Making Friends with the Present Moment

by Sylvia Boorstein

Taken from Sylvia Boorstein’s influential contribution to Solid Ground, Boorstein invites readers to see things exactly the way they are, no matter how difficult.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

35 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2014

About the author

Sylvia Boorstein (born 1936) is an American writer and Buddhist spiritualist.

Reviews

[Serena Long ﺕ]

My first e-book; I still prefer holding a book instead. A very high 5 stars. Again, I finished the book in two days as the book is hard to put down. Sylvia Boorstein born 1936 is an American writer and Buddhist spiritualist. Sylvia has a PhD in psychology and has been a psychotherapist since 1967. Sylvia invites readers to see things exactly the way they are, no matter how difficult.

[Denise みか Hutchins]

This was a very short and easy read. It only took me a couple hours from start to finish. It could serve as a nice intro to Buddhist mindfulness principles, though because I am already somewhat familiar with them, I can't be sure what the experience would be for someone who has never thought of things this way before. In my case, this book was a light reexamination of these principles from another individual's perspective. It was comforting at many turns, including the passage reassuring the reader that to forgive does not mean what the other party did was ok, it just means your own heart and mind are now free of heavy burdens such as anger or the desire for revenge. The meditations section at the end was also a welcome inclusion. There were only three or four and they all are meant for various different situations (my favorite? the one you can do at any time, without any preparation: "May I meet this moment fully. May I meet it as a friend." I've been actively working on this recently).

If you're interested in reducing the personal suffering that comes from being stuck in the indelible past, or being immobilized by the infinite possibilities of the future, this book could help you stay free within the present 😊

[Edward Tannebaum]

Easy reading

Abbreviated discussion of mindfulness, that does not permit your mind to drift off as it does in much longer JKZ books that gets into far more detail of subject matter. It is a good primer that can be read over and over again to restart your ability to practice meditations that are meaningful.

[Marj]

I decided I needed to revisit meditation as a way of bringing peace to my mind in these difficult times. This was an excellent reintroduction with meditations to try at the end. I will read more of hers. Now I just have to fit the practice into my life.

[June Fox]

Sylvia Boorstein is always wonderful. Her books are filled with wisdom, and this one is no exception.