The Heart of Buddhist Meditation: The Buddha's Way of Mindfulness

by Nyanaponika Thera

This is a classic text on the essence of Buddhist meditation. It is an excellent, in-depth description of mindfulness practice and its benefits. It includes a concise explanation of clear comprehension, which is the kind of mindfulness you use in the course of your daily life. It also presents an easily understandable explanation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

This new edition includes an introduction from noted author and teacher Sylvia Boorstein. 

Although the Buddha lived over 2500 years ago, his teachings on meditation are among the most effective methods for healing the pain of grief, finding inner peace, and overcoming the sense of dislocation caused by living in the 21st century. Mindfulness is a method not only for committed Buddhists. It is for everyone interested in mastering the mind.

Genres: Buddhism, Meditation, Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion, Self Help

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Venerable Nyanaponika Thera or Nyanaponika Mahathera was a German-born Theravada Buddhist monk and scholar who, after ordaining in Sri Lanka, later became the co-founder of the Buddhist Publication Society and author of numerous seminal books and articles on Theravada Buddhism. He mentored and taught a whole generation of Western Buddhist leaders such as Bhikkhu Bodhi.

Reviews

[Aurelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will be judicious to start with an overview of some of the basic Buddhist concepts, in order to clarify what is meant by meditation in this context. A core idea in eastern religions and philosophical system is that of existence as an endless cycle, in which human existence in particular is plagued by suffering, if not the suffering of grave misfortunes; that of sickness, aging and death is simply inescapable. Humans suffer because of their attachment to impermanent things, like the body which is mortal, feelings of pleasure and happiness that are impermanent in their very nature, as they have to change and make a place for other feelings of opposite nature in this endless cycle of existence. Even anger, hatred and sadness can be objects of attachment, since we delight in them and cannot let them go.

According to the teaching of the buddha, this is a state of ignorance. Humans are deluded into putting their happiness in impermanent and unsatisfactory things of the world, which are destined to a conditioned decay just as they originated conditionally. It is here where the key to escape suffering lies, in the direct understanding and knowledge of the real nature of conditioned things and the transcendence of them, in order to stop the craving and the attachment to them, and thus put an end to the endless cycle of rebirth.

This is certainly no easy task, that is way the teacher laid down a whole program of mental training, with a variety of technics, adapted to different characters, aimed at different levels of spiritual attainment. It is a path to walk and not a miraculous answer, and the practice of meditation goes hand in hand with whoever choses to walk on this path.

This book presents the technique that the buddha taught, mainly mindfulness. The text in Buddhist scripture which deals with this practice is titled the discourse on Sattipatthana, literally the way of mindfulness. In order to avoid any mystification of the word mindfulness, we should remember that we all have our short moment of mindfulness, meaning this brief moment of simple awareness of things in the present moment, without any value judgment or wondering thoughts or any subjective addition to what is being perceived. This brief state is always experienced in its embryonic state, dismissed in a haste in order to go back to our usual value-judging, argumentative selves. In most eastern religious practices, it is this state that should be cultivated, given the clarity in which the mind enjoys at that moment, and the absence of disturbances that distort reality and cause suffering.

In order to strengthen and exploit mindfulness, one won’t depend on chance. Exercises using specific objects were recommended by the buddha. The most basic one is the body, being and external and a crude object, then one can advance to what is more difficult to observe, feelings, states of minds and mind objects. The concept is so simple but requires practice in order to see its fruits. It is simply about sitting and concentrating the mind on one object, when put in practice, one can see that the major difficulty is that the mind always wonders away from its object. This is its nature, for most beginners, the mind is always seeking something else to hold on to.

In Buddhist terms, the aim of this exercise is to develop factors of enlightenment and abandon the defilements of the mind. Obviously the first factor is that of concentration, meaning the ability to maintain attention to one object for a long time. There is also tranquility, in fact the whole practice is sometimes named tranquility meditation because one of its most important aims is to calm down the mind and stop its restless wondering. The practice also teaches us to invest more energy into the restraining of our mind, and inquire more into the state in which it is observed. This is the factors of energy and investigation, used to counter act slumber and laziness of mind. In brief, the practice of mindfulness aims at knowing oneself.

