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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The" book for serious meditators, February 10, 2009
This review is from: Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book (Paperback)
Of the countless reasons that you should read this book, I offer the following three:
1.) Many books about meditation leave out important information about the sequential stages one will likely (dare I say "inevitably") encounter in their practice. The ups and downs in one's practice can be severe, which causes many people to get stuck, and maybe leave the practice all together. Daniel breaks down what one may experience on their journey, and gives very practical advice on how to navigate the territory.
2.) This book clears up a lot of confusion around the goals of meditation practice, particularly what it means to be enlightened (or "awakened", etc.). By supplying an extensive list of the various models of enlightenment that are used by various contemplative traditions, one may comparatively examine them and get a good idea of what is true and what is false in regards to the process and goal of awakening.
3.) Daniel is brutally honest. He is fully aware that calling himself an Arahat is likely ruffle many feathers. But, it is my impression that he wouldn't make the claim if he didn't believe with his entire being that it is beneficial to others to do so. By explicitly detailing his particular attainments and how he was able to gain mastery of very specific techniques, he provides hope to those who also believe that it can be done.
I can say with complete honesty that after reading and applying the basic practices in this book, my meditation practice deepend beyond what I knew was even possible (and still is). I can't even begin to express how grateful I am to have read it, and how hopeful I am that it will continue to benefit others.
If you want to learn meditation with the goal of attaining earth shattering insight in to the nature of your identity and the universal characteristics of the whole of reality, than this book is for you.
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49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Most Practical Dharma Book Ever..., January 8, 2009
This review is from: Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book (Paperback)
I can say with extreme confidence that if you read this book, put its principles and techniques into practice and have a clear aim at making progress in your meditation practice, you will be amazed at how quickly you can make real and lasting progress. This book excels at the specifics regarding insight meditation practice (with enlightenment as its goal) and the states and stages related to concentration practice (with unusual and profound states of consciousness as its goal). It also excels at deconstructing the various confused models and misperceptions that spiritual practitioners often have regarding enlightenment.
So, if you're interested in down-to-earth, practical dharma, and want a clear guide on how to master the core teachings of the Buddha this is the book for you. If you're looking for coffee table dharma or feel good, new-age fluff, then I would suggest something a little less hardcore.
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50 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good overview of the maps, January 12, 2009
This review is from: Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book (Paperback)
What I found most helpful in this book was the clear overview & synthesis of the different maps of meditation into a fairly coherent view. The picture that emerges seems to be similar to maps outlined in Buddhaghosa's the Path of Purification, or at least other interpretations of them I have read.
A few comments/criticisms based on my reading an earlier version of this text online:
1. Daniel Ingram explicitly claims (on the first line on his website bio) that he is an Arahat. While I'm in no position to judge the merits of this claim, it does seem to be something unique among other teachers whom I've encountered, including those who have been around a lot longer. I wonder if the author may be attached to this idea of being an Arahat (especially given how definitions vary) but readers will need to judge for themselves how much this does/does not color Daniel's teachings. The book is helpful, but readers should be aware of this claim.
2. I don't feel a lot of compassion jumping off the pages. Maybe Daniel has explicitly chosen not to focus on this aspect of the path or perhaps in choosing to be "hardcore" compassion has been downplayed. However, Daniel's style can, at times, come off as critical to the point of aggression towards alternative viewpoints.
In summary, a good overview from an intelligent teacher who knows his stuff on the traditional Theravada paths. However, like any overview/teaching, this perspective on the path has clearly been colored by the author's own experience & personality.
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