Customer Reviews

Sitting: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation (Compass)

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

 

 

Diana St Ruth does not waste time or space trying to be clever; she comes straight to the point: What is meditation and how can it become an integral part of one's (sitting/moving) life. An excellent book for beginners and, because of this, an essential book for those who consider themselves advanced. This little book has obviously been written out of experience, thank goodness, and not regurgitation. Practical wisdom and compassion. "Recognize the true self and the nature of this moment, and realize there is nothing to crush."

This is by far the best book on Buddhism and Buddist meditation that I've read (and that's quite a few). It stands as testament to clear and concise explanation. It's almost as if each sentence is worth an entire chapter in the other books I've read, even the good ones. I think Buddhism is a particularly good example of a topic that should be described in this manner.

This book is the one you should read over and over again throughout your meditation career. After, all it doesn't take long.

This is perhaps the best introduction to Buddhist meditation in print. In this perfectly concise volume, Diana St. Ruth cuts right to the heart of practice, leaving behind meaningless ritual and religious dogma. Free from the dictates of a single teacher or branch of Buddhism, Diana St. Ruth offers us just what the Buddha taught -- the freedom to practice and awaken. Every aspiring Buddha should own a copy of this wonderful little book.

I visit the Zen Center regularly enough, but I don't always do much reading on spiritual matters. This is a very simple guide to sitting, very accessible to those just getting into practice, and with enough reminders and elaboration to trigger the memory of someone who has been sitting for a while. This is not an advanced guide by any means, simply a very thorough one. It makes no assumptions about beliefs or philosophy, I feel I could hand this to someone of any religion as a means to explain meditation.