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HomeMedia/BooksMindfulness in Plain English: Revised and Expanded Edition |
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|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
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Excellent, easily understandable book. Jul 13, 2010
Excellent, easily understandable book. Great for self practice of mindfulness meditation. I am enjoying every word in it.
Just what the title says Jul 02, 2010
I am familiar with "Bhante G" through his work founding the Bhavana retreat center here in WV. This book it exactly what the title suggests, a straightforward set of directions on Vipassana or mindfulness meditation. I highly recommend this book for anyone aspiring to become more aware of the moment to moment unfolding of one's life.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
The title is incredibly accurate Jun 15, 2010
This text *IS* all about presenting what can be the very challenging topic of meditation (and particularly Vipassana meditation) in words and language any person truly can understand. Moreover, the author doesn't try to appeal to and appease everyone; he is firm about what Vipassana is and isn't, about what challenges people do experience in meditation and in Vipassana, and about how it is work - but incredibly worthwhile. And while being "firm" in his language, he is also very compassionate. The text is a great example of work created by an experience and insightful meditator; if you really want to learn to meditate, but have struggled to do so (or are unclear about what "meditation" really even is), I encourage you to read this book.
As titled... Jun 03, 2010
An excellent guide to anyone attempting to practice vipassana meditation, or any meditation. Techniques are given for dealing with common roadblocks and distractions, and instruction is specific and easy to follow (but of course, not easy to achive!!).
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
This Book Saved My Life May 25, 2010
Well, not literally, but it certainly felt like it saved my life at the time. Here's what happened. About two years ago I decided to go to a Vipassana retreat as part of a trip to Asia. My original destination was a retreat center in Chiang Mai but due to the airport shut-down by protesters in Bangkok I ended up at a small forest monastery near Udon Thani.
I arrived at the monastery, and the only English speaking monk showed me to my Kuti (hut) and told me "focus on your breath, i'll see you in two days" and walked away. I had never meditated in my life. Luckily I had a copy of 'Mindfulness in Plain English' that I had purchased on a whim before I left. The book was more appropriate than I could have known. Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is also from the Theravadan forest tradition - the same as the monastery.
This is an excellent book for a first time meditator (or even someone who has been practicing for awhile) and I highly recommend it. I followed his instructions and I 'got it'. For the first time in my life I understood *why* people meditate.
I stayed there for ten days and had little human contact during that time. I slept on the floor of my rat infested hut and eat one (just one!) meal a day of alms food gifted by the surrounding residents. It was the experience of a lifetime. Friends look at me like i'm nuts when i say that, but that's okay. I know for certain that my experience would not have been the same if not for having this book with me.
I still have much learning to do, but thanks to my monastery experience and this book I have maintained a practice since. Gunaratana has a warmth that shows through in his writing. I still refer to it when I get off target or lose my focus. I've since visited Gunaratana's monastary in West Virginia though I have yet to meet him to thank him personally.
Michael Kaminsky, Author, Naked Lens: Video Blogging & Video Journaling to Reclaim the YOU in YouTube
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