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A Beginner's Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers
A practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation, with pointers from some of today's most respected Buddhist teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, Cyndi Lee, and Sharon Salzberg.
As countless meditators have learned firsthand, meditation practice can positively transform the way we see and experience our lives. This practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation introduces you to the practice, explains how it is approached in the main schools of Buddhism, and offers advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned and effective meditation teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, Ajahn Chah, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sylvia Boorstein, Noah Levine, Matthieu Ricard, Judy Lief, and many others.
Topics include how to build excitement and energy to start a meditation routine and keep it going, setting up a meditation space, working with and through boredom, what to look for when seeking others to meditate with, how to know when it’s time to try doing a formal meditation retreat, how to bring the practice “off the cushion” with walking meditation and other practices, and much more.
As countless meditators have learned firsthand, meditation practice can positively transform the way we see and experience our lives. This practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation introduces you to the practice, explains how it is approached in the main schools of Buddhism, and offers advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned and effective meditation teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, Ajahn Chah, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sylvia Boorstein, Noah Levine, Matthieu Ricard, Judy Lief, and many others.
Topics include how to build excitement and energy to start a meditation routine and keep it going, setting up a meditation space, working with and through boredom, what to look for when seeking others to meditate with, how to know when it’s time to try doing a formal meditation retreat, how to bring the practice “off the cushion” with walking meditation and other practices, and much more.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 2014
69 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 2, 2014
If you're a relaxed, meditative sort, maybe you can read this book cover to cover chronologically. Not me. I found it worked much better to treat it like a resource by using the Table of Contents to good effect. Otherwise, the overlapping begins to create a drag of sorts.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this collection of essays by topnotch minds in the field is too repetitive. There's plenty of divergence to please those searching for ways to meditate. I'm just saying there are unavoidable similarities because, well, it's the same basic music: Variations on a Theme of Meditation. But still, variety is to be had. For instance, some will tell you the optimal time for meditation is an hour, others 30 minutes, still others 10. It's like the professors you had in college -- you're bound to like some of their messages and deliveries better than others. So the beginner can look for the right fit even though the topic revolves like a wheel.
Using the Table of Contents as your compass, you'll find subsections on getting started (basic advice), cultivating calm and insight (the whole point), the lowdown on zazen (Zen, anyone?), Indo-Tibetan variations (getting to the roots), and, sensibly enough, how to keep the ball rolling once you begin. Within these sections are essays on walking meditation, meditating alone vs. with a community, yoga, the surroundings you choose to meditate in at home, how to relax, how to avoid boredom, and how to incorporate koans (oh boy... now THERE'S something to meditate over). And that's just a start.
All in all, a great resource for your shelf. Reach for it as needed or when you need to start, change, or keep your meditation alive and meaningful. And relax. You are not obliged to plow through this like a novel....
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this collection of essays by topnotch minds in the field is too repetitive. There's plenty of divergence to please those searching for ways to meditate. I'm just saying there are unavoidable similarities because, well, it's the same basic music: Variations on a Theme of Meditation. But still, variety is to be had. For instance, some will tell you the optimal time for meditation is an hour, others 30 minutes, still others 10. It's like the professors you had in college -- you're bound to like some of their messages and deliveries better than others. So the beginner can look for the right fit even though the topic revolves like a wheel.
Using the Table of Contents as your compass, you'll find subsections on getting started (basic advice), cultivating calm and insight (the whole point), the lowdown on zazen (Zen, anyone?), Indo-Tibetan variations (getting to the roots), and, sensibly enough, how to keep the ball rolling once you begin. Within these sections are essays on walking meditation, meditating alone vs. with a community, yoga, the surroundings you choose to meditate in at home, how to relax, how to avoid boredom, and how to incorporate koans (oh boy... now THERE'S something to meditate over). And that's just a start.
All in all, a great resource for your shelf. Reach for it as needed or when you need to start, change, or keep your meditation alive and meaningful. And relax. You are not obliged to plow through this like a novel....
November 23, 2024
Interesting book, it contains the work of many authors but with no real structure making it hard to follow.
It was a challenge for me to stay engaged and focused while reading it, taking a long time but I noticed I was more open to it at different periods.
I wouldn't say this a book for beginners though.
It was a challenge for me to stay engaged and focused while reading it, taking a long time but I noticed I was more open to it at different periods.
I wouldn't say this a book for beginners though.