But this knowledge is a specific one, it is a knowledge in the light of what Buddhists call the three characteristics of existence, which are also the first three of the four noble truth. The first characteristic is that of impermanence, meaning that the only constant in existence is that of change. The body is impermanent, although we only realize the change when it is displeasing, in the case of aging or being sick. Feelings, mind states and mental objects are even more elusive, most people don’t even notice when or how do they switch from a pleasant state to an unpleasant one, or go through a rapid chain of thoughts, only to finish in more confusion. Even worse, we are tormented by feelings and mental states which we do not even understand. The second characteristic is that of unsatisfactoriness, meaning that most of these feelings, mental objects which constitute our image of the real world do not bring lasting happiness, they change so fast and we should jump to something else to keep ourselves gratified, even our own impressions about them change and we force ourselves to chase something else. The last characteristic is by far the most subtle one, and the most unique to Buddhism, it is that of Non-self, or impersonality. After observing the body, the mind and feelings, their impermanence and unsatisfactoriness, and also their dependance on causes and conditions, one gradually comes to realize that there is no lasting permanent essence that creates or interacts with the real world, our experience is an endless whirling of sensual stimulus, feelings, mental states and objects. the illusion of cohesion or Self is created by our attachment to the gratification through these channels of experience. Our inability to see their real nature of impermanence and unsatisfactorines ties us to the endless cycle of birth and death.

And where do this realization brings us? it brings us to the fourth noble truth, that of cessation. It is the realization that it is possible to stop the suffering, by detaching and not identifying with the components of our experience and the objects of the external world. This it the liberating knowledge which the practice of meditation aims at, meaning seeing things as they are and not mistaking them for sources of happiness while most of times, they are sources of suffering. Happiness is beyond what is impermanent, unsatisfactory and conditioned, it is the state of Nibbana.

[Craig Shoemake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read, foundational text for understanding satipatthana--the four foundations of mindfulness (aka vipassana). In fact, I might almost say if you've got this and put it to work, it will be a long time before you need anything else. Highly recommended.

[Phillip Moffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, in-depth description of mindfulness practice and its benefits. It includes a concise explanation of clear comprehension, which is the kind of mindfulness you use in the course of your daily life. It also presents an easily understandable explanation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

[Alex Hasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more difficult than most of the Buddhist books I've been reading. It takes a decidedly theoretical approach both in content and tone. However, it introduced me to some useful concepts, such as cultivating an attitude of "Bare Attention" to whatever arises in your mind, without adding extra judgments. If judgment arises, you simply try to notice that with Bare Attention.

[Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent exegesis of the Satipatthana Sutta. Thera has a vast experience to draw on and a very wise and specific knowledge of this sutta. Having said that, it would probably not be very interesting to those who are not familiar with Buddhist writings; he can be more than just a bit esoteric at times. But if you are interested in this sort of thing, there are, to my knowledge, few better guides.

[Tom Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stern to the point of jerkiness, with many deviations on the pointlessness of war and the shortcomings of modern life and off-putting advice like dwelling on how awful the daily drudgery we go about is without Clear Comprehension "to concentrate the dispersed energy of man, to render it a fit tool for the task of winning mastery over life." (48)

Winning mastery? That's not the mindset I expect in meditation practice and this is not the tone I expect from a teacher.

3 stars. Much more intellectual than inspirational. I pulled what practical advice I could and I don't plan to revisit.

[Keegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this because I am a sheep (it's on Sam Harris' recommended booklist). Best book on meditation I've ever read. I have this problem where I only believe things I read in books, so no matter how many times Shugen tells us to "maintain the thread of concentration" through sesshin, I don't listen. But I listen to Nyanaponika Thera.

I just spent three days in an empty room, and I couldn't have been peachier. I am totally enthused to rock out the last four months at ZMM.

[Nathan Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better introductions to meditations. It lays the foundation for the mindset of what meditation should be. Yet it’s frustrating at times because it frequently hints at what is to come when one attains higher levels of enlightenment, without really laying out the path.

Then again maybe the fault is in me, the reader, expecting that a book read on evenings and weekends can be a substitute for devoted monastic life.

[Katie]

I received this book for free as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

So glad to find out I won this book, and can't wait to start reading! I'll update this with a review once I finish.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personalmente siempre me he sentido atraído por las doctrinas Budistas y especialmente por la meditación. Este libro se centra sobretodo en una introducción sobre la filosofía de la atención, desde la atención de buda y sus diferentes lecciones hasta el proceso práctico de la meditación y como aplicarla hasta en los momentos más cotidianos de nuestro día a día.

Un libro que particularmente me ha gustado por su nivel de redacción y claridad. Es un libro cortito pero lleno de información. Cómo he mencionado antes es más una buena introducción, así que pienso que para los que queremos iniciarnos o conocer más acerca de la meditación y la atención este libro es más que recomendable.

Hay una segunda parte de este libro en que se profundiza sobre estas prácticas para aquellos que quieran profundizar mucho más.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dense and repetitive for me but a nice intro to mindfulness, thanks to my Buddha

[Aria Zhu]

just when everyone (no one) thought i forgot about my goodreads, again ...
haw haw

this is a great book so not entertaining.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And how does one, in protecting oneself, protect others? By the repeated and frequent practice of meditation. And how does one, in protecting others, protect oneself? By patience and forbearance, by a non-violent and harmless life, by loving kindness and compassion”. (Samyutta Nikaya 19)

This was Buddha’s instructions in one of the early Buddhist texts.

