Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English: An Introductory Guide to Deeper States of Meditation

by Henepola Gunaratana and John Peddicord

Book Overview

"A straightforward and pragmatic guide to deepening levels of concentration and insight. This book is a joy to read and a great gift to us all."--Joseph Goldstein, author of Mindfulness

Countless people worldlwide have made Mindfulness in Plain English a beloved and bestselling classic in almost a dozen languages. Now after nearly two decades, Bhante helps meditators of every stripe take their mindfulness practice to the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0861715292
• ISBN13: 9780861715299
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Totally the best book on Jhana, and much much more

I did not think it was possible to write a better book than Mindfulness in Plain English, but this is even more amazing - it is so very very clear, and so inspirational. The path into the jhanas is completely and lucidly laid out. I crowed with delight at some of the descriptions, most particularly the description of radical impermanence, as I have never seen it better described, and I cheered unreservedly in many other places. What a tour de force!

Simplicity of comprehension!

Bhante G's sequel to Mindfulness in Plain English is a superb explanation, especially for the practitioner who must work alone.

The last part of a "trilogy", the final piece of the puzzle

I consider this book to be the last part of a "trilogy": 1. Mindfulness in Plain English, Updated and Expanded Edition 2. Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path 3. Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English: An Introductory guide to Deeper States of Meditation The first book was a no nonsense nuts and bolts for me (I "needed" some kind of rationale context, not fairy tales). The only difficult part was the extended part about universal loving friendliness (why should I unconditionally trust the author). The third book answered my question from the first book. Everything clicked together. Of course a few years of meditation and reflective thinking between reading these two books was a good help. The first four Jhanas make sense for me. The last eight is kind of in the fog (I don't even see any point in going into the last eight Jhanas). This is perfectly ok. I will still give the book five stars, because I was inspired to go for the eightfold path. I could write a whole book about this decision (what is free will, how are decisions made, levels of decisions, ...). Now I was ready to read the second book. The second book contains to many fairy tales for me (stories of "irrational" monks). But because of the first and third book, I could just skip the stories, read between the lines, and make sense of the rest. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't be without this second book. Other people might find these stories about monks to be wonderful stories, and I should't be so rough in my description when I say "fairy tales". I'm just describing what I felt when I read the book! It's difficult to write a review about these books. Different people will get different messages from the same text. Even the same person will get different messages from the same text during different parts of the life. That is why I have included how the books was read by me, not only what I read. Reading them is not enough, what you end up doing (how you live your life) is what counts.

Required reading to develop your Mindfulness practice further

Both Concentration and Insight Meditation practices are equally important. While I have read many useful guidebooks on Insight Meditation (including this author's), it is the first time that I see a practical guide to Concentration. I intend to spend long hours following the easy but detailed instructions here.

The Best Way to Peace.

This book, the most recently published of Bhante G's is so clear, so comprehensive regarding Jhanas; the states of meditation through practice. There are so many books out there that are just gimmicks to the real thing. Bhante Gunaratana is so REAL that reading his words penetrate to carry you further on the path of insight; a critical key to our liberation along with practice of 8 Fold Path. People in our culture are suffering due to their lack of focus. This book can help anyone who is feeling scattered and needs a practice to calm their body and mind. There are so many benefits to concentration. Bhante G shows the way to practice best. He claims no superpowers. Although, in fact, he is the leading Theraveda monk in the western world. Walk on with him; you are likely to find peace. He has paved the way with loving friendliness and diligent effort to make Buddhas teachings accessible to us all. He wrote his dissertation for his PHD on Jhanas and has come full circle with this publication. A Beautiful work.