Everyone has an Everest. Whether it’s a climb you chose, or a circumstance you find yourself in, you’re in the middle of an important journey. Can you imagine a climber scaling the wall of ice at Everest’s Lhotse face and saying, “This is such a hassle”? Or spending the first night in the mountain’s “death zone” and thinking, “I don’t need this stress”? Continue reading
Day: October 19, 2017
Book Recommendation: Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition by Henepola Gunaratana
Mindfulness in Plain English Quotes
“The irony of it is that real peace comes only when you stop chasing it—another Catch-22.”
“Patience is the key. Patience. If you learn nothing else from meditation, you will learn patience. Patience is essential for any profound change.”
“Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you are miserable; that is the reality, that is what is happening, so confront that. Look it square in the eye without flinching. When you are having a bad time, examine that experience, observe it mindfully, study the phenomenon and learn its mechanics. The way out of a trap is to study the trap itself, learn how it is built. You do this by taking the thing apart piece by piece. The trap can’t trap you if it has been taken to pieces. The result is freedom.”
“Pain is inevitable, suffering is not.”
Reviews
“A masterpiece.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn)
“A classic–one of the very best English sources for authoritative explanations of mindfulness.” (Daniel Goleman)
“Of great value to newcomers… especially people without access to a teacher.” (Larry Rosenberg, author of Breath by Breath)
“This book is the bible of mindfulness.” (Barry Boyce, editor of Mindful magazine and The Mindfulness Revolution)
“Wonderfully clear and straightforward.” (Joseph Goldstein, author of A Heart Full of Peace)
“Pithy and practical.” (Shambhala Sun)
“Jargon-free.” (USA Today)
An excellent book, clearly written, well-organized, and comprehensive. It describes a method by which you achieve meaningful meditation, including many helpful suggestions and descriptions of variations like walking meditation. It lists the many things that may occur as one meditates and suggests methods for dealing with each of these hindrances, treating most of them as useful objects for unattached observation. The reader is warned not to expect quick returns from meditation, but extols the benefits one can achieve from patience and practice. This is Vipassana meditation, which stresses concentration and mindfulness, living in the moment. If fully successful, it amounts to auto-psychoanalysis, discovering the deepest parts of oneself, good and bad, without judgment, allowing one to develop relationships of “loving friendliness” with others and enjoying a life lived in the moment.
– David N.Orth
ONE TUSK 