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Summary: No frills
Review: Read this book, and then PRACTICE. And get enlightened. It's that simple--but not that easy! :)
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Summary: Helpfulness for Mindfulness
Review: Reading this book has been extremely valuable to me in helping me refine my meditation practice. Mr. Gunaratana writes with clarity and simplicity, and as a result, this book immediately engages the reader and enables him/her to make use of it in very practical ways. As with other books published by Wisdom Publications, the layout of this book contributes to its readability.
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Summary: Mindfulness in Theravada Way
Review: Simple Way Great Result
The Power of Mindfulness remains hidden force behind Theravada buddhism practices.
Emotional Intelligence gets attention for the world since Daniel Goleman's best seller books "Emotional Intelligence".
EQ is a pop word since then.
This book is a way to practice meditation for improving Self-Awareness.(a component of EQ)
Mindfulness is SATI in Pali Language.
Simple language will make people easy to read through.
However, to get deep understanding , people need a real practice !!!
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Summary: A great book
Review: Somehow I feel that a long review would be unfaithful to the spirit of this great book. Not since I discovered Alan Watts some ten years ago have I read such clear words in the context of buddhism. You will find great introductions to meditation in your local bookstore, from which I recommend the books of Chogyam Trungpa, his student Pema Chödrön, the American Surya Das, and last but not least Sogyal Rinpoche (all from the Tibetan tradition). But "Mindfulness in Plain English" (from the Theravada tradition) stands on a class of its own. If you are a rookie practitioner like me and you do not have the good fortune of having a qualified teacher around, I believe this little manual alone, and discipline, can take you a long way. And you will not exhaust it in one reading. The language is deceptively simple and the book contains some very nuanced discussions (e.g. the distinction between "mindfulness" and "concentration" should be required reading to philosophers of the mind; by the way, when will the Searles and the Dennetts ever discover the buddhist insights about consciousness?) This review is long enough: read the book and meditate everyday. You will be better and so will the world.
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Summary: Exactly what the Title Says it is...
Review: Sometimes when I pick up titles on meditation, yoga, or other practices associated with Eastern philosophy, mysticism or relgion, I am overcome with the author's inability to say what they mean in language that is useful to the rest of us. My relief was enormous, therefore, when a friend gave me this book by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana! This book is exactly what the title implies...easy to read and understand because it is not written in mystic hokum, rather it is written in plain english. The result is a manual for the beginning student of meditation that is sufficient to get you well on your way to benefitting from the practice of Insight Meditation. In "Mindfulness" you will gain an understanding of what mindfullness is, how to cultivate it both during sitting practice and the rest of the time, tips on how to sit and how to overcome some of the most common distractions (including your feet going to sleep and your back hurting), and what to look for and what to avoid. I have not been practicing meditation for long, and this book was of enormous value in helping me identify the things I was doing that served as barriers to effective insight meditation, as well as giving me ideas on how to enhance the effectiveness of my meditation. This is an extremely practical book for the western practitioner. It draws heavily upon the Buddhist paradigm, but the techniques for effective meditation cross all sect boundaries, and the beginning practitioner of any faith will find this book of enormous benefit. I would strongly encourage the reader to suppliment this book with "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hahn. The two together are a delightfully easy to read but complete and well rounded introduction to the practices of Insight Meditation. If you want to know how but don't want to hire a Yogi to translate, this book is the place to start.
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Summary: "naked plain truth"
Review: The author tells us his book is without frills - the most practical 'naked plain truth' there is. Mindfulness in Plain English certainly sounds like a hands-on guide for those who are learning to meditate all by themselves. It is. Explaining Buddhism for the beginner and Vipassana meditation as the ancient technique for living the psychology of Buddhism is how this book begins. Then the author ( Venerable Henepola Gunaratana - a Sri Lankan monk and international teacher) gets right to work. The table of contents contains chapters like 'What Meditation Isn't', and 'What Meditation Is'. It starts with 'The Practice' and includes 'What to Do With Your Mind', and finally ends up with the obvious 'What's in it for You'. Gunaratana knows what beginners want and delivers it. Now all you have to do is practice.
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Summary: Snatching serenity from the hands of chaos
Review: The only word in this book that is difficult to of prounce is the author's name. It is written as if the author were a native English speaker who hated long words. Somehow, Gunaratana has listened to my mind as I attempted to meditate and has assured me that I am normal. Crazy, yes, but normal. As a 64 year old physician, I am pleased that someone has finally given a clear description of the frantic, chaotic nature of the normal human mind and of a simple way to calm it down.
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Summary: Every time I read it, I learn something new!
Review: There are so many wonderful reviews of this book by "regular people," it's hard to add anything new. This is a book you will read again and again, finding new insights each time. I, too, have a library of books on Buddhism, meditation, mindfulness, etc.; and this one truly is in plain (though beautifully articulate) English. What a stunning contribution to Westerners who are trying to practice this wonderful tradition/philosophy/path/way of life. I so appreciate this book and its author. Thank you.
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Summary: A simple technique - profound effects
Review: This book explains the Bhuddist meditation technique vipassana which focuses on breathing. This is in contrast to other techniques which focus on concentrating on a specific object or image. The book can broadly be categorized into three sections - introduction & background, the practice itself, and application to daily life. I found the earlier chapters a bit long-winded, but it is worth reading them to fully understand what this technique is and what it is not. The instructions on how to practice and organize a regular meditation are exceptionally clear. By regular practice of the breathing meditation we can become more aware of life - like moving into the slow lane - and as a result we can learn to appreciate what really matters in life. We can become less greedy and selfish and can delight in the simple and natural things around us. The latter part of the book explores how our lives will change and how to embrace an attitude of "loving friendliness" in all that we do and with all we come into contact with. A great book for helping people to dissolve the stress in their lives and learn to live more meaningfully.
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Summary: An excellent book in so many ways..
Review: This book is fabulous! It's written in a non-condisending way, very much "plain english". A fabulous step on the path to enlightenment!
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