May 3, 2014
“A Beginner's Guide To Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers” edited by Rod Meade Sperry and the Editors of the Shambhala Sun is a good collection of essays on meditation and Buddhism. It is not quite what I expected from a book titled “A Beginner's Guide To Meditation” but a book I enjoyed and learned from nonetheless.
The book contains nearly forty different essays of different lengths. They range from two pages long to ten to fifteen pages for some of the longer ones. These were written by a wide range of experts, some such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Jack Kornfield, and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama being more recognizable than others. I found all of the essays interesting, but some more than others. The writing style varied as well, with some essays more “beginner” level than others.
For the person looking for a beginner's “how to” meditate book, this collection of essays wouldn't fit the bill. While some of the selections offer some tips and suggestions on meditation practice, it's not s simple beginners “how to” book. This is more of a supplemental text of essays to support a meditation practice.
When you look at it as such, a support to your meditation practice, it is a very good book. Very good that is if you have or want a Buddhist perspective to your meditation. Obviously, meditation can be done by non-Buddhists, and if you fall in this category, you might not want a book focusing on Buddhist concepts and philosophies.
As someone who does study Buddhist and Taoist philosophies with my martial art, meditation, and Asian studies and practice, I really enjoyed many of the essays. Some more than others, but I gained something from each and every one of them. I liked the variety of topics and voices, and while some were heavy on philosophy, there were many practical tips to incorporate into your meditation practice, and also a healthy does of motivation to either get you started on your mediation path, or to continue if you have already started. While this wouldn't be the first book I'd recommend to someone wanting to learn mediation, it is a good book to include with your studies and it definitely contained information to help me with mine.
If you are wondering what Buddhist meditation is all about, this is a good book to give an overview of various concepts, philosophies and practices. If you are already meditating and want a supplemental text to enhance your education and practice, this is a great addition to your meditation resources. If you fall into one of these camps, I'd recommend you read this guide to meditation.
The book contains nearly forty different essays of different lengths. They range from two pages long to ten to fifteen pages for some of the longer ones. These were written by a wide range of experts, some such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Jack Kornfield, and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama being more recognizable than others. I found all of the essays interesting, but some more than others. The writing style varied as well, with some essays more “beginner” level than others.
For the person looking for a beginner's “how to” meditate book, this collection of essays wouldn't fit the bill. While some of the selections offer some tips and suggestions on meditation practice, it's not s simple beginners “how to” book. This is more of a supplemental text of essays to support a meditation practice.
When you look at it as such, a support to your meditation practice, it is a very good book. Very good that is if you have or want a Buddhist perspective to your meditation. Obviously, meditation can be done by non-Buddhists, and if you fall in this category, you might not want a book focusing on Buddhist concepts and philosophies.
As someone who does study Buddhist and Taoist philosophies with my martial art, meditation, and Asian studies and practice, I really enjoyed many of the essays. Some more than others, but I gained something from each and every one of them. I liked the variety of topics and voices, and while some were heavy on philosophy, there were many practical tips to incorporate into your meditation practice, and also a healthy does of motivation to either get you started on your mediation path, or to continue if you have already started. While this wouldn't be the first book I'd recommend to someone wanting to learn mediation, it is a good book to include with your studies and it definitely contained information to help me with mine.
If you are wondering what Buddhist meditation is all about, this is a good book to give an overview of various concepts, philosophies and practices. If you are already meditating and want a supplemental text to enhance your education and practice, this is a great addition to your meditation resources. If you fall into one of these camps, I'd recommend you read this guide to meditation.
July 23, 2019
After realizing I had read this one before and never added it to my shelves, I was able to get along with it a little bit better. The book is set for the true beginner in both form and practice of meditation. One of the detractions I can see for a new person who gets a hold of this book is a lot of conflicting information. There are about a dozen contributors, all with different means and ends to achieve their state and practice with conflicting views at times. Eyes open vs. eyes closed. Eyes looking down vs. eyes looking three feet in front vs. eyes looking six feet vs. looking off into the distance. Sitting on a map, a rug, on a chair, the floor, elevated, flat, etc. are all shown here.
To be honest, it's not bad but can be very confusing at times but it does give you an idea that there is no single one set practice that you need to follow, but to find what makes you feel the most comfortable and go with it.
To be honest, it's not bad but can be very confusing at times but it does give you an idea that there is no single one set practice that you need to follow, but to find what makes you feel the most comfortable and go with it.
