How to Practice Shamatha Meditation

How to Practice Shamatha Meditation

Author: Gen Lamrimpa

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2011-10-16

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 155939725X

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In 1988, Gen Lamrimpa, a Tibetan monk, led a one-year retreat in the Pacific Northwest, during which a group of Western meditators devoted themselves to the practice of meditative quiescence (shamatha). This book is a record of the oral teachings he gave to this group at the outset of the retreat. The teachings are brought to life by Gen Lamrimpa's warmth, humor, and extensive personal experience as a contemplative recluse. An invaluable practical guide for those seeking to develop greater attentional stability and clarity, this work will be of considerable interest to meditators, psychologists, and all others who are concerned with the potentials of the human mind.


How to Meditate

How to Meditate

Author: Pema Chödrön

Publisher: Sounds True

Published: 2021-10-26

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9781683648420

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“When something is bothering you—a person is bugging you, a situation is irritating you, or physical pain is troubling you—you must work with your mind, and that is done through meditation. Working with our mind is the only means through which we’ll actually begin to feel happy and contented with the world that we live in.” —Pema Chödrön Pema Chödrön is treasured around the world for her unique ability to transmit teachings and practices that bring peace, understanding, and compassion into our lives. With How to Meditate, the American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun presents her first book exploring in depth what she considers the essentials for a lifelong practice. More and more people are beginning to recognize a profound inner longing for authenticity, connection, and aliveness. Meditation, Pema explains, gives us a golden key to address this yearning. This step-by-step guide shows readers how to honestly meet and openly relate with the mind, embrace the fullness of our experience, and live in a wholehearted way as we discover: - The basics of meditation, from getting settled and the six points of posture to working with your breath and cultivating an attitude of unconditional friendliness - The Seven Delights—how moments of difficulty can become doorways to awakening and love - Shamatha (or calm abiding), the art of stabilizing the mind to remain present with whatever arises - Thoughts and emotions as “sheer delight”—instead of obstacles—in meditation “I think ultimately why we practice is so that we can become completely loving people, and this is what the world needs,” writes Pema Chödrön. How to Meditate is an essential book from this wise teacher to assist each one of us in this virtuous goal.


Stilling the Mind

Stilling the Mind

Author: B. Alan Wallace

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2011-08-23

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 0861716493

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In his previous book, The Attention Revolution, bestselling author Alan Wallace guided readers through the stages of shamatha, a meditation for focusing the mind. In Stilling the Mind, he uses the wisdom of Dzogchen--the highest of all the meditation traditions--to open up the shamatha practice into a space of vast freedom. Here, Wallace introduces us to Dudjom Lingpa's Vajra Essence, one of the most cherished works of the Nyingma school from which Dzogchen stems. With his trademark enthusiasm and keen intelligence, Wallace makes obscure concepts intelligible to contemporary readers and allows us to glimpse the profound realizations of a great nineteenth-century spiritual adept.


The Attention Revolution

The Attention Revolution

Author: B. Alan Wallace

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com

Published: 2010-10-08

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 1458783898

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Shamatha meditation is a method for achieving previously inconceivable levels of concentration. Author B. Alan Wallace, an active participant in the much-publicized dialogues between Buddhists and scholars, has more than 20 years' practice in the discipline, some of it under the guidance of the Dalai Lama. This book is a definitive presentation of his knowledge of shamatha. It is aimed at the contemporary seeker who is distracted and defocused by the dizzying pace of modern life, as well as those suffering from depression and other mental maladies. Beginning by addressing the inherent problems.


Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up

Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up

Author: B. Alan Wallace

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-04-26

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0861717902

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As long as our minds are dominated by the conditions of the external world, we are bound to remain in a state of dissatisfaction, always vulnerable to grief and fear. How then can we develop an inner sense of well-being and redefine our relationship to a world that seems unavoidably painful and unkind? Many have found a practical answer to that question in the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. Here at last is an organized overview of these teachings, beginning with the basic themes of the sutras--the general discourses of the Buddha--and continuing through the esoteric concepts and advanced practices of Tantra. Unlike other introductions to Tibetan Buddhism, this accessible, enjoyable work doesn't stop with theory and history, but relates timeless spiritual principles to the pressing issues of modern life, both in terms of our daily experience and our uniquely Western world view. This fascinating, highly readable book asks neither unquestioning faith nor blind obedience to abstract concepts or religious beliefs. Rather, it challenges us to question and investigate life's issues for ourselves in the light of an ancient and effective approach to the sufferings and joys of the human condition.


Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English

Author: Gunaratana

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2009-09-08

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 0861715292

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Gunaratana offers basic instruction on the meaning of insight meditation through concepts that can be applied to any tradition. His focus here is on the Jhanas, those meditative states of profound stillness in which the mind becomes fully immersed in the chosen object of attention.


Natural Liberation

Natural Liberation

Author: Padmasambhava

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-06-04

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0861717244

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A perfect companion to the well-known Tibetan Book of the Dead. In life and in death, in meditation and in sleep, every transitional stage of consciousness, or bardo, provides an opportunity to overcome limitations, frustrations, and fears. The profound teachings in this book provide the under- standing and instruction necessary to turn every phase of life into an opportunity for uncontrived, natural liberation. Like the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Natural Liberation is a terma, a "hidden treasure" attributed to the eighth-century master Padmasambhava. Gyatrul Rinpoche's lucid commentary accompanies the text, illuminating the path of awakening to the point of full enlightenment. Natural Liberation is an essential contribution to the library of both scholars and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.


Meditation in Action

Meditation in Action

Author: Chogyam Trungpa

Publisher: Shambhala Publications

Published: 2010-11-23

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 0834821265

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This classic teaching by a Tibetan master continues to inspire both beginners and long-time practitioners of Buddhist meditation. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche shows that meditation extends beyond the formal practice of sitting to build the foundation for compassion, awareness, and creativity in all aspects of life. He explores the six activities associated with meditation in action—generosity, discipline, patience, energy, clarity, and wisdom—revealing that through simple, direct experience, one can attain real wisdom: the ability to see clearly into situations and deal with them skillfully, without the self-consciousness connected with ego


A Guide to Shamatha Meditation

A Guide to Shamatha Meditation

Author: Rinpoche Thrangu

Publisher:

Published: 2003-02-01

Total Pages: 56

ISBN-13: 9781877294099

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A brief commentary by Thrangu Rinpoche on Shamatha, or Calm Abiding meditation, which with vipassana or insight meditation, is considered fundamental to Buddhist practice. Shamata meditation is fundamental to Buddhist practice because before we can understand why we are living in conditioned existence, or samsara, with all its unhappiness and conflicts we must learn to deal with our thoughts and feelings. This process of learning to relax the mind so that it does not constantly go from one thought to the next is shamata meditation. This book is a teaching given by Thrangu Rinpoche on how to practice shamata and insight meditation. Since Rinpoche is from Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, he presents meditation from the Vajrayana perspective. This style of meditation is extremely effective and has produced thousands of enlightened individuals over the centuries.


The Less Dust the More Trust

The Less Dust the More Trust

Author: Adeline van Waning

Publisher: John Hunt Publishing

Published: 2014-01-31

Total Pages: 414

ISBN-13: 1782796576

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The Less Dust, the More Trust presents the story of the author’s participation in the Shamatha Project, addressing Buddhism, shamatha mindfulness practices (concentration-calm), and meditation-research. With diary excerpts, dream log, and audio transcripts she gives the reader a feel for her personal experiences. The current research outcomes of this unique ongoing project are reported, focusing on the effects of the various practices in attention and emotion regulation, and on health. They include groundbreaking findings of effects down to the chromosome level. The practice ‘Settling the mind in its natural state’ invites wonder: what is this natural state? Each chapter includes a guided meditation. The book is structured in a way that it can provide the reader with various threads. It can be read as an overview of the Shamatha Project, meditation and science. Additionally, it can be read as an exploration into Buddhist studies, with a focus on psychological and scientific understanding of meditation. Most importantly: the book can support a personal journey for the reader in practicing shamatha meditations, and experiencing increasing well-being. ,