Stages of Meditation [Hardcover]

Dalai Lama (Author), Geshe Lobsang Jordhen (Author), Losang Choephel Ganchenpa (Author), Jeremy Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

The Dalai Lama explains the principles of meditation in a practice-oriented format especially suited for Westerners.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Stages of Meditation is a commentary by the Dalai Lama on a rare text by ninth-century Indian Buddhist scholar Kamalashila, written in Tibet to correct some Chinese misinterpretations of Buddhism that were influential at the time. Kamalashila's short work is not widely known today, but according to the Dalai Lama, it is a most important text, and worthy of study by those new to Buddhism, because "on the basis of this knowledge you will be able to understand other treatises without great difficulty. This text can be like a key that opens the door to all other major Buddhist scriptures."

Throughout the book, the Dalai Lama emphasizes the importance of logical analysis of scriptures, even if they are in the Buddha's own words; some teachings, he stresses, "should not be taken literally, but need interpretation." And this is what he does in this clear and readable commentary, originally given in 1989 and now translated and published for the first time. Its 10 short chapters are on such familiar Buddhist themes as Training the Mind, Compassion, Identifying the Nature of Suffering, and The Practice of Calm Abiding.

"Through meditation," says the Dalai Lama, "we can train our minds in such a way that negative qualities are abandoned and positive qualities are generated and enhanced." Those who practice meditation, whether Buddhist or not, will find this a thoughtful and practical guide, written with the Dalai Lama's characteristic warmth and gentleness. --David V Barrett, Amazon.co.uk

Review

"For the budding practitioner, there are few teachings more essential or indispensible than Kamalshila's Stages of Meditation" -Foreward Magazine

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion Publications (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559390697
• ISBN-13: 978-1559390699
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Guide for Experienced Meditators, August 5, 2007

By 

Charles Calvert "charliecal" (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stages of Meditation (Hardcover)

I'm a WASP born and raised in the United States and a very long term meditator who has mostly practiced inside Hindu and Theravadin traditions. I've seen the Dalai Lama speak twice, read some of his books, and watched a few of his videos, so I'm not entirely unfamiliar with his work, but still I'm not a follower of his branch of Buddhism.

I downloaded this book from Audible several years ago, and listened to it through in bits and pieces several times while commuting. There were passages I wanted to linger over, so I bought the hardback. It sat on my shelf unread for quite some time, until I finally picked it up about a week ago and read it through in a short series of evening sessions.

I find this book to be extremely useful. In it, the Dalai Lama talks about two different types of meditation:

1) Calm Abiding
2) Special Insight

Calm abiding meditation usually involves some form of single pointed concentration, and in my experience can lead to the pleasant or - on rare occasions - the blissful experiences that dominate popular perceptions of meditation. The second type of meditation I think of as Insight meditation. It is often associated with the goal of attaining wisdom. The Diamond Sutra, and many branches of Buddhism, emphasize that wisdom involves compassion, selflessness, and learning to treat this "fleeting world" as "a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream, a flash of lightning in a summer cloud, a flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream." Finding the right words to help westerners understand Buddhist wisdom is one of the books strengths.

Many schools of meditation present you with the option of choosing either special insight or calm abiding. In this book, and in others of his that I have read, the Dalai Lama insists that both techniques are essential for those who want to make spiritual progress. In this book the Dalai Lama gets quite specific about what is involved in each form of meditation, and provides numerous techniques that practitioners of meditation can use to enhance their practice. For instance, I found his discussion of the antidotes to torpor or over-excitement to be particularly useful.

I'll echo what others have said about this book not being a good text for beginners. It is not particularly difficult to understand, but it is unlikely that most practitioners will have the practical background in meditation necessary to understand the significance of some of the points made by the Dalai Lama in this text.

I disagree, however, with those who find the book dry. The Dalai Lama was trained from early childhood in the arcana of Buddhist thought, and his discussions of this topic are often detailed and highly technical. In this text, however, he is less rigid, and delves immediately and continuously into the most telling and important points in Buddhist thought. If this book finds the right audience, as it did with me, it becomes something of a page turner. I found myself thinking about this book often during the day, and looking forward to immersing myself in its beauty when I finally had free time in the evening. It is a little disappointing to know that I have finished reading it.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and warm. An absolute pleasure to read, February 3, 2005

By 

D. A. Patton "Minding the Gap" (Santa Ana, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stages of Meditation (Hardcover)

Essentially a study of Mahayanan Buddhism, this book is also excellent choice for those interested in refining their mindfulness meditation practice. There are full chapters describing calm abiding and actualizing special insight. Both are discussed in great detail with vivid examples. I would consider it to be a must-have for anyone interested in the practice of mindfulness meditation.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for appropriate readers, February 18, 2004

By 

SN (alameda, ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stages of Meditation (Hardcover)

This book is aimed at those who already have the basic knowledge of Buddhism. Those who wish to know the basic of Buddhism should pick up What Buddhists Believe by K. Sri Dhammananda. Stages of Meditation is about the practice of the Madhyamika school of Buddhism. Though a follower of the Theravada school, I greatly enjoy the teaching expounded in this text. The language is precise and to the point. Hence it could be a little dry and challenging to novice readers. Each school of Buddhism explains the core Buddhist concepts a little differently. Because of this students of the Dharma can pick up different insights from reading texts outside of their school. This is hugely benefiting for the development of wisdom and compassion.