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April 25, 2024Everything is impermanent. Nothing is mine.
“The Zen teacher Kobun Chino once said in a sesshin talk that when you realize how precious your life is, and that it is completely your responsibility how you manifest it and how you live it, that is such a big responsibility that ‘such a person sits down for a while’! He continued, ‘It is not an intended action, it is a natural action.’”
“Buddha just means awake; one who is awake.”
“Just-awareness”
“The Zen practice of shikantanza, just sitting, says Lewis Richmond, doesn’t help us to reach our destination. It allows us to stop having one. “
“The Zen teacher Kobun Chino once said in a sesshin talk that when you realize how precious your life is, and that it is completely your responsibility how you manifest it and how you live it, that is such a big responsibility that ‘such a person sits down for a while’! He continued, ‘It is not an intended action, it is a natural action.’”
“Buddha just means awake; one who is awake.”
“Just-awareness”
“The Zen practice of shikantanza, just sitting, says Lewis Richmond, doesn’t help us to reach our destination. It allows us to stop having one. “
March 9, 2019
Since it is composed of chapters written by different people, it was a little discombobulated. Some authors came off as pretentious, and some chapters I struggled to get through at all. I would need o read it a second time to really get the full value of the book. It did have some great information but I don't quite feel it achieved the "beginner level," mostly because the authors are so experienced I think it is hard for them to simplify it enough.
March 16, 2018
I found this book both informative and perplexing. It is a compilation of multiple meditation experts writing small articles on different aspects or focuses for starting and maintaining a meditation practice. Some of them made since and some of them felt like mental acrobatics were needed to understand it.
At the very least I know have a list of authors to look up and work from.
At the very least I know have a list of authors to look up and work from.
March 29, 2020
This book is difficult to follow and hard to stay with as you read it. As I was reading I felt my mind wandering away. It didnt keep my attention. With that said, it does has some good insights, interesting quotes, and teaches a few meditation techniques. It is more about Buddhism than meditation in my opinion.
December 22, 2021
A great starting place for basic meditation instruction in a few different forms of meditation practice. I think some of the tips and pieces of advise might be beyond the grasp of a beginner especially when concerning meditation retreats, but these can still be useful as a reference later once someone is ready for their first retreat.
January 11, 2024
For being called “a beginner’s guide”, I do not see this as a book for true beginners with absolutely no prior knowledge. Perhaps it is the way the book is written, and the extensive use of metaphorical language, but I found myself reading and getting lost at times. Albeit, the book does provide plentiful useful information and insight regarding the realm of meditation.
August 23, 2023
Compassion Meditation spoke to me on several levels, if nothing more than a reminder to be patient and not expect immediate results. As with so much in life, never give up but keep trying until you feel the loving kindness to all mankind and be at peace. Not easy~
January 27, 2020
This is a nice instruction book for meditation. What I find most useful here are the zen practices.
November 16, 2022
Excellent. Great introduction to meditation from masterful teachers.
May 14, 2024
3.5
A great resource, especially for those interested in Zen. But it's a bit too full for a beginner's guide, I felt. Still a great resource to accompany you on your journey.
A great resource, especially for those interested in Zen. But it's a bit too full for a beginner's guide, I felt. Still a great resource to accompany you on your journey.
April 18, 2014
Whether one is new to meditation or has been practicing for quite some time, A Beginner's Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers by Rod Meade Sperry, makes for an excellent resource guide to Buddhist meditation. The book can either be read literally cover-to-cover or, as was my preference, to use the index and read the section I found spoke to me on a particular day. I would not hesitate to recommend A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation to anyone.
July 15, 2015
This book was a bit of both for me. While I really loved some of the articles on meditation and the different ways to look at it, some articles I just skipped because they were going away from the topic. However, I did find some great introductions to new authors for me to discover in full book form.
February 8, 2015
A collection of practical advice from Buddhist teachers to inspire u to meditate. I didn't even know there was a thing called meditative walking. Even if u dun meditate, take this advice: Don't leave your strength in the gym.
September 30, 2014
Pretty hard to follow in places.
July 14, 2016
I skimmed through this book. Lots of great insight!
June 28, 2023
A wonderful assortment of essays from different meditation practices and lineages. Just read this a second time and found new insights & inspiration.
September 4, 2014
I don't know why I wasted my time. Some pebbles of wisdom amidst a mountain of dogma.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews