Book Description
Within your own heart is a limitless source of supreme energy - the energy of love. No other force in the universe compares to it. The world's great spiritual traditions, both past and present, agree on this simple principle. Can love be harnessed and applied to others - used as a "tool" for changing lives? Lovingkindness Meditation teaches a traditional practice for cultivating love, and applying it as a life-changing force. Dating back 2,600 years, the practice of metta (an ancient Buddhist term meaning "lovingkindness") is a timeless method for unlocking your heart's immense healing resources.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring but not sentimentalized, makes the practice seem doable!.......2005-10-28
Highly recommended! I really enjoyed Sharon Salzburg's introduction to the Buddhist metta practice, Lovingkindness Meditation. This is more of an education/explanation of metta than guided meditation sessions (i.e., she does not have long, substantive, discrete meditation sessions, but works brief examples into her explanation), but I found the explanation so good that it gave me an excellent intro to metta, which I subsequently felt like I could practice on my own. In fact, I had an interesting and symbolic dream about a mentor/benefactor figure the same night I had tried out the metta practice and included him, so it seemed the meditation reached my subconscious too!
Ms. Salzburg's presentation is detailed, conversational in style, and easily accessible to Westerners without seeming like a simplification, sentimentalization, or co-opting of the original practice. Her examples and stories given along the way make metta seem doable and practical and not like some overly idealized level of compassion that is impossible for many of us to reach. The Sounds True website has sound samples of this work (and many of their other authors' CDs and cassettes), something Amazon should be doing as well. If you like this tape, you might also enjoy the meditation CD (also available on Amazon) by Bodhipaksa titled "Guided Meditations: For Developing Calmness, Awareness, and Love," which includes a complete metta practice, along with two other meditations. I found Salzberg and Bodhipaksa's works very complementary--the Bodhipaksa CD gives a complete 27-minute meditation session of metta in an incredibly soothing voice, while this tape provides the in-depth explanation that gives the practice sense and purpose.
Lovingkindness Meditation.......2005-07-20
The Inspirational Sharon Salzberg does a beautiful gentle talk and meditation all about love and living. I noticed a difference in the way I felt about life after listening to it only one time. It is an important tool for meditation and an awakened happy life. You won't be sorry to own this one.
Amazon.com
Sharon Salzberg, a meditation teacher and the founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts, focuses on a kind of Buddhist practice that emphasizes feelings of love, happiness, and compassion. Metta, or "lovingkindness," meditation involves four phrases: "May I be free from danger"; "May I have mental happiness"; "May I have physical happiness"; "May I have ease of well-being." (Some readers will find this surprising, since the most commonly known meditation techniques have little "content"--you simply repeat a single word or phrase, observe your breath, or observe your thoughts as they pass through your mind.) Other exercises in this book are intended to increase your connection to and intimacy with others, by directing these positive sentiments outward toward specific people or the world in general. This book will probably be best appreciated by those who have some experience with meditation already, but anyone can appreciate the way it takes a practice often considered mystical and turns it into a means of creating joy. --Ben Kallen
Book Description
Throughout our lives we long to love ourselves more deeply and find a greater sense of connection with others. Our fear of intimacy—both with others and with ourselves—creates feelings of pain and longing. But these feelings can also awaken in us the desire for freedom and the willingness to take up the spiritual path. In this inspiring book, Sharon Salzberg, one of America's leading spiritual teachers, shows us how the Buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. This practice of lovingkindness is revolutionary because it has the power to radically change our lives, helping us cultivate true happiness in ourselves and genuine compassion for others. The Buddha described the nature of such a spiritual path as "the liberation of the heart, which is love." The author draws on simple Buddhist teachings, wisdom stories from various traditions, guided meditation practices, and her own experience from twenty-five years of practice and teaching to illustrate how each one of us can cultivate love, compassion, joy, and equanimity—the four "heavenly abodes" of traditional Buddhism.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Purchase.......2007-07-09
This is an extraordinary little book, which provides specific instruction on both how to meditate in the Vipassana style, and WHY it's a worthwhile practice.
Clear, hopeful teaching and guidance for metta meditation.......2006-11-02
I am not overstating in saying that I owe much of my happiness to the principles this book so clearly, intelligently, and accessibly presents. The principle of loving-kindness is explained in short, marvelously fat-free chapters, at the end of each of which are excellent guided suggestions for practice. The book is impeccably written and edited. These meditations have helped me through profound grieving, which has transformed into joy and new insight.
