The Meditative Path: A Gentle Way to Awareness, Concentration, and Serenity

by John Cianciosi

Once, the Mula Nasruden was searching the ground under a street lamp. "Can I help?" asked a friend. "I lost my key in the house," said Nasruden. "But then why look out here?" "Because the light is better in the street," came the reply. Nasruden is a great fool in Middle Eastern folklore. Only by turning on the light inside his house -- his inner psyche --will he find the key. John Cianciosi shows us how to do just that. Directly from the heart, this practical, nonreligious book guides the reader of any faith to reduce stress, increase health, and achieve inner peace. It clearly explains the meditative process and offers very simple exercises to balance theory and practice. Each chapter includes Q&A sections based on the average reader's experience and crafted from the author's twenty-four years of teaching, first as a Buddhist monk and now in lay life. Of all primers on meditation, this one excels in showing how to slow down life in the fast lane.

Genres: Meditation

287 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Breezy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book a couple times now and I have decided that it is extremely helpful to me. I am a single mother of two and life hasn't always been the greatest. This book has helped me learn to relax and to think, every second I get to myself I practice my meditation and it has done wonders to help me not freak out everytime my son decides to hurt his sister or break things. Many meditation guide books are complicated or drone on and on, but this one is very to the point and easy to focus on. Cianciosi guides you one step at a time, not going to much into the history of it all. Just reading the book helped fill me with peace.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in conjunction with Breath by Breath and the two books really complimented each other. I'd recommend this book for beginners and even advanced beginner meditators. The language was kept simple and it had wonderful chapters on dealing with pain and anger.

[Prashant Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a one stop solution for all meditative/Self Help needs. One of the best books written on meditation.The easy writing, and lucid stories reflect how calm the mind of the author is. A must read
I am surely going to read it again.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book very much. I've taken the meditation class with the author. He is very interesting and a wonderful teacher with much to say about the benefits of meditation and how to meditate.

[Sitaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is excellent book for understanding and living with awareness.