Buddha’s Heart: Meditation Practice for Developing Well-Being, Love, and Empathy

by Stephen Snyder, Richard Shankman (Foreword)

An inspiring and healing guide to immersive meditation in the ancient Buddhist heart practices—the brahmavihāras

With Buddha’s Heart, senior meditation teacher Stephen Snyder reveals an original and clear path to the powerful brahmavihāras. These practices offer rich, soothing support for the soul and a portal to spiritual awakening and deepening self-realization.

Informed by Snyder’s experiential understanding, and suitable for those at any level of meditation practice, Buddha’s Heart leads us step-by-step through:
• traditional teachings on wholesomeness and concentration meditations to establish a supportive bedrock for our personal discovery;
• guided, heart-opening meditations on loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity;
• further guided practices for deepening awareness, including gratitude, forgiveness, and opening to the Oneness of Reality;
• exploratory exercises for each meditation practice, illuminating the psychological blocks to accessing our deeper nature’s heart qualities; and
• embracing mindfulness and warm attunement in everyday life—opening our hearts to the profound depths of reality and the Absolute.

Buddha’s Heart teaches what seems counterintuitive but is undeniably true: the more we open our hearts, the more resilient and flexible we are. And the more authentically vulnerable we are, the safer and more protected we become.

Genres: Buddhism

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2020

About the author

Stephen Mugen Snyder, Sensei began practicing daily meditation in 1976. Since then, he has studied Buddhism extensively—investigating and engaging in Zen, Tibetan, Theravada, and Western non-dual traditions. He was authorized to teach in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in 2007 and the Zen Buddhist schools of Soto and Rinzai in 2022. Stephen is a senior student of Roshi Mark Sando Mininberg and a transmitted teacher in the White Plum Asangha—the body of teachers in the Maezumi-roshi lineage.

Stephen’s resonant and warmhearted teaching style engages students around the globe through in-person and online retreats, as well as one-on-one coaching. He encourages students to turn toward their true nature and, with realization of their true nature, embody their true identity. Stephen is the author of four books, including Demystifying Awakening and Buddha’s Heart. He also co-authored Practicing the Jhānas. For more information, please visit awakeningdharma.org.

Reviews

[Tetrijeb · Rating 3 out of 5]

just another book on brahma viharas, nothing new or revolutionary here. author has a tendency for new age terms like The Source, etc that some more traditional minded buddhists might find unpalatable, so be warned.

[Vince · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interested in learning meditation on loving-kindness and compassion? This is a "just the facts, ma'am" guide to home practice. He's assuming that you're already highly motivated, you just need some simple instructions on how to practice and what to watch out for.

[Thomas Zegray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brick on my wall....I loved the easy read, down to earth writing that captured me for life on heart meditation. I can't thank the author enough!!!!

[Denis Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly written by a highly realized and compassionate teacher, but not a lot of substance. In my opinion it best serves as an introduction for someone with no prior experience practicing the bramahviharas.