Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
-36% $11.51$11.51
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
$9.63$9.63
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: ZBK Wholesale
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
OK
Audible sample Sample
Mindfulness in Plain English Paperback – September 6, 2011
Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.
View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.
Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Purchase options and add-ons
—Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness in Plain English was first published in 1994, is one of the bestselling — and most influential — books in the field of mindfulness. It’s easy to see why.
Author Bhante Gunaratana, a renowned meditation master, takes us step by step through the myths, realities, and benefits of meditation and the practice of mindfulness. The book showcases Bhante’s trademark clarity and wit as he explores the tool of meditation, what it does, and how to make it work.
This book is:
- A best-selling introduction to mindfulness
- Full of practical advice on developing a meditation practice
- Written in approachable, clear language
- Containing chapters on loving-kindness and concentration
The reader can gain deeper understanding, inner peace, and clarity through meditation practice with the thoughtful guidance of this classic book. Written for those without any meditation background, but also an essential handbook for established students, Mindfulness in Plain English is a must-have for anyone exploring the benefits of Buddhist meditation.
This expanded edition includes the complete text of its predecessor along with a new chapter on cultivating loving kindness, an especially important topic in today’s world. For anyone who is new to meditation, this is a great resource for learning how to live a more productive and peaceful life.
“The ‘you’ that goes in one side of the meditation experience is not the same ‘you’ that comes out the other side.” —Bhante Gunaratana in Mindfulness in Plain English
- Print length224 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWisdom Publications
- Publication dateSeptember 6, 2011
- Dimensions6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
- ISBN-100861719069
- ISBN-13978-0861719068
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Editorial Reviews
Review
"A classic--one of the very best English sources for authoritative explanations of mindfulness." -- Daniel Goleman
"Of great value to newcomers... especially people without access to a teacher." -- Larry Rosenberg, author of Breath by Breath
"This book is the bible of mindfulness." -- Barry Boyce, editor of Mindful magazine and The Mindfulness Revolution
"Wonderfully clear and straightforward." -- Joseph Goldstein, author of A Heart Full of Peace
"Pithy and practical." ― Shambhala Sun
"Jargon-free." ― USA Today
"Among the very best." ― Tricycle
"A classic." ― Inquiring Mind
"Profound...a classic interpretation of Vipassana meditation practice." ― The Middle Way
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Wisdom Publications; 20th Anniversary ed. edition (September 6, 2011)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 224 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0861719069
- ISBN-13 : 978-0861719068
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #10,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Theravada Buddhism (Books)
- #9 in Buddhist Rituals & Practice (Books)
- #46 in Meditation (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk. He is often affectionately known as Bhante G.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Bhante Gunaratana writes with a very engaging and relaxed style, which makes the book easy to follow and even humorous at times. He speaks with candor and right from the beginning he emphasizes that, “Meditation is not easy. It takes time and energy. It also takes grit, determination and discipline.” But, then he goes on to emphasize that meditation should be rejuvenating and liberating, and in fact, that most seasoned practitioners have a good sense of humor, because the practice creates a calmness and relaxed perspective about life. The author’s explanations about key concepts is stated in a fresh manner, for instance explaining that the word “suffering” in Buddhism needs to be thoroughly understood to realize that in the original Pali language it does not just mean agony of the body, but that it also means a sense of dissatisfaction that is typical of what all people deal with on a daily basis. He also emphasizes that Vipassana, unlike some other Buddhist traditions, ranks mindfulness and awareness right up beside concentration as a means to liberation. Thus a great part of the focus of meditation is a combination of concentration and mindfulness.
The author takes the time to explain differences in approach between Vipassana Buddhism and other forms, such as classic Mahayana sects like Zen Buddhism and Tibetan traditions. The other key element to this book is the great detail he goes into to explain precisely how to meditate, breaking it down regarding not using any mental recitations at all to help your focus, (which is something some other forms suggest you do). He explains multiple ways to help you focus through counting your breaths in different manners, emphasizing that different ways work for different people. And always, he emphasizes to be gentle with yourself and stay calm and patient as you experiment and practice. This last point is something he emphasizes again and again, making sure we understand that if our practice is causing suffering then we are clearly not practicing correctly. He addresses how to plan your practices and how to deal with common things such as your legs falling asleep, boredom, distractions, discouragement, drowsiness and inability to concentrate.
This is not a step-by-step "Meditation for Dummies" book that simply tells us to sit and stare. Rather, the book provides a gentle introduction into the entire mindset involved. You can see that from the very first chapter - "Meditation: Why Bother?" The book takes a down to earth approach. It's like sitting down with a good friend over tea and having a relaxed talk about everything. Meditation isn't just staring at a wall. It's not necessarily easy! It takes some perseverance - but the rewards are well worth it.
He explains that it's not about one particular pose. The poses are simply ones many people find can help them - but if your body doesn't allow one, that's fine! Use a pose that works well for you. We are all different. Be patient, observe, and relax. Your mind is going to swirl - that's ok. Gently release those swirls and let your mind settle again. When those normal distractions come up, use them to help you build your skills. The book provides great advice on dealing with these and with the tiny aches that might come along. These practices help you immensely in daily life, too! And that's one of the benefits of meditation - learning to handle all those ups and downs that life is all about.
I enjoy this book immensely and actively recommend it to friends. Yes, it provides great information on "how" to meditate. But it goes so much deeper into why meditation and mindfulness can be helpful in each life. It helps us take stock of this life we're in, realize how impermanent our life is, and to appreciate what we have each day. Everything is always changing. Nothing stays the same. To cling to the way things are is an exercise in futility. The more we can breathe in what we have, and look forward to what comes next, the better our health, well being, and life.
Well recommended.
Top reviews from other countries
Eu sou praticante do budismo há 2 anos, li alguns livros de budismo desde então. Mas de todos eles, esse foi o que mais explicitou as práticas budistas de maneira que eu conseguisse entender e digerir a ideia, mesmo longe e impossibilitado de ter uma instrução formal. Acho que pode vir a ser útil para todos vocês leitores deste comentário, e sinceramente, espero que eu esteja certo!! Boa leitura e muita paz! =)
Die Kernaussage dieses Buchs ließe sich wohl auf einer Seite zusammenfassen. Sie ist einfach und effektiv.
Trotzdem bereut man es nicht jede Seite gelesen zu haben. Mit klaren Worten wird man angeleitet, wie man
Gedankenkreisen und ungewollten, aufdringlichen Emotionen entkommt. Dies erschließt sich schon beim aufmerksamen Lesen des Buchs,
lässt sich auch im Alltag anwenden, und ist natürlich auch gute Anleitung zur Meditation selbst.