Overview

In a new expanded anniversary edition, read the inspiring life-story from the bestselling author of Mindfulness in Plain English. Bhante Gunaratana--Bhante G., as he is affectionately called--is one of the most beloved Buddhist teachers in the West. This expanded anniversary edition of Journey to Mindfulness includes five new chapters in which Bhante G. reflects on the impact of the tsunami that struck his homeland in 2004 and his subsequent appearance on Larry King Live, his brief experiment in ordaining nuns at his monastery, as well as intimate reflections on the loss of family members, and his own aging and infirmity. He provides an inspiring example of what it means to live a life in alignment with the Buddhadharma. ""Like the stories of the wisest and kindest of grandfathers. A joy to read."" --Sylvia Boorstein, author of Pay Attention for Goodness' Sake ""Tremendously inspiring. It both breaks down illusions and over-idealism about Buddhism and gives a vision of how to attain the highest in our lifetimes. An old, humble monk reflecting on his arrogant youth has invaluable lessons for all of us."" --Sumi Loundon, author of Sitting Together Inspirational, charming, and delightfully accessible--we are left with the image of a good man who has lived an extraordinary life, and that this kind of life is within reach of all of us."" --Branches of Light ""This plain-English look back at years of an a mixture of adversity, humility, and hard-won wisdom tells an engaging story that non-Buddhists can appreciate as well as Buddhists."" --Publishers Weekly

Full Product Details

9781614294429

Table of Contents

Reviews

-Like the stories of the wisest and kindest of grandfathers. A joy to read.---Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier than You Think Like the stories of the wisest and kindest of grandfathers. A joy to read. --Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier than You Think Bhante Gunaratana is a meditation master who lives in each present moment. In Journey to Mindfulness, Bhante demonstrates, with warmth, humor, and rare candor, how it is possible to overcome experiences of abuse, rejection, and our own emotional reactivity through the practice of mindfulness. Journey to Mindfulness is an exhilarating journey into the mind and heart of someone whose life has been dedicated to living and sharing the Buddha's teaching. --Matthew Flickstein, author of The Meditator's Workbook -Bhante Gunaratana is a meditation master who lives in each present moment. In Journey to Mindfulness, Bhante demonstrates, with warmth, humor, and rare candor, how it is possible to overcome experiences of abuse, rejection, and our own emotional reactivity through the practice of mindfulness. Journey to Mindfulness is an exhilarating journey into the mind and heart of someone whose life has been dedicated to living and sharing the Buddha's teaching.---Matthew Flickstein, author of The Meditator's Workbook

Like the stories of the wisest and kindest of grandfathers. A joy to read. --Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier than You Think

Like the stories of the wisest and kindest of grandfathers. A joy to read. --Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier than You Think Bhante Gunaratana is a meditation master who lives in each present moment. In Journey to Mindfulness, Bhante demonstrates, with warmth, humor, and rare candor, how it is possible to overcome experiences of abuse, rejection, and our own emotional reactivity through the practice of mindfulness. Journey to Mindfulness is an exhilarating journey into the mind and heart of someone whose life has been dedicated to living and sharing the Buddha's teaching. --Matthew Flickstein, author of The Meditator's Workbook

"""Inspirational, charming, and delightfully accessible--we are left with the image of a good man who has lived an extraordinary life and that this kind of life is within reach of all of us.""--Branches of Light ""Tremendously inspiring. It both breaks down illusions and over-idealism about Buddhism and gives a vision of how to attain the highest in our lifetimes. An old, humble monk reflecting on his arrogant youth has invaluable lessons for all of us.""--Sumi Loundon Kim, author of Sitting Together ""Like the stories of the wisest and kindest of grandfathers. A joy to read.""--Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier than You Think ""A most refreshing book from a Buddhist meditation teacher who lays bare his human failings and admits they are as much a part of his life as his achievements. It is also a fascinating globe- and culture-crossing autobiography of a man born in a small village in Sri Lanka with enough persistence and good kamma (Pali for karma) to see him through many vicissitudes. Author of the bestseller Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante G., as he is affectionately known, repeatedly ran away from monasteries where he lived as a boy monk, stole things as a child, smoked and had traumatic fear-inducing accidents with water. As his story makes clear, his is a very human journey of teaching himself as well as others what the Buddha taught about how to live. That organizations that promote ethical living and spiritual development should also have their share of bickering, envy, and bad behavior is an unsurprising part of his story, candidly told without excess rancor or blame. The monk-author is fluent in different cultures as well as languages, and his autobiography contributes to an understanding of the relationship between the American Buddhism of converts and traditional Asian Buddhism, more specifically the Theravada branch of Buddhism as practiced in his native Sri Lanka. This plain-English look back at 75 years of an admixture of adversity, humility, and hard-won wisdom tells an engaging story that non-Buddhists can appreciate as well as Buddhists.""-- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""Bhante Gunaratana is a meditation master who lives in each present moment. In Journey to Mindfulness, Bhante demonstrates, with warmth, humor, and rare candor, how it is possible to overcome experiences of abuse, rejection, and our own emotional reactivity through the practice of mindfulness. Journey to Mindfulness is an exhilarating journey into the mind and heart of someone whose life has been dedicated to living and sharing the Buddha's teaching.""--Matthew Flickstein, author of The Meditator's Workbook"

Author Information

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, a native of Sri Lanka, is the author of several Wisdom titles: Mindfulness in Plain English; Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness; Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English; The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English; Meditation on Perception; and Loving-Kindness in Plain English. A Buddhist monk for more than 75 years, he is North America's highest-ranking monk of the Siyam Nikaya sect of Theravada Buddhism. After coming to the U.S. in 1968, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from The American University in Washington, D.C. He has led meditation retreats all over Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America. In 1988 he founded Bhavana Society (www.bhavanasociety.org), the forest monastery/retreat center in West Virginia where he now lives. Jeanne Malmgren has been a student of Bhante Gunaratana since 1985. After a long career in journalism, she earned a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and now has a private practice of psychotherapy. She also writes about healing arts, teaches classes and workshops in mindfulness, and leads meditative hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, where she lives. She can be reached at www.upstatecounselor.com.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available