I especially recommend this book for readers who are experiencing divorce or other difficult interpersonal problems. Short of an expensive and demanding meditation retreat I can think of no better practice for unconditional love and happiness. This is worth a mint in therapy!
No religious belief in Buddhism is necessary.
Highly recommended.......2006-10-20
This is one of the best books that I have read in the area of Buddhism. Salzberg's writing style is warm and friendly but is nonetheless clear and to the point. While a teacher of meditation and Buddhism, she expresses great psychological understanding of emotion and writes with the acumen of a trained therapist.
In this book, Salzberg describes meditations on the brahma viharas: lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. These are the "divine abodes," sometimes called the cardinal virtues of Buddhism. Salzberg provides a clear rationale as to why these types of meditation are beneficial and how to do them. The practice is deep, but can be started by any beginner through the means described in this book.
The benefits of this type of meditation are nothing short of impressive. Within a few days of doing metta meditation (lovingkindness), I began to notice emotional changes in myself--feeling more happiness, warmth, and caring.
This book is highly accessible to non-Buddhists. Practicing these techniques does not require a religious conversion. Anyone who values basic virtues such as kindness, compassion, and emotional balance will find these techniques agreeable. They are based on psychological principles and were designed to increase emotional well-being.
taking action in loving kindness.......2006-04-27
Salzberg is founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts. Her loving kindness (compassion) meditations are designed to help you realize deeper connections of intimacy with others and peace of mind within. She encourages you not just to think about loving kindness but to take action.
Good introduction, but some shortcomings.......2006-03-25
Basically, I liked this book and found that it covered all the essential points anyone would want to know. However, in places I thought it was redundant and could have gone deeper.
While there are several books on this topic, this is one of the most accesible to Westerners. I also think Sharon Salzberg's sincerity and belief in what she is doing comes through.
If you don't own any resources on Metta meditation, this is a good place to start.
Book Description
We are all born in the image of God, but living out the likeness of God is a choice. This inspiring, practical guidebook provides you with the tools you need to realize the divinity within yourself, recognize the divinity within others, and act on the obligation to manifest God's infinite compassion in your own life.
Guided by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, you will explore Judaism's Thirteen Attributes of Lovingkindness as the framework for cultivating a life of goodness. Shapiro translates these attributes into practices--drawn from the teachings of a variety of faith traditions--that allow you to actualize God's glory through personal deeds of lovingkindness. You will enrich your own capacity for lovingkindness as you:
Harvest kindness through compassionate honesty
Make room in your heart for reality
Recognize the manifestations of God
Embrace the paradoxical truth of not-knowing
Be present in the moment
Do right by others
With candor, wit, and honesty, Shapiro shows you that by choosing to act out of love rather than fear, with kindness rather than anger, you can transform how you perceive the world and ultimately lead a more complete spiritual life.
Customer Reviews:
One of the most consciousness changing books I've read.......2007-06-11
I could feel my attitudes changing as I read this book, slowly, chapter by chapter. I am so grateful to this author for teaching me about how to cultivate equanimity and what anger really is and how to try my best to avoid falling into it. This is one of the best books I have ever read because it tells me that I will fall short of my intention to be a better person, and that's ok, as long as I keep pursuing my spiritual growth. Thank you for writing this book, Rabbi Rami Shapiro! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to cultivate a healthier, more rewarding spriritual life no matter what religion they do or don't practice.
This is a great book.......2006-09-06
If you want to really understand what it means to be kind, this is the book for you. Rabbi Rami refrences many spiritual traditions in his deep teaching. I highly recomend this book.
Amazon.com
Bestselling author Jack Kornfield has put together a how-to book--his most ambitious work yet--to encourage the best side of humanity. In The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace, Kornfield uses the evocative power of aphorisms to spark feelings and thoughts that can germinate and grow. After a chapter of aphorisms and quotations on each of the title's three topics, Kornfield offers a related series of meditations that show how to cultivate what the aphorisms have prepared. Whereas essays tend to be read through and forgotten, this book invites a deliberate pace, with the reader filling in the blanks, taking time away for meditation, then coming back for more inspiration. Never descending into triteness, Kornfield is realistic on tough issues, encouraging awareness and persistence over resignation and indifference. If you yearn to open your heart, open the pages of Kornfield's latest. --Brian Bruya
Book Description
You hold in your hand an invitation:
To remember the transforming power of forgiveness and lovingkindness. To remember that no matter where you are and what you face, within your heart peace is possible.
