Beginning Meditation/Shamatha/Vispashyana
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CALM ABIDING AND SPECIAL INSIGHT: Achieving Spiritual Transformation Through Meditation by Geshe Gedun Lodro and Jeffrey Hopkins 334 pp., glossary, bibliography, index. A Namgyal Institute Textbook. #CAABSP - regular price $ 22.95 Our Price $18.36 Published by Snow Lion This manual presents an intimate and detailed picture of the intricacies of meditation so vividly that the reader is drawn into a Tibetan world-view of spiritual development. Geshe Gedun Lodro, one of the foremost scholars of Tibet, reveals methods for overcoming afflictive states and disorders to create a mind which is stable, calm and alertly clear. The dangers of not recognizing states contrary to successful meditation are great, and the possibilities of implementing the wrong antidote or of over-extending an appropriate one until it becomes counter-productive are many. Through such detail Geshe Gedun Lodro makes vividly clear a Tibetan approach to meditative transformation. This is a completely revised new edition of Walking Through Walls. More ... | |
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CALMING THE MIND: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on the Cultivation of Meditative Quiescence by Gen Lamrimpa, translated by B. Alan Wallace, edited by Hart Sprager 148 pp., a Namgyal Institute Textbook. #CAMI - regular price $ 16.95 Our Price $13.56 Published by Snow Lion "It is Gen Lamrimpa's familiarity with meditation on a deep experiential level that makes his teachings so valuable and this a book to be recommended."--Ani Jutima, Tibetan Review More ... | |
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THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES: Cultivating a Boundless Heart by B. Alan Wallace 192 pp. #FOIM - regular price $ 15.95 Our Price $12.76 Published by Snow Lion This book is a rich suite of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others. Alan Wallace presents a unique interweaving of teachings on the Four Immeasurables (the cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, equanimity, and empathetic joy) with instruction on quiescence or shamatha meditation practices to empower the mind and render it "fit for service." The book includes both guided meditations and lively discussions on the implications of these teachings for our own lives. More ... | |
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THE PRACTICE OF TRANQUILLITY AND INSIGHT: A Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Meditation by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, fore. by Clark Johnson Ph.D., trans. Peter Roberts 170 pp., b&w photo, 3 line drawings, 3 tables. #PRTRIN - regular price $ 18.95 Our Price $15.16 Published by Snow Lion The two types of meditation that form the core of Buddhist spiritual practice are: tranquillity (samatha) meditation aims at stilling the mind, while insight (vipasyana) meditation produces "clear vision," or insight into the nature of all phenomena. With masterful scholarship, Rinpoche explains this unified system of meditation--what to do, what to avoid and the stages of deepening meditation so the practitioner can gauge progress. His teaching is a commentary on the eighth chapter of the Treasury of Knowledge by Jamgon Kongtrul. More ... | |
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STAGES OF MEDITATION by the H.H. the Dalai Lama, trans. by Ven. Geshe Lobsang Jordhen, Losang Choephel Ganchenpa, and Jeremy Russell 216 pp., includes root text in English, Dalai Lama's commentary, and Tibetan root text by Kamalashila. Paper edition. #STMEPP - regular price $ 16.95 Our Price $13.56 Published by Snow Lion The Dalai Lama explains the principles of meditation in a practice-oriented format especially suited to Westerners. Based upon the middle section of the Bhavanakrama by Kamalasila, a translation of which is included, this is the most extensive commentary given by the Dalai Lama on this concise but important meditation handbook. It is a favorite text of the Dalai Lama and he often takes the opportunity to give teachings on it to audiences throughout the world. In his words, "This text can be like a key that opens the door to all other major Buddhist scriptures." More ... | |
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STUDY AND PRACTICE OF MEDITATION: Tibetan Interpretations of the Concentrations and Formless Absorptions by Leah Zahler 510 pp., 14 charts. #STPRME - regular price $ 39.95 Our Price $31.96 Published by Snow Lion Study and Practice of Meditation gives a vivid and detailed account of the meditative practices necessary to develop a calm, alert mind that is capable of penetrating the depths of reality. The Buddhist meditative states known as the concentrations and formless absorptions are best known in the West from Theravada scriptures and from Vasubandhu’s Treasury of Manifest Knowledge. In this book the reader is exposed to Tibetan Buddhist views on the mental states attained through meditation as described by three contemporary Tibetan lamas. The book discusses the ways in which certain meditative states act as bases of the spiritual path, as well as the nature of meditative calm and the prerequisites for cultivating and attaining it. In addition to reviewing and translating Tibetan sources, the author considers their major Indian antecedents and draws comparisons with Theravadin presentations. More ... | |
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COMMIT TO SIT: Cultivating a Meditation Practice edited by Joan Duncan Oliver, foreword by Pema Chodron #COSITO - $ 16.95 From the pages of Tricycle comes this helpful introduction to the art of meditation. This book brings together a broad range of Buddhist meditative techniques that have appeared in the magazine over the years. Contributors include some of the foremost voices in contemporary Buddhism: Pema Chödrön starts our journey with an inspirational Foreword. Lama Surya Das explores the definition of meditation, while Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein lay out a 28-day program for establishing a daily practice. Wherever you are on your search, you will find plenty of guidance in this book. Learn about insight meditation from Bhante Henepola Gunaratana and Sylvia Boorstein. Or about zazen from Barry Magid and Martine Batchelor. Gil Fronsdal offers instruction in metta (lovingkindness) meditation, while Judith Simmer-Brown teaches tonglen, a Tibetan Buddhist practice for cultivating compassion. We also learn about the crucial role the body plays in meditation from S. N. Goenka, Reginald Ray, Wes Nisker, and Cyndi Lee. We receive guidance on managing issues that arise in meditation from Jon Kabat-Zinn, Christina Feldman, Matthieu Ricard, Pat Enkyo O’Hara, and others. And there are practices for bringing mindfulness and compassion to daily life from Thubten Chodron, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, and Michael Carroll. For centuries meditation has been used as a vehicle for finding inner happiness and a more compassionate approach to life. In this introduction to the art of meditation, Tricycle brings together some of the foremost voices in contemporary Buddhism. | |
