Bridge of Quiescence: Experiencing Tibetan Buddhist Meditation

by B. Alan Wallace

This challenging new work examines practical techniques for training the attention. It will be of interest to seasoned contemplatives, to general readers concerned with meditation, to philosophers of mind, and to cognitive scientists. The book includes a translation, with commentary, of Tsongkhapa's classic fifteenth-century discussion of methods for developing exceptionally high degrees of attentional stability and clarity. Such enhancement and refining of the attention is an indispensable prerequisite to rigorous, introspective enquiry into the nature of the mind. Insights gleaned from such enquiry are instrumental in identifying and eliminating the inner sources of anxiety, frustration, and discontent. To place this training in its traditional context, Professor Wallace explains Tsongkhapa's methodology and presents an overview of Tsongkhapa's vision of reality. The Bridge of Quiescence affords a bridge from Eastern meditative practice to Western philosophy, science, and religion. Wallace's discussion draws upon his knowledge of experimental psychology (such as sensory deprivation studies) and relates Tibetan meditation to discussions of consciousness by such Western thinkers as William James, William Christian, and John Searle.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm only very early in the book, so maybe I'll change my mind, but this seems to be exactly what I've been looking for. Engages seriously both with Western science and the traditional knowledge and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. A balance of the theoretical and the practical, and little if any of the usual New Age BS.