With his distinctive clarity and wit, "Bhante G" takes us step by step through the myths, realities, and benefits of meditation and the practice of mindfulness. We already have the foundation we need to live a more productive and peaceful life — Bhante simply points to each tool of meditation, tells us what it does, and how to make it work. This expanded edition includes the complete text of its bestselling predecessor, as well as a new chapter on the cultivation of loving kindness, an especially important subject in today's world.
Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition
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Book Description
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. I cannot recommend it highly enough." -- Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are
"Of great value to newcomers...especially people without access to a teacher." -- Larry Rosenberg, Director, Cambridge Insight Meditation Center --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Of great value to newcomers...especially people without access to a teacher." -- Larry Rosenberg, Director, Cambridge Insight Meditation Center --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
504 of 509 people found the following review helpful
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.
120 of 120 people found the following review helpful
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.
199 of 204 people found the following review helpful
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).
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Mindless
This was just about the most mindless book I have ever (partially) read. The author is very muddled, even as to the title (which is about mindfulness) and the content (which is... Read more
Published 29 days ago by Jack Wander
Great
A+ very happy great book would recommend to others as well :-) :-) ;-) :-) :-) don't have 20 words to say. You get the idea without having to type forever on my iPhone.
Published 1 month ago by Kim Young
Full of Insight
This is a very important book. Very insightful, informative, & at times humorous. Gunaratana walks the razor's edge between explaining & brief clarity, giving just enough to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Vi4Vipassana
Probably the Most Comprehensive Guide to Meditation Ever Written
This is truly a classic, a nuts-and-bolts guide to meditation, and probably the most comprehensive one ever written in terms of advice for dealing with distractions. Read more
Published 2 months ago by L. Erickson
Excellent introduction to Buddhism
I've read several books on Buddhism, trying to understand it. I wish I had started with this book. I can't recommend it enough.
Published 3 months ago by Learner
A Must Read for Everyone!!!
Truly a must read for everyone - both Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike.
Bhante G is absolutely amazing and speaks to the heart. Read more
Bhante G is absolutely amazing and speaks to the heart. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr
interested in meditation?
This book is perfect for a person who is interested in learning how to conduct "open monitoring" meditation. Read more
Published 5 months ago by mark
Not a Good Book...
My biggest pet peeve in a book is repetition to make a book into a book rather than a pamphlet. Too much repetition and not engaging enough in it's repetition to be considered... Read more
Published 6 months ago by John H. Hughes
A Classic Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation
This beautiful book is an introduction to Vipassana (or Insight) meditation. As such, it may be the best book of this genre available today. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Creb
a straight to the point book
A great book for beginners and advance practitioners of mindfulness, in plain, non-eastern language. I loved it and will read it again in the future.
Published 6 months ago by Sergio Zepeda
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
THE SUBJECT OF THIS BOOK is vipassana meditation practice. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
loving friendliness, friendliness embrace, hare attention, appreciative joy, sinking mind, new meditators, vipassana meditation, return your attention Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Pali, Bare Attention New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THE SUBJECT OF THIS BOOK is vipassana meditation practice. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
loving friendliness, friendliness embrace, hare attention, appreciative joy, sinking mind, new meditators, vipassana meditation, return your attention Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Pali, Bare Attention New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3
books:
84
books
cite this book:
See all 84 books citing this book
- Thank You (Small Wonders Series) by Adventure Publications in Back Matter
- Zen Meditation in Plain English by John Daishin Buksbazen in Back Matter
- The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga (Vipassana Meditation and the Buddha's Teachings) by Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa on page 5
- Daily Wisdom: 365 Buddhist Inspirations by Joshua Bartok on 17 pages
- Everyday Mind (Tricycle Book) by Jean Smith on 15 pages
- The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind by B. Alan Wallace on 4 pages
- Traveller On The Path by Ronn Parker on 4 pages
- The Accidental Buddhist: Mindfulness, Enlightenment, and Sitting Still, American Style by Dinty W. Moore on page 115, page 119, and Back Matter
See all 84 books citing this book
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