Nyanaponika Thera was a student of the venerated German monk Nyanatiloka Thera and learned meditation from the well-known Burmese meditation monk Mahasi Sayadaw. He was the teacher of American monk Bhikkhu Bodhi. This book was published in 1962, and remains a classic.

With so much written about meditation (not just from Buddhist but also from yogic, Hindu, and secular perspectives) what more do I expect from this? I was not sure. But after reading this, I felt glad and encouraged because it reminds me of my goal, and that while it is not easy, it is within reach.

Nyanaponika Thera was upfront about the role of mindfulness in the Buddhist spiritual path – that it has a goal, and it is a key part of the path that the Buddha had discovered and laid out for us. The goal is clearly stated by Buddha – that is is “for the overcoming of sorrow and misery, and for the destruction of pain and grief”. And the path is also clearly indicated – practising sila, samadhi and panna (it, leading an ethical life, practising meditation and concentration, and applying wisdom).

Ultimately, the Buddhist path is a path of mental training. According to the Nyanaponika Thera, the practise of Right/Perfect Mindfulness (which is part of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path) transforms the mind and gives us a strong and well-ordered centre. He said the purpose of Right Mindfulness is to :

(1) Transform the mind (which is so near yet so unknown to us)
(2) Shape the mind (which is so unwieldy and obstinate yet so pliant)
(3) Liberate the mind (which is in bondage but can be freed here and now)

He stresses the importance of adopting the attitude of an investigator and researcher by being curious and open to see things as they are without pre-conception or conceptual thinking, and just give bare attention to what is happening TO us and IN us. Our natural tendency is to see everything in relation to “me” and label everything in relation to our universe – all these are modes of self-preservation and because we have a deluded idea of the “self”.

Mindfulness will give us a taste, albeit temporary, of what the noble ones and arahants experience – the joy and rapture, and equanimity of seeing things as they are – that is devoid of self, permanence, and craving/attachment.

The four applications of mindfulness are to the body (including breath), feelings, mental states and mind-objects. For beginners, sitting in quiet and in isolation is helpful. But eventually, we would learn to apply mindfulness broadly to everyday life too. It helps us become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, actions and slows things down so we can apply clear comprehension if these are wholesome or unwholesome, and if these are helpful or not helpful for the spiritual life, and for liberation.

Some general instructions from what is commonly known as the Vipassana meditation method is also included (this is taught in all the SN Goenka centres worldwide today, as Goenka was a student of Mahasi Sayadaw too. I attended one of these 10 day silent meditation retreats and highly recommend it).

I highly recommend this book for those interested in Buddhist meditation because meditation is not just for relaxing. It has a clear liberation goal from the Buddhist perspective.

There are many extracts of scriptures at the end quoting Buddha’s words from the early Buddhist texts on the importance of practising and applying mindfulness. These are immensely helpful and encouraging.

[Leon M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read "The Heart of Buddhist Meditation" because Erich Fromm repeatedly mentions and recommends the book in his various works from "To Have or To Be" to "The Art of Being".

Author's writing books on meditation always have a hard job because meditation is something so inherently practical that, actually, you can only really learn about it by doing it. "The Heart of Buddhist Meditation" has an even more difficult job because it focuses on the theoretical underpinnings of the satipatthna meditation and not so much on practical advice. It does a good job, however, at explaining what meditation is all about.

I have to warn the uninformed reader, though, that the book presupposes at least a minimal acceptance of spiritual ideals and it not one of those "meditation as an aid for relaxation is really cool let's get started"-kind of flashy meditation books that might be found in the self-help section of the nearest airport book shop. If you are prepared for a decidedly spiritual approach to the subject, however, this is the book to read!

So, let's see, what did I actually learn from reading this book?
The goal of mindfulness is the development of the mind for its daily tasks as well as the highest aim of deliverance from greed, hatred and delusion. This can be achieved by the two practices of "bare attention" and "clear comprehension", the latter being the active equivalent of the "bare attention" cultivated in meditation sessions applied to the daily life. "Bare attention" refers to the idea of noticing sensations without words and can be thought of as an artificial prolonging of the first stages of perception (pre-associative thinking), only on a higher level. Cultivating "bare attention" will eventually lead to the realization that change is incessant and that the ego is a mere creation of impersonal processes. How is mindfulness cultivated? You sit down and pay "bare attention" to your breathing.

All in all, I think this book was a good addition to "Mindfulness in Plain English" as it extended on the theoretical underpinnings only touched upon in that book. For people interested in serious practice of meditation (and I think that is the most important part of it), I would still rather recommend "Mindfulness in Plain English".

