A Meditators Handbook by Ajahn Brahm Hi all, I first came across Ajahn Brahm 5 years ago; I was going through a cycle of seeking and had hooked in to the Thai Forest Tradition of Buddhism. I had come across this particular Thai Forest Monk on You Tube, his Friday night dharma talks were extremely engrossing, due mainly to his very different style……refreshingly different. Ajahn Brahm (Peter Betts) came from a working-class background, and won a scholarship to study Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University in the late 1960s. After graduating from Cambridge he taught in high school for one year before travelling to Thailand to become a monk and train with the Venerable Ajahn Chah. Ajahn Brahm is part of the new generation of Westerners who have studied, practiced, and mastered Buddhist teaching in the East and then brought the teaching West and now offer them to sincere practitioners across the modern world. It was through this book that I began to understand the true meaning of mediation, the beautiful descriptive prose contained within the first few chapters had me hooked. Although this book is not a cover to cover read, more a reference manual that you can go back to time and time again. In Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond, you will find a thorough set of teachings for developing and deepening meditation. There are some beautiful passages on absorption, or jhana Samadhi, and opening to the insights that can follow from it. The book is a gem for beginners as it offers a careful and subtle understanding of how to transform initial difficulties (hindrances) and how to still the mind towards the profound steadiness of jhana. The later stages of the book are quite advanced giving advice and practices on using this new found steadiness of jhana to illuminate the emptiness of self that brings liberation and pure understanding. For a limited time you can download the first 5 chapters here Free Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso is the current abbot of Bodhinyana and the Spiritual director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. Peace :sunny:
Why do you bother? I mean, think deeply about my question. I like Ajahn Brahm too. Really. But what is in it for you to spam him to us. More fun would be for you to discuss your meditation experiences.
Apologies, I did intend to spam, I have found this book to be of great value in my practice and thought that if others got to read a little of this influential book, it might inspire them to seek a deeper practice, The book was a gem early on in my practice as it offers a careful and subtle understanding of how to control hindrances and to still the mind towards the profound steadiness of jhana. Peace :sunny:
Hi all, You can now go straight to the download page circumventing the email reg page. The password is Shanti (case sensitive) for both Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond by Ajahn Brahm The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of life by Shantideva Enjoy Peace :sunny:
