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The Spirit of ...
The Spirit of Buddhist Meditation
Is it possible to capture the spirit of Buddhist meditation, which depends so much upon silence and unspoken wisdom? Can this spirit be found after two millennia? This wise and reassuring book reminds us that the Buddhist meditative tradition, geared to such concerns from its inception, has always been transmitted through texts. A great variety of early writings—poems, stories, extended practical guides, commentaries, and chants—were purposely designed to pass teachings on from one generation to the next.
Sarah Shaw, a longtime practitioner and teacher of Buddhism, investigates a wide and varied range of ancient and later Buddhist writings on meditation. Many of these texts are barely known in the West but, as the author shows, they can be helpful, moving, and often very funny. She begins with early texts of the Pali canon—those that describe and involve the Buddha and his followers teaching meditations—and moves on to “commentaries,” with their copious range of practical tips, anecdotes, and accounts of early meditators. The author then considers other early texts that were inspirational as Buddhist traditions spread through India and on to China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet. Centuries after being written, early Buddhist texts have lost none of their relevance, this authoritative book shows. In a tradition characterized by flexibility and mobility, these writings offer wisdom unchanged by time.
Sarah Shaw, a longtime practitioner and teacher of Buddhism, investigates a wide and varied range of ancient and later Buddhist writings on meditation. Many of these texts are barely known in the West but, as the author shows, they can be helpful, moving, and often very funny. She begins with early texts of the Pali canon—those that describe and involve the Buddha and his followers teaching meditations—and moves on to “commentaries,” with their copious range of practical tips, anecdotes, and accounts of early meditators. The author then considers other early texts that were inspirational as Buddhist traditions spread through India and on to China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet. Centuries after being written, early Buddhist texts have lost none of their relevance, this authoritative book shows. In a tradition characterized by flexibility and mobility, these writings offer wisdom unchanged by time.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 10, 2023
Дуже хороша книга для тих, хто хоче зрозуміти класику буддійської медитації: сутти, сутри, мануали, постканонічні тексти і наративні розповіді, які нагадують про цінності буддійського вчення.
Грунтовна збірка, у якій зроблено ще дуже важливу спробу уникнути надмірної схоластичності, але й тут у мене в один момент почався напад нудьги))) Базова книга, фундамент для дослідників буддійських класичних текстів про медитативні практики.
Грунтовна збірка, у якій зроблено ще дуже важливу спробу уникнути надмірної схоластичності, але й тут у мене в один момент почався напад нудьги))) Базова книга, фундамент для дослідників буддійських класичних текстів про медитативні практики.
December 25, 2020
This book contains excerpts from a variety of genres of Buddhist texts centered on the practice of meditation. The texts are predominantly from Pali (language) -based Buddhist sources but highly applicable across traditions. I highly recommend this book in particular for any meditators who have a practice based in a southern school of Buddhism (i.e. from Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, etc.)
July 11, 2015
- available in SG NLB 294.34435 (Sengkang)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews