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| The Power of Now: A
Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment |
The Meditative Mind By Daniel Goleman  In
this seminal book, Goleman describes the meditative practices of 14 different
traditions, including Sufiism, Zen, Kabbalah, Christian Hesychasm, Tibetan
Buddhism, Krishnamurti, and Transcendental Meditation. Goleman then analyzes
the similarities and differences among the traditions and concludes that
there is significant overlap between these mystical meditative traditions.
This is an essential book for those interested in the varied meditative
traditions that humans have developed. |
| The Zen Teaching of Huang-Po: On the Transmission of Mind Edited by John Blofeld  Huang-Po,
a 9th Century Zen Master, is considered the intellectual father of Rinzai
Zen. His teachings relate to the direct transmission of mind; he urges
his disciples to set aside their conceptual understandings and still their
cluttered minds. Huang-Po's words are incisive, powerful and true to the
original intentions of the Zen tradition. "This Mind is no mind of conceptual thought and it is completely detached from form. So Buddhas and sentient beings do not differ at all. If you can only rid yourselves of conceptual thought, you will have accomplished everything." |
Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy
|
| Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding
of Meditation and Consciousness By Dr. James Austin  Zen and the Brain is a comprehensive (900 pages) tome that compares Zen experiences with their neurological underpinnings. This is the book to read for those interested in the scientific understanding of the various mystical states encountered in meditation. Dr. James Austin provides an overview of the Zen tradition as well as an intro to Neuroscience and therefore no background in either field is required to appreciate this study of the effects of Zen on the brain. |
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness
Meditation in Daily Life By Jon Kabat Zinn  For over 20 years, Jon Kabat-Zinn has run a mindfulness clinic at the UMass Medical School, teaching patients how to overcome stress, anger, and fear through a mindfulness practice. This book summarizes his ideas of how to incorporate mindfulness into daily life and why we so desperately need to do this. Zinn does an excellent job of debunking any notions of that meditation is not a mainstream activity. |
The Power of Now provides a clear and persuasive argument
of how we can improve our lives by being more present. Tolle states
that while we spend our lives seeking happiness and fulfillment outside
of ourselves, the true treasure can be found within. Tolle's words resonate
with the intensity and seriousness of one who has reached a high level
of enlightenment. While not specifically a book about meditation, The
Power of Now details how meditative practices and awareness
can dramatically improve our lives.
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