Product Description

In the oldest scriptures of Theravada Buddhism much attention is given to the Jhanas, high levels of meditative attainment distinguished by powerful concentration and purity of mind. Ven. Dr. Gunaratana examines these Jhanas within the context of Buddhist teaching as a whole and particulary within the meditation disciplines taught by the Buddha.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1569745 in Books
• Published on: 1995-01-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 236 pages

Customer Reviews

Very good work
This book is a good treatment of the methodology of the path of meditation as it pertains to pursuing liberation in the Buddhist spiritual discipline, both that of the meditation absorptions of the jhanas, and of "dry" insight meditation, the latter not necessarily being dependent upon the former.. It is a very orthodox work, not explaining the path in everyday layman's terms as the author's other mindfulness book, just the essential structure of the gradual training and the mechanics of meditation and the different elements of practice that factor into the process along the way.

Very good, Orthodox, even scholarly, and simple. It explains the whole path; the gradual training, the jhanas, the stages of purification and the progress of insight. Major points of interest and answers to common questions as explanations of the path and its constituents are made.

I want to stress again that this work is a much more technical (though still quite accessible) and scholarly work than the author's bestselling "Mindfulness in Plain English" and "Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness". It has the feel of a scripture, commentary, or other orthdox-flavored work on Theravada Buddhism.

All in all, a helpful treatment on stages of the path to enlightenment and every step and factor along the way. Good to study to develop an understanding of the entire path before you begin. Very much recommended.