Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition [Deluxe Edition] [Paperback]

Bhante Gunaratana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2011

With over a quarter of a million copies sold, Mindfulness in Plain English is one of the most influential books in the burgeoning field of mindfulness and a timeless classic introduction to meditation. This is a book that people read, love, and give to everyone they know—a book that people talk about, write about, reflect on, and return to over and over again.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you'd like to read about meditation and then go back to your regular life, don't get this book. Henepola Gunaratana, a monk from Sri Lanka and venerated teacher of Buddhism, warns us that vipassana meditation is "meant to revolutionize the whole of your life experience." In one of the best nuts-and-bolts meditation manuals, he lays out the fundamentals of basic Buddhist meditation, the how, what, where, when, and why, including common problems and how to deal with them. His 52 years as a Buddhist monk make Mindfulness in Plain English an authority on a living tradition, and his years of teaching in America and elsewhere give it the clarity and straightforwardness that has made it so popular. If you'd like to learn the practice of meditation, you can't do better. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A masterpiece."—Jon Kabat-Zinn

“A classic—one of the very best English sources for authoritative explanations of mindfulness.” —Daniel Goleman

“Of great value to newcomers... especially people without access to a teacher.”—Larry Rosenberg, author of Breath by Breath

“This book is the bible of mindfulness.”—Barry Boyce, editor of Mindful magazine and The Mindfulness Revolution

“Bhante writes with great clarity and has a good sense of humor with respect to the ups and downs of practice.” —Ken McLeod, author of Wake Up to Your Life

"Wonderfully clear and straightforward.” —Joseph Goldstein, author of A Heart Full of Peace

"Pithy and practical.” —Shambhala Sun

“Jargon-free.”—USA Today

"Among the very best."—Tricycle

"A classic."—Inquiring Mind

"All that its title promises and more...a jewel of a manual."—Bhavana Society

"Profound...a classic interpretation of Vipassana meditation practice."—The Middle Way

"This book is simply written and clearly brings the essentials of this Buddhist practice to the West."—The Beacon

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications; 20th Anniversary Edition edition (September 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861719069
• ISBN-13: 978-0861719068
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (206 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine > Meditation
  • #21 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Eastern > Buddhism
  • #71 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

562 of 569 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Meditation for the West August 25, 1997

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Ever start reading a really cool looking
meditation book only to find that the picture on
the cover is the only thing that makes any sense?

Have you ever wondered why the author or
translator never bothers to tell you what those
weird words mean, "Samahadi...",
"Vipassana...", "Dukka..."

Have you finished a meditation book and
understood about half of what was talked about and
figured that half is better than none? (a very 'enlightened'
but often frustrating outcome
especially when these books aren't cheap)

This little known book seems to have addressed
and solved all those problems and more. It is a book
written for people who have no clue how to
start meditating and for those who have started, but
don't know where to look for the answers to
questions that come up during their practice.
The best thing about this book is in
its title,'plain English'.It seems to gently
lead one by the hand through the mystery and
confusion of meditation with a sense of humor
and patience rarely given to the subject.

I have been meditating for nine years now and
have built up a small library of books on the
subject. When friends ask me about meditation
I dig around in all the books with great
covers and reach for "Mindfullness In Plain
English" every time.

140 of 140 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what the Title Says it is... May 21, 2001

By Missing in Action VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Sometimes when I pick up titles on meditation, yoga, or other practices associated with Eastern philosophy, mysticism or relgion, I am overcome with the author's inability to say what they mean in language that is useful to the rest of us. My relief was enormous, therefore, when a friend gave me this book by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana! This book is exactly what the title implies...easy to read and understand because it is not written in mystic hokum, rather it is written in plain english. The result is a manual for the beginning student of meditation that is sufficient to get you well on your way to benefitting from the practice of Insight Meditation.

In "Mindfulness" you will gain an understanding of what mindfullness is, how to cultivate it both during sitting practice and the rest of the time, tips on how to sit and how to overcome some of the most common distractions (including your feet going to sleep and your back hurting), and what to look for and what to avoid. I have not been practicing meditation for long, and this book was of enormous value in helping me identify the things I was doing that served as barriers to effective insight meditation, as well as giving me ideas on how to enhance the effectiveness of my meditation.

This is an extremely practical book for the western practitioner. It draws heavily upon the Buddhist paradigm, but the techniques for effective meditation cross all sect boundaries, and the beginning practitioner of any faith will find this book of enormous benefit. I would strongly encourage the reader to suppliment this book with "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hahn. The two together are a delightfully easy to read but complete and well rounded introduction to the practices of Insight Meditation. If you want to know how but don't want to hire a Yogi to translate, this book is the place to start.

211 of 216 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent beginning for your path to Liberation May 31, 2002

By Saturnino Garcia

Format:Paperback

Mindfulness is not an easy concept to explain in words yet H. Gunaratana does a nice job of doing just that. First and foremost, this book is a beginner's guide to the practice of Vipassana (or Insight) meditation. Having it's roots in the Gutama Buddha's life over 2500 years ago, Vipassana meditation is a skill that takes only a short while to learn but a lifetime of dedication to master.

The introduction gives a brief look at the roots of the practice and tells the reader that meditation is intrinsically experiential so the best way to get started is to just sit and try it. In the following chapters, Gunaratana helps the reader to understand exactly what meditation is and what it isn't. From there he goes into more detailed instructions as to what your mind and body should be doing while you meditate. This is accompanied with useful tips on dealing with problems that may arise in your practice, including the 5 major hindrances that nearly all meditators face. The book wraps up with a more in depth look at exactly what "mindfulness" is and how to "take it from the cushion" and integrate it into our daily lives.

I found this book very easy to read and understand and feel it would be an excellent guide for people just getting into Buddhism and meditation. Already being the owner of a collection of books on Buddhism, this book didn't offer any new revelations but I was extrememly pleased with the sections on mindfulness and have already used some of the author's suggestions on integrating it into daily life. The main reason I did not give the book 5 stars is because it offers much more for the new reader than it does for one with more experience.

If you buy this book and still feel like you could use more detailed instructions on meditation, I recommend you also purchase "Change Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation" by Paramananda (ISBN: 0904766810).