In this beautiful and graceful little book, internationally renowned Buddhist teacher and meditation master Jack Kornfield has collected age-old teachings, modern stories, and time-honored practices for bringing healing, peace, and compassion into our daily lives. Just to read these pages offers calm and comfort. The practices contained here offer meditations for you to discover a new way to meet life’s greatest challenges with acceptance, joy, and hope.
Customer Reviews:
Simple wisdom.......2006-02-21
Don't look for Buddhism in this book, at least not the Buddhism that can be contained in the mind. But you'll find great, simple wisdom that clearly shows that Buddhism in only one source of great wisdom.
This is a book to read slowly when you're at your lowest point -like after the death of a loved one. Many, many simple reminders that we hold peace in our hearts, even when our fear, anger, greed, and ignorance hide it.
simple easy to remember concepts.......2005-09-03
I like best the definition of "to forgive" - to let go of hope of a different past.
Soul Soothing.......2004-11-16
This is a great book. Why isn't it in paperback yet???
What a subject. Mr. Kornfield, as a Zen practitioner, takes us through a simple yet very thorough journey to forgiveness.
He makes a clear distinction between forgiving and moving on with your life and forgiving and getting back into the frying pan. I appreciate that because currently in many instances, getting back into the pan seems to be to goal of many religious, pseudo religious, and philosophical groups. Then, like a good Zen practitioner, after giving us permission to move on with our lives he then brings it to our attention that - if we ever could completely understand another human's life and history - there would be no need to even forgive them.
I read this book several years ago and I really enjoyed it. It is simple but not "fluffy or light" reading. Sometimes the most simple things are the hardest to do. Having been twice divorced I made a commitment each time to remain on civil and speaking terms with both men. It was (and is) hard. Essentially, you simply have to just let some things go - turn them loose. Open your fist and let them just float away. I even lost some friends over that. People who could only see what they perceived to be "my side". I just didn't want to live the kind of soap opera life that has you crossing the street to avoid someone you were married to because they got the dishes, or the dog or whatever. I also wanted the children to see the concept- actually see it work - that you can end/change a relationship, still be supportive, see one another as humans and treat each other with the love and dignity that you afford to all people even though the marriage did not work.
In short this is, I would imagine, what some would classify as "classic" Buddhism. Simple, profound soul work.
This book is a classic.......2003-04-08
Jack Kornfield has the voice of a deeply aware human being. It is extraordinary because you do not tire of hearing it. He exemplifies kindness. He demonstrates love. His compassion leaps off the page and into your heart. Energy is transmitted from the author to the reader in a very intentional and direct way.
The uniqueness of The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace is not so much in the message, but more in the artful way that the message is organized and presented. Kornfield is highly selective about his choice of material. He is very deliberate about the slow and mindful pace that it is relayed. And he is masterful at communicating in a cohesive, well honed way. The end result is a powerful and persuasive reading experience.
The spiritual reviewer (a/k/a Karen Bentley) gives this book an overall score of 8.5 on a scale of 10, which is very high and designates this book as a "classic." This book is a pleasure to read and a pleasure to recommend.
How simple, how profound!.......2003-01-21
The older I become the simpler life seems. I've read Jack's work, though I haven't read this book yet. I'm fortunate to live in a community very close to the lovely San Geronimo vallery where Spirit Rock Meditation Center is located. I see Jack quite regularly standing with friends on a San Anselmo street corner Saturdays, offering witness of his commitment to peace and justice. The times I've heard him speak at Spirit Rock and elsewhere I was deeply touched by his simple humanity.
Learning to forgive, to treat others in our lives with loving kindness, as we cultivate peace...what more is there to realize in this human journey? There will always be what a teacher of mine once called "cookies for the mind." Jack offers something far more profound as he supports us in coming to each moment with our hearts open. This is what I hope to do with the remaining years of my life. It is comforting to share the journey with others who understand what is truly important. Jack Kornfield is surely one of them. Thank you Jack for sharing with us the wisdom you've come to.
