remarked, "Once I found this book, I realized that I didn't need to read anything else." If you want an introduction to mindfulness, this is the book for you. If you want to deepen your understanding of mindfulness, this is the book for you. It is simply the best book I've found on the subject.

The book is subdivided into three parts : the first explains what Insight meditation is about, the second part is a text taken from the "Collection of Long Discourses" of the Buddha, and the third part is a set of various classical texts illustrating the principles explained in the previous parts.

The first part consists in a deep explanation of the different objects of meditation along with practical tips for the right practice of meditation. The second part provides the text on "The Foundations of Mindfulness" with some notes but it is rather crude and difficult for beginners. However, it is very good for people practising Insight meditation from some time. The third part is made of various texts that perfectly illustrate the concepts and the practice explained in part one.

...this book can be seen as the "bible" of Insight meditation...

In summary : The must-have for all people involved in Insight meditation.

Buddhist Insight (Vipassana) Meditation has many practical applications. It is used by many psychiatric outpatient programs to train sufferers of anxiety and other mental illnesses, so as to better cope with their lives. It is used by many who do not consider themselves Buddhists, as a means for self-learning and self-transformation. And, of course, it is practiced by Buddhists worldwide as a means for attaining and embodying the enlightenment exemplified by the Buddha, the Awakened One.

This nifty little book is meant as a reference guide for anyone practicing Insight Meditation, and it fulfills this purpose well. It is divided into three sections: first is Nyanaponika Thera's own essay on Insight Meditation, second is a translation of the Maha Satipatthana Sutta from the Pali canon, and third is a collection of traditional commentaries, from both the Pali canon and the Mahayana tradition. All of this is intended not to advocate Buddhism as a religion, but rather to explain the activity of Insight Meditation, and to explain Right Mindfulness, the virtue developed by Insight Meditation and the type of action performed by one who has acquired it.

Of particular interest is the first section of the book, Nyanaponika Thera's own essay on Right Mindfulness. This has all the detail of an Aristotelian treatise, discussing the function, the nature, and the efficient cause of Right Mindfulness, breaking the whole thing down into a detailed analysis that empowers one to read the Sutta and the commentaries for oneself, as part of one's own meditation practice, without relying on others for interpretation. This book will be of primary interest to anyone who is practicing Insight Meditation, whether or not he/she is Buddhist. It will also be of interest to anyone curious about the nature of Buddhist enlightenment, and the means to that end.

The author devotes a section of his essay specifically to the Burmese tradition of Insight Meditation. This is the very tradition which has found wide acceptance in the US and elsewhere, under the tutelage of Jack Kornfield and others, and constitutes another reason why this book is relevant. Further, there is a section devoted entirely to Anapanasati, or Mindfulness of Breathing, which is a simple and straightforward version of Insight Meditation, and which is widely practiced for that reason.

My one criticism is that the author's writing style is dated, and can be difficult to follow in some places. He has the particularly bad habit of beginning a new section of his essay by referring to previous sections, so that the book is more difficult to read than it should be. But if you are patient enough to overcome this slight problem, you will be rewarded many times over with tremendous insight drawn from the author's years of personal practice and study.

If you are serious about learning Buddhist meditation as practiced by the Buddha himself, and are not just seeking some trendy New Age technique designed to bring you some otherworldly experience, this book is about the real thing. It's written by a respected Theravada Buddhist scholar and sets out mindfulness meditation as it is grounded in the Suttas of the Pali Canon.

It is rare to find a book which presents the essence of the Buddha's teaching in a clear and concise outline. Although the book was published for the first time in 1962 the first paragraph of the first chapter shows the reader that one is confronted with an eternal truth.
Unless we recognize that the causes of war, and especially the one we are currently engaged in, reside in the human mind and are based on greed, hatred and delusion to which one might add fear, we will simply continue in the same rut and will pile ever growing disasters upon ourselves.
The author explains not only what is meant by right mindfulness but also demonstrates its uses for every day life. This is not a religious treatise but a practical guide to overcome the mentioned four factors which create havoc with our lives and prevent mental growth.
This is not a book to be read once and put back on the shelf. It should become a constant companion and each sentence deserves to be pondered because with growing life experiences new meanings will emerge.
The book can be strongly recommended to anyone, regardless of religious or political affiliation, who is interested in understanding the vagaries of one's own mind and what to do about them.

What an amazing book. Probably not for the beginner unless you familiar with Tibetan terminology. It's a transcendental translation, and because of that highly sacred in nature. Nyanaponika is one of my favorite translator lamas.

Because of this book I started reading various buddhist scriptures. In part III, there are some of the most profound writings from various sources and traditions. This was how I was lead to Santideva's, "Bodhicaryavatara". I understand it's one of Dalai Lama's favorite texts.

I'll be looking to this book for many years to come.

What a great book. This scholar/monk gives his own insight and knowledge on Buddhism for the first half of the book and the second half is a collection of discourses by the Buddha and many of Buddha's followers. I read this book once front to back and learned a great deal. The second time, however, I read the second half first, and flipped to the first half accordingly where Thera expounded on each topic. This book explains Theravada Buddhism well and I learned a great deal. Highly recommended.

Good strucutring of Buddhist Meditation! This book gives me real substance to The Way to Mindfulness and it moved me to a clearer state of Meditation, having practised meditation and contemplation in other forms. Recommended by Eric Fromm as being of unique importance.