The Path of Insight Meditation

by Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield

Insight meditation is a Buddhist practice that can lead to understanding our lives, to clearly seeing the true nature of our existence, and to opening our hearts to ourselves and others. This book is a pocket-sized summary of the practices taught in the authors' meditation retreats around the world. It includes exercises for strengthening mindfulness, cultivating compassion, and learning to live by the precepts.

Genres: Buddhism, Religion, Meditation, Philosophy, Nonfiction

177 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 1995

About the author

Joseph Goldstein (born 1944) is one of the first American vipassana teachers (Fronsdal, 1998), co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) with Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg, contemporary author of numerous popular books on Buddhism (see publications below), resident guiding teacher at IMS, and leader of retreats worldwide on insight (vipassana) and lovingkindness (metta) meditation.

While the majority of Goldstein's publications introduce Westerners to primarily Theravada concepts, practices and values, his 2002 work, "One Dharma", explored the creation of an integrated framework for the Theravada, Tibetan and Zen traditions.

Reviews

[Tom Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief, simple, not far-reaching, accessible.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it's considered to be a classic, and if you've never read a book on insight meditation it may not be a bad place to start. But it's fairly obvious, repetitive, and the writing isn't especially scintillating. I'd go with Strand's The Wooden Bowl, Rosenberg's Breath by Breath, or Kabatt Zinn's Wherever You Go, There You Are to start....

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice quick read and sums up some modern thoughts on Insight meditation. JK can get a little tiresome with the constant inclusions from every spiritual tradition, even when totally unrelated to Insight Meditation proper.
The instructions in the first chapters by JG are very good.