[Brendan]

one of the better commentaries on the sattipatthana sutta i've read; the writing is clear and concise, geared somewhere in the middle ground between hardcore buddhist scholar and curious neophyte. if you've had at least an introduction to sutta-based meditation systems (vipassana, insight, etc.), this is worthwhile reading to deepen both your understanding of the technique and its connection to scriptural buddhist teaching.

[Erik Steevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to use a sentence from the book that speaks for itself: "Satipatthana is free from dogmas, from reliance on 'divine revelations', or any external authority in matters spiritual. Satipatthana relies only on first-hand knowledge as furnished by the direct vision of one's own experience." (p.93)

[Robin Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply the best book on Meditation I have found. Not for the beginner, but for someone who wants more insight into the process.

[Michael Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, if somewhat dated, interpretation of mindfulness meditation in Theravada Buddhism.

[Phil Calandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Heart of Buddhist Meditation..." is a study of the Buddhist Practice of "Mindfulness" (Satipatthana). The goal of this practice is the liberation of all suffering. The basic premise of Satipatthana is that if the mind is "comprehended," the external world as well as our internal world of the body will be "comprehended." This is a classic text of the essence of Buddhist Meditation which includes an in depth description of "mindfulness," its practice and benefits, the explanation of the Four Foundations of "Mindfulness," and an Anthology of Buddhist Texts dealing with Right Mindfulness. This is an excellent book for the novice as well as the experienced practitioner of Satipatthana. I would highly recommend this book.

[James Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Written with clarity and accessibility for the newcomer, a lot of depth, but also a great deal of depth that makes it equally valuable for a more serious meditator.
I have never really enjoyed the dry, repetitive suttas from the Pāli canon, but the third section of this book was well-curated, picking the right sections in a good sequence, and I surprised myself at the degree of interest I was taking in this part of the book.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in something that cuts through meditation's unfortunate associations with the New Age, or anyone who is tired of reading a book that fails to give much practical advice. The Venerable Thera writes with both great seriousness and with an open heart, and his advice feels immediately applicable to practice.

[Arash · Rating 5 out of 5]

As is the case with any other book concerned with a fundamental of anything, this is hard book to understand and even harder to put to practice. However, as Elvis put it "A little less conversation, a little more action please" approach with this book, would leave you with a lot to do for many years to come without needing much else in your meditation.
If you are into Sufism, especially Rumi's school of thought, you would see quite a lot of overlap, yet, contradictions in approaches as well. However, the end result is more or less the same, you are set for a life of trying to get things right about knowing who you are and hoping to get it right before your last breath.

[Michael W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was helpful in understanding the place of "sati" in Buddhist thought, but I was really hoping for more practical commentary. A lot of books on contemplation/meditation will tell you what you get from the practice rather than guiding you through it step-by-step, and this book suffers from the same shortcoming. So, it's worth it just for the taster of the satipatthana included, but I lost patience with the commentator's preachiness about benefits.

[Sameer Khan Brohi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering this as an anthology wouldn’t alter the perception. It has got lofty levels of understandings though I couldn’t connect to it. It was lengthy, extended too much. Plus there were so many thoughts on mindfulness; which were concepts basically, I was expecting them to be brief and precise in order to accumulate the understanding to ones mind, which it somehow failed to do so.

[EDWARD M MROS · Rating 5 out of 5]

It all makes sense now

Have you ever heard “Pay attention to what you are doing or it’s all in your head “? This book explains that when you are very calm things look different. You can learn to change your perceptions. Best explanation of Buddhist philosophy I have read.

[Mazen Alloujami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je viens de lire une traduction française par Mireille Benoit, édition Librairie d'Amérique et d'Orient, 1983.
Un excellent livre sur le Sutra Maha Satipatthana, l'enseignement du Bouddha concernant l'unique Voie de le méditation.

[David Vonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original text of the discourse is sometimes clearer than the commentary. Especially the third chapter was hard to follow. But maybe I am not the target audience. I was looking for a generic introduction to Buddhist thought rather than a guide for meditation practice.

[Everett Grandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

wasteful is i am

in as of this referent one may come to observe wastefulness of object oriented consciousness... followed up with contemplative investigative familiarization in such as this one may cognize wisdom of such fact as right ones awareness thereof

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good introduction to Buddhist meditation, mindfulness meditation and the Burmese method. Read it patiently, some parts are very old texts that could complicate to keep the attention on.

[Javier R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book about meditation and mindfulness. It served me a lot. I recommend this book to everybody interested in learning real meditation, not stupid autohelp nonsense.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on the deeper aspects of meditation, not easy to understand without some previous experiential knowledge. This book is not for the beginner or curiosity seekers.