The Middle Path of Life: Talks on the Practice of Insight Meditation (Paperback)

by Dhiravamsa. (Author) "THE MIDDLE PATH of life is a large subject to consider, because it is not easy to define it or to assert a principle or..." (more)
Key Phrases: Touching Sensation

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Middle Path is recommended to anyone who wants to get to know themselves - to experienced meditators, and those first becoming interested in insight or vipassana meditation, the systematic practice of mindfulness in daily life.

The Middle Path described by Dhiravamsa is neither self-mortification or self-indulgence, but rather a way of total balance. To develop "insight," to meditate, is to be aware of what is going on here and now, and to live fully in the present, without being swayed by the past or the future.

The purpose of meditating is to "see" who we are, honestly, and to learn how to "think from the heart." What we call the "heart" is just being, with no idea of center. When we see what kind of person we are - our particular qualities and weaknesses - we can open up to whatever is actually happening, without logic. Whatever arises, here and now, passes through us without our grasping ... and we can become truly active, vibrant, and spontaneous ... just who we have always wanted to be.

True wisdom springs from meditation - not from the explosive energy of suppressed conflicts, but from the nourishing flow of continuous insight. The mind becomes still, naturally, with panoramic vision. While the body may grow old, the free mind with clear insight is always young as it follows the middle path, the path of true freedom.

About the Author
Dhiravamsa is a spontaneous and unpredictable teacher. He draws upon 23 years of experience as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, and 24 years teaching Westerners in Europe, North America and Australia. He combines a wonderful and unsual blend of East and West - the deep silent awareness of a monk, with a penetrating understanding of the pressures and complexity of modern life. He is primarily concerned with breaking through limitations and opening hearts.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Blue Dolphin Publishing; 3 edition (January 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931892228
• ISBN-13: 978-0931892226
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #422,414 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Meditate on this, June 19, 2001

By	Bob Tolf (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This book is an excellent introduction into the basic concepts of Buddhism, and very helpful for those seeking a healthy way to deal with the vicissitudes of daily living. The author introduces and explains terms to the novice such as Dukkha (the problem of living), Mara (temptation), Kharma (the cycle of living), and Nirvana (the ending of the cycle).

Most important, the book offers the reader a practical way to look inside themselves for answers to their deepest questions. These are the answers that ring most true to the individual, and is reminiscent of Shakespeare's phrase in Hamlet, "to thine ownself be true."