A Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah: 0000
byAchaan Chah
Write a review
How are ratings calculated?
See All Buying Options
262 total ratings, 54 with reviews
From Australia
wworlds
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on 18 January 2020
Verified Purchase
Excellent book - my go to text for Dharma reminders - immediately clues you into your own practical wisdom. The mantra being experiment and keep inquiring within.
Helpful
Report
From other countries
superbill1111
5.0 out of 5 stars this is wisdom
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 16 May 2023
Verified Purchase
I am very new to all of this, but this book is the best that I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far. I’ve had read much of it 2 to 3 times and I will read the entire book again. namaste.
One person found this helpful
Report
Sam
5.0 out of 5 stars Daily contemplation
Reviewed in Singapore 🇸🇬 on 12 January 2023
Verified Purchase
I had a free copy of Achaan Chah’s book from decades ago, utterly worn and falling to pieces, and this new copy replaces it.
Achaan Chah’s is one of those rare teachers who can convey the most profound insights concisely in simple language. Each chapter in the book can be taken and read on its own, and be used as a subject of contemplation and insight. In my experience, one can go away with a simple guideline or idea from a chapter in the book during the first reading. Revisiting the same topic after a year or two causes another insight to surface. And the next time there’s a different insight, and so on.
This book is a tool for slow contemplation, where you may come back to one topic many times over decades. It’s not something to be read cover to cover in one sitting. A little basic knowledge of Buddhist ideas can help, specially when Achaan uses some of them to convey his take on it, but one can approach this book with zero exposure to the Buddhist teachings and benefit greatly.
Customer image
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A True Classic
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 3 September 2017
Verified Purchase
This book is a classic and should be in the library of any meditator regardless of their spiritual path.
2 people found this helpful
Report
ba
5.0 out of 5 stars A book for life
Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on 29 August 2021
Verified Purchase
This isn't just a book on meditation. This is a book for life. If you read this book and you really get it, and I mean really get it, you will have absolutely no problems in life and you'll be totally at peace. You'll know what to do when things come up. Some passages in this book I have read several times. Simply because there is so much wisdom between the lines. Buddhism really is the way to go in my eyes. Not because of any dogma. But because the truth is already within you.
One person found this helpful
Report
Jim in NC
5.0 out of 5 stars Still Waters Run Deep
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 13 February 2014
Verified Purchase
There is more to this book than I could ever cover in a review, This is the first time I have rated a book as 5-star.Perhaps it was the time I read it, i.e. after reading several books related to Buddhism and meditation. I'm not sure; but whatever the case, this book spoke to me in a special way.
For one thing, I appreciated how Achaan Chah suggested that many, if not all, great world religions have much in common. As a Christian, I found myself calling to mind some words of Jesus that paralleled some words of the Buddha. Of course, there are many differences between the teachings of Jesus and Buddha. But there are many similarities. Consider: When Achaan Chah wrote of material things being empty and impermanent, I thought of Jesus telling his followers to not "...lay up for themselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume..." That is just one example of many that could be cited. When I began reading Buddhist writings awhile ago, I was interested in Buddhism as a way to help deepen my practice of meditation and prayer. This volume by Achaan Chah offers that kind of help and more. I commend it.
12 people found this helpful
Report
Elizabeth A. Gibson
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding; simple, clear, very helpful instructions
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 13 January 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a beautiful book. Achaan Chah's instructions are simple, clear, and direct. There is no theory here, only practice instructions delivered in no-frills, no fuss language. The Introduction by translators and former students (now highly respected teachers) Jack Kornfield and Paul Breiter helps set the tone and scene for learning from one of the late recent Buddhist master practitioners.
The editors/compilers present the teachings in short, easy-to-digest sections and the occasional lovely simple line-drawing. There is also a very helpful teacher Q&A section at the end of the book from when Chan taught a retreat at IMS in Massachusetts before he died.
If you are going to buy one book on Theravadan mindfulness meditation instructions, let this be the one. It is outstanding, worth reading again and again and again.
19 people found this helpful
Report
Osaka
5.0 out of 5 stars Ajahn Chah's ¨sound bites¨ compilation.
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 29 September 2017
Verified Purchase
This is a collection of Ven. Ajahn Chah's teaching published by the Theosophical Society. It contains a wide ranging assorment of quotes and small-lenght exerpt from talks and is a good place to start to learn about the Thai forest tradition. I personally prefer other collections like Food for the Heart because they present much longer passages from Ajahn Chah's teachings, which help build more context. A Still Forest Pool is more like a pocket version with the more quotable and salient parts stringed together in a series of small chapters. This can give this collection a more Zen-like quality to it, which many people will surely appreciate.
Report
Richard Wigton
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a gem!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 24 November 2018
Verified Purchase
I LOVE the writings of Achaan Chah and this book is no exception! A Still Forest Pool is filled with Chah's wonderful insights, humor and deep love of the Dharma. I found this book so encouraging in my own practice. It really is a must have. You will not regret buying it.
4 people found this helpful
Report
Nicholas R. Hunter
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt and illuminating
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 24 October 2001
Verified Purchase
This book is a collection of short dharma talks given by meditation master Achaan Chah.
Achaan Chah was abbot of one of the largest monastery complexes in the Thai Forest tradition. He welcomed and trained many western seekers who later returned to the west, becoming influential dharma teachers in their own right.
In this book, Achaan Chah largely eschews "theory" in favor of encouraging his students to practice. Don't expect academic discourses on Buddhist psychology or other esoteric topics. These talks are short (rarely more than a couple of pages), direct, and very inspiring.
Take your time reading this book. If you allow yourself a little time to digest the meaning of each piece, you might experience more benefit than attempting to read the book through in one sitting.
26 people found this helpful
Report
