Mindfulness in Plain English: Revised and Expanded Edition
byBhante Henepola Gunaratana
192 global ratings | 168 global reviews
From the United States
Chris O.
3.0 out of 5 stars Great Manual for Starting a Meditation PracticeReviewed in the United States on August 12, 2016
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The first third or more of the book sells the idea of mindfulness and meditation. That's nice, but I was already sold, so I didn't find this particularly useful—although, admittedly, I did find it reassuring. A thorough introduction for beginners though—they'll find this useful, I'm sure.
Then we get down to brass tax—to the nuts and bolts of practice. This text does a thorough job of detailing that, covering lots of material on the mechanics of how to meditate. If you're just starting and have questions about the execution/technique of meditation, you'll assuredly find all of your answers here.
Toward the end—maybe the last fifth or less—the text starts touching on mindfulness in the context of meditation. I was super excited for this part, to actually get a feel for what my mind or body or "self" should be doing or thinking—or not doing or thinking—while deep in meditation. That's where the book falls flat and feels lacking.
If you're someone who is trying to start a practice of meditation, get this book. It will send you down the right path. If, however, you're already making your way merrily down that path, and can successfully meditate for a good length of time on a daily basis (say 30 - 60+ minutes), you'll have to look elsewhere to really understand how to "level-up" your practice—how to make the most of your concentration.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on meditation: I can't count the number of copies I've given to others who show interest in meditation...Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017
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Open a search engine, and search for the "best buddhist books for beginners," or "best beginner books on meditation." Regardless of what tradition the person compiling the lists that come up (be that person a follower of a far eastern, tibetan or southeast asian school, the one title that always shows up on these lists, is this book by the Sri Lankan monk, the Ven. Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English." The book's exactly what it claims to be: a clear, straightforward guide to the the practice of insight meditation, one written with great warmth, wit and understanding. I found it indispensible when I started my practice, and remained so thru all the inevitable, ups, downs, and occasional lapses. It remains the single most useful book on the shelf where I keep books on practice, buddhist psych and philosophy.
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AlexandraLeaving
5.0 out of 5 stars Mindfulness Meditation Explained by a Buddhist MonkReviewed in the United States on December 16, 2012
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I was going to meditation at a local Buddhist vihara (monastery) where the Theravada monks (from Sri Lanka) offered teaching and meditation in English two nights per week. I learned a lot from the teachings and sitting at the vihara. The one monk who taught me the most recommended this book by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. It is a practical and insightful guide to meditation. I have learned more from monks than I have from people who adapt meditation to other New Age programs and philosophies. I also read Pema Chodron (an American Buddhist nun), and I appreciate her teaching. If you read this book you will learn that the purpose of meditation is not to "get better" at meditating. You do it to create awareness within yourself. You don't graduate from a program. You don't reach some high level. You just practice. Some days it is easier. Some days it is more difficult. I appreciate this simple approach to meditation. That is exactly what you will find in Bhante Gunaratana's book. He explains what meditation is, what it isn't, and what you can gain from practicing it.
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K. S. Dennis
5.0 out of 5 stars A well written bookReviewed in the United States on August 15, 2010
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This is actually a book about vipassana (insight) meditation and some of the teachings of the Buddha. It offers a better discussion of these topics than most other books that I have read on meditation. Gunaratana's writing style is clear and free from excessive jargon. The book will be understandable to most Americans.
Gunaratana makes vipassana meditation seem desirable by discussing its benefits at various places in the book. I have just finished reading it and haven't practiced vipassana meditation yet so I'll mention some examples from the book. Gunaratana says that in vipassana meditation we face up to unpleasantness in our lives rather than avoiding it. We reduce tendencies to be greedy and lethargic. We are reminded of what we are supposed to be doing. We see things as they really are. We see the true nature of all phenomena.
Another good aspect of the book is that it includes good instructions for the practice of vipassana meditation and for dealing with problems and distractions during meditation.
I give this book five stars for what I mentioned above. But, I want to caution you about a couple of things before you buy this book.
First, if you are considering meditation because you want to solve problems in life, vipassana meditation may not be the best place to start. Gunaratana says that vipassana meditation is not a problem-solving technique. More direct approaches for dealing with problems can be found in books such as Coping with Difficult People by Robert M. Bramson, A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine, and A Guide to Rational Living by Albert Ellis. Recommendations in those books are practical. Insight meditation may improve problem solving capability in the long-term, but I think it should be used only after using more direct, reasoned approaches. It is worth noting here that Gunaratana was ordained a Buddhist monk at age 12 - as stated on the back of the book cover. Life in a monastery is unlikely to be as challenging as holding a job in a competitive or difficult situation. So, Gunaratana can't be expected to offer much help in dealing with immediate problems.
My second caution is that, while Gunaratana's book is not a complete description of Buddhism, it does espouse some Buddhist beliefs. On page 144, Gunaratana says that if we practice mindfulness, we can perceive that the three prime characteristics which Buddhism advocates are the deepest truths of existence. One of these is selflessness. Gunaratana says that selflessness means that there is an "absence of a permanent, unchanging entity that we call Soul or Self." Further, in connection with this, he says that "there are really no entities that are unchanging or permanent, only processes." When I have seen Soul and Self capitalized elsewhere, it is a reference to God. So, Buddhism holds that there is no God and/or we do not have souls that exist eternally. This is contradictory to what is said in many holy books. It is also in conflict with what is reported by mystics and by some people who have had near death experiences. This is a great book on meditation, but do we need this religious indoctrination? (The Buddha did not claim to be a god but he is discussed in this book as if he has the role of a savior.)
If you are looking for a good overview of meditation and its benefits, I suggest The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, MD. Good books on dealing with difficulties in life include those by Albert Ellis and A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine.
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Gabriela Perez
4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely USEFUL book!Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2007
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Okay, I only gave this 4 stars because there were parts of it where I'd have much appreciated even more information and explanation.
That said, I will admit that some of those parts dealt with processes that are hard to explain adequately in a book. But I still sat there at times thinking, "what? how, precisely, do I do that?" For example, in the section on dealing with problems that crop up during meditation, the author advises the reader to deal with physical pain by relaxing tensed muscles one by one, doing so very thoroughly. Now, that may sound simple to you. Perhaps I'm a dolt. I dunno. But I haven't a clue how to relax each muscle one at a time. I'm constantly amazed to find I have muscles where previously I thought I had none. ;-) I'm supposed to accomplish this muscle relaxation strictly through thought processes? Okay, I believe that's possible, but what do I do? Ack. Right after that, the author advises the reader to continue by going after the mental resistance next.
Now, to be fair, the author admits there are no human words to precisely explain this process. And I feel in my gut that he's right, but I'm disgustingly literal and really require precision in explanation in order to think I can get my head around something new and challenging.
Have I turned you off? If so, let me now say that I LOVE this book. I've never read anything that so clearly was written to help someone understand how to meditate for insight. The writer takes great care to explain the process as much as he is able to. The stuff that he doesn't explain--well, it's just not enough of a factor to make me dislike this book.
After reading this book, you'll find yourself much more prepared to begin insight meditation, to begin walking a path of mindfulness, and hopefully, ultimately a peaceful and compassionate path. The goal of this book is not to teach you how to chant and simply relax (although relaxation is a wonderful side effect). Rather, the goal of this book is to change your life, to help you become more mindful, to see life as you really have it before you, to truly understand so that you can become fully present in that life. The author makes clear that this is a long process, one that will require dedication and courage from the meditator, and I truly respect how clearly he has communicated what will be expected of me.
I plan to give copies of this book to people I love.
