Meditation: The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Part 1 (Volume 4) [Paperback]

Paul Brunton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Notebooks of Paul Brunton | Publication Date: September 15, 1986

A uniquely comprehensive and reliable non-sectarian survey of meditation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Larson Publications (September 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943914191
• ISBN-13: 978-0943914190
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Posthumous Insights on Meditation, April 26, 2006

By 

Pavel Somov, Ph.D. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meditation: The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Part 1 (Volume 4) (Paperback)

"The Notebooks of Paul Brunton" - as stated in the editors' introduction - is a compilation of insights by a teacher of meditation that was reserved for posthumous publication. While the fact that these writings were reserved for posthumous publication might seem intriguing and/or ominous, I have found this particular element of this compilation very meaningful.

As a student of meditation, I have certainly witnessed my own ever changing understanding of what meditation is and have learned to remain preferably silent or, if necessary, highly tentative about sharing the ever-evolving personal definition of meditation.

While I am not entirely sure what P.B.'s motivations for reserving the publication of these notes about meditation posthumously were, I'd like to think that, perhaps, P.B. was remaining tentative, maybe, holding off to sign off on his final understanding of meditation until the last possible deadline.

The compilation itself is a thorough summary of personal, empirically- and anecdotally-validated insights about meditation practice, sub-divided into a convenient organization of contents.

The insights are presented as laconic aphorisms which are easy to digest and ponder, and are numbered for easy reference. Introspections are nuanced and phenomenologically face-valid. Perhaps, the only limitations of this volume is its occasional redundancy, which, for some, might be reframed as useful repetition.

As a psychologist in private practice, I have used some of P.B.'s observations about the dynamics of the mind in the context of meta-cognitive training for anxiety disorders. For example, such observations as "the so-called normal mind is in a state of constant agitation..." and "as the mind relaxes, the number of thoughts is reduced, the attentiveness to them is increased" (P.B., Fundamentals, p. 131) have been handy quotations with clients.

On a final note, a secular reader should be cautioned against P.B.'s religious, albeit idiosyncratic, worldview that serves as context for his writings about meditation as a tool of spirituality. This spiritual context aside, the book is a valuable resource for a secular or non-secular student of meditation.

Pavel Somov, Ph.D.
Pittsburgh, PA
USA

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why & How to Meditate, July 30, 2010

By 

L C Berardino - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Meditation: The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Volume 4, Part 1 (Kindle Edition)

Paul Brunton (1888 - 1981) researched world traditions and teaches, in simple language, how to meditate. Paul Brunton's writing are short paragraphs so you can read a para even if you have just a minute of time. Each para is a gem. I go to the writings of Paul Brunton when I am troubled or depressed and I am lifted and inspired. I bought these books for my KINDLE and I start each day with a few quotes. This is one of several volumes of PB Notebooks. These notebooks are like the OCEAN.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to contact Soul, December 11, 2010

By 

J R Strickland (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meditation: The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Part 1 (Volume 4) (Paperback)

Meditation is an inspiring invitation to the most intimate adventure of human spirituality--the direct experience of one's own soul. Paul Brunton guides us through the three stages of concentration, meditation proper, and contemplation, explaining the purpose and importance of meditation, and providing an unusually rich variety of tested and proven techniques. Useful to beginners and experienced alike, this material both confirms the possibility and indicates the methods of an inward penetration to ever deeper and more meaningful levels of our own inner reality. Meditation: The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Volume 4, Part 1