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CRYSTAL CLEAR: Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche #CRCL - regular price $ 18.00 Our Price $14.40 Straightforward, lucid guidebook for insight practice (vipashyana). A practical handbook that begins with watching the breath and leads practitioners through stages of realization. More ... | |
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EGO, ATTACHMENT AND LIBERATION: Overcoming Your Mental Beaucracy by Lama Yeshe Only one free per order. 125 pp. #EGATLI - $ 0.00 Full of teachings and meditations given during a five-day retreat, the book serves as a simple meditation course. Choose this or another of our free items. More ... | |
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THE EXPERIENCE OF SAMADHI: An In-depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation by Richard Shankman, with Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and others 236 pp. #EXOFSA - regular price $ 18.95 Our Price $15.16 This clear, accessible book takes a helpful look at the range of teachings about samadhi, and discusses how they can enrich our meditation practice. The discussion is enhanced by interviews with prominent contemporary Buddhist teachers, including Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Christina Feldman, and focuses on the practical experience of samadhi and explaining the range of applications of various meditation techniques. | |
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HOW TO MEDITATE: A Practical Guide by Kathleen McDonald, ed. by Robina Courtin 256 pp. #HOME2 - $ 14.95 This revised, enlarged, and updated edition of this classic, contains a wealth of advice on many proven meditation techniques: from simple breathing and mindfulness exercises to deity visualizations--a whole spectrum of useful exercises in one book. The next best thing to private instruction! More ... | |
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JORCHO: The Six Preparatory Practices trans. by Lobsang Ganchenpa & Ani Karma Lekshe Tsomo 48 pp., line drawings. #JOSIPR - regular price $ 8.95 Our Price $6.71 Here are the practices of preparing your altar, posture, motivation, visualizing the merit field, offering the seven-limb puja, etc. important for conducting a meditation session. It is appropriate to students of all schools and at all levels of practice. | |
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THE JOY OF LIVING: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, fore. by Daniel Goleman Paper, 288 pp. #JOLIPA - $ 13.95 For millennia, Buddhists have enjoyed the limitless benefits of meditation. But how does it work? And why? In this groundbreaking work, world-renowned Buddhist teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche invites us to join him in unlocking the secrets behind the practice of meditation. Working with neuroscientists at the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, Yongey Mingyur provides clear insights into modern research indicating that systematic training in meditation can enhance activity in areas of the brain associated with happiness and compassion. He has also worked with physicists across the country to develop a fresh, scientifically based interpretation of the Buddhist understanding of the nature of reality. More ... | |
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MEDITATION: Advice to Beginners by Bokar Rinpoche 150 pp. #MEA - regular price $ 15.95 Our Price $12.76 A meditation manual for calming the mind, developing insight and practicing mahamudra. | |
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PRACTICAL MEDITATION: Daily Life Applications by Geshe Rabten, trans. and ed. by Brian Grabia 102 pp. #PRMEDA - $ 14.95 The welcoming feel of this little book is perfect for the material: practical questions about meditation, with topics ranging from walking meditation to sleep, frustration with practice, guarding the mind, and so forth. Geshe Rabten was one of the first Tibetan teachers to teach in the West, and was the teacher of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa. More ... | |
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STABILIZING THE MIND: A Meditational Technique to Develop Spaciousness in the Mind by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo 96 pp. #STMIME - regular price $ 13.95 Our Price $11.16 Written by the first Western woman to be recognized by Tibetan lamas as a Tulku, this book brings alive a range of ancient teachings for both newcomers and longtime Buddhist practitioners, with chapters on Stepping Back from Reaction, How to Reside in a State of Innate Wakefulnesss, When Does the I Begin, When Does It End, and much more practical material. | |
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STEP BY STEP: Basic Buddhist Meditations by Geshe Namgyal Wangchen 264 pp. #STBYST - $ 16.95 Step by Step is an easy-to-understand introduction to the meditation methods that have guided people along the path to awakening for millennia. The techniques explained in it are simple, direct, and all-inclusive, and present a time-tested means for counteracting depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and all other forms of mental suffering. Based on the teachings of Tsongkapa, the great Tibetan saint, the book contains all of the instruction necessary to embark on the path of transformation that the Tibetans have refined over the last 1,300 years. Included are detailed explanations of the six perfections, emptiness, the preciousness of life, and how to develop the genuine altruism that benefits all living things. More ... | |
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TEACHINGS ON THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche 96 pp. #TEPRME - regular price $ 19.95 Our Price $12.97 The essence of the teachings of the Buddha is practice. The reason we practice meditation is to attain happiness. This means happiness in both the short-term and the long-term. The short-term benefits of meditation are more than merely peace of mind, because our physical health as well depends to a great extent upon our state of mind. The ultimate or long-term benefit of the practice of meditation is becoming free of all suffering, which means no longer being compelled to experience the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness and death. More ... | |