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alan joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars The cookbook for mindfulnessReviewed in the United States on January 31, 2009
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As a beginner Buddhist I've read a handful of books regarding Buddhism and mindful living. All too often the books I've read have been more of what I call "Buddhist Porn". These describe living mindfully, meditating perfectly, and the overall Buddhist spiritual lifestyle with such vivid imagery and gripping storytelling that I can't help but crave to read more. I've picked up book after book, and it seems like the more I read the more confused I get and the further away I get from living a mindful life.
Then there is the topic of sitting meditation- Usually a few pages that describes sitting, and then meditating. I've always skipped sitting meditation honestly. I always thought "that's way too time consuming... what if my friends catch me?... I'll just meditate throughout my everyday life activities, that's what I'm going for anyways." Well this starts off like all of the other "Buddha Porn" and then quickly jumps into sitting meditation. It was refreshing to read "do this, then this" in a concise manner.
While all of the other books tend to describe the end product more MINDFULNESS IN PLAIN ENGLISH is like a cookbook that lists all of the key ingredients, alternate ingredients, proportions, and cooking times. It's a recipe book and the key ingredient is Mindfulness through vipassana meditation. The best part is it then shows you some very plausible techniques to incorporate into your daily life to live a more Mindful life- not only the importance and know-how of sitting meditation, but how to bridge these skills into daily activity and therefore live a more mindful life.
I will refer back to this book as long as I own it.
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BookLover
5.0 out of 5 stars Not Easy, but Simple, Hopeful, Profound....Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2010
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I have read only 80% or so of this book and can say with joy that it is one of the most simply beautiful and profound things I have ever read. I think most who pick it up, regardless of age, religious beliefs or lack of such, spiritual practice, travels, education, life experience....will find themselves in these pages. This book makes sense and gives hope. Most everyday people like me may find healthy habits hard to begin and sustain, but this book gives us a clearly stated reason to do so and to believe that our health and well-being will increase with our efforts and good faith, and that we may just bring help to others in the process. It seems to me with my reading so far that the practice here is very much in line, if not in form but in spirit, with many of the world's great religious and spiritual traditions and the very tried and true 12-step programs and other avenues to greater self love, care, and connection, and regard and compassion for others. Would that we could all cultivate this wonderful and beneficial practice, no matter our backgrounds, beliefs, non-beliefs, habits, current state of health...I pray to give it a good try a day at a time, with thankfulness.
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Tom McGee
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and beautifully written!Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2008
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This is one of the most enjoyable self-help books I have ever read!
Mindfulness meditation teaches us how to pay attention to our breathing as a tool to focus while we watch our thoughts without judgment or participation. We simply observe the birth, growth, and death of the short-lived thoughts and let them pass.
The objective is to realize the interconnectiveness of all things and appreciate life and our environment for what it is. We learn loving friendliness, compassion, appreciate joy, and equanimity. We learn to fill our hearts with loving thoughts and manifest those thoughts into positive actions through mindfullness.
I recommend this book for people who want to be free from fear, tension, anxiety, worry, and restlessness; want to overcome inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life; and want their lives filled with thoughts of loving friendliness, happiness, and peacefullness.
This book teaches you about a meditative system that brings wisdom, equanimity, and peace to our lives. I am glad I read it!
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Not a fanReviewed in the United States on May 24, 2018
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Not a fan. Fan of mindfulness, peaceful quiet, acceptance, flowing, but this book made it seem as though most people were deeply tormented internally. I hope that is not the case. The book made me sad and a strong sense of empathy to all who may be tormented. For me, it felt pessimistic (even though the book does address this and claims not to be). I would recommend meditation and periods of simple quiet and this book is helpful with technique.
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T
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a jewelReviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016
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If you read one book on meditation, let it be this one. I've read dozens of books on different kinds of meditation (Buddhist and others) and this book is such an easy read that I'd recommend it for people of all experiences. Of all the books that I go to for supplements to my own study this is my top pick, I find daily insight into my own life whenever I flip through these pages. This is definitely written by a masterful teacher.
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