Average customer rating:
- mildly interesting
- Great writing but lacks authenticity
- Quite a literary achievement!
- Mixed feelings
- Breathtaking
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Lovingkindness
Anne Roiphe
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0446673889 |
Customer Reviews:
mildly interesting.......2004-11-01
Not a masterpiece, but I was able to keep reading it without feeling totally bored to death.
I thought the depiction of Orthodoxy was somewhat one-sided but not completely negative; I know a few baal teshuvot (though admittedly no one from the kind of environment described in the book) and I can't imagine anyone refusing to be called by their English name or similar foolishness. (But then again, Andrea and her fiance were so messed up before they became Orthodox that they might be atypical). But the "us against the secular world" attitude that Andrea expresses does ring true to some extent.
The book also struck me as part of a common trend of our time- the failure of ultraliberalism seems to have bred a resurgent ultraconservatism, whether in religion or politics.
Great writing but lacks authenticity.......2004-01-16
Roiphe is indeed a gifted writer and she crafts an engaging, interesting story, and the dynamic between the narrator and her daughter is powerful. The major downside of this book is that it is severely unrealistic and stereotyped in its portrayal of Ultra-Orthodox Judaism...her descriptions of their way of life is ridiculously ficticious, depicting these characters as trivial, one-sided, shallow, blinded and outright stupid in their faith, cult followers, and cruel (just one example among many-- when a woman's children are taken away from her and the Rabbi's refusal to let the narrator see her own daughter-- where does the author derive this from??)True, the narrator is a fictious character, but after awhile, it becomes difficult for the reader to adapt a viewpoint other than the one that is blatantly biased and stereotyped...I couldn't help but wonder if the author's intent was to in fact stress her own personal opinions, to convince the reader that her outlandish descriptions of Orthodox Judaism were indeed true. I am not an Orthodox Jew, but by the end, I was very offended-- too bad that whatever truly meaningful content lay within and the great descriptive writing was overshadowed by the author's contemptive views.
Quite a literary achievement!.......2001-11-26
This book is beautifully written.
The author captures the essence of the mother-daughter relationship.
I would recommend this book to all mothers with daughters.
Mixed feelings.......2001-06-06
I began this book with a great sense of anticipation, but ultimately found myself let down.
The novel traces the relationship between a liberal feminist mother, Annie, and her daughter Andrea. Like many mother/daughter narratives, the early part of the novel traces the failures of both--Annie's attempts to impress her own beliefs upon her daughter, and her daughter's rebellion from them.
Andrea's character makes a 180-degree turn in the middle of the novel, just as the reader gets used to her being a hostile, ungrateful, screw-up. Why does she become an ultra-Orthodox Jew? It's a fascinating question, but the book didn't ultimately pay off for me.
For me, the book's major downfall is the initial set-up of the characters. Andrea was, as noted above, too unlikeable to grab my sympathy or my interest to find out exactly what has become of her.
I note that my feelings are decidedly in the minority--most reviewers have liked this book much better than I did. For my opinion, though, there are much better narratives about Jewish mother/daughter relationships and modern Jewish literature in general.
Breathtaking.......2000-09-01
This book shines. It is a book about the love between a mother and daughter, about the obstacles on the path to perfect understanding between them, about the ways in which children disappoint and delight their parents. Both the mother and the daughter are completely believable. It is impossible to predict what will happen to them after the book's end.
The writing is wonderful, almost lyric. The characters are fully drawn. The plot is entirely organic, with no disruptive elements. The story is firmly rooted in the second half of the 20th century, in the evolution of American Jewry and the haredi response to it. The booked moved me deeply. There is nothing to disappoint in this book, except that it ends.
Average customer rating:
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Gentling The Heart: Buddhist LovingKindness Practice for Christians
Mary Jo Meadow
Manufacturer: The Crossroad Publishing Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0824514343 |
Customer Reviews:
Very thorough and easy to understand introduction...........2006-11-22
This book is a good introduction to Vipassana practice in the Theravada tradition. It does an excellent job of covering the basic belief system, practices and capturing the spirit of Theravada Buddhism. I especially liked the strong emphasis on compassion and lovingkindness.
Many other books on this topic focus on mechanics and sometimes skim the surface of the underlying attitudes that are core to the teaching. I also felt this book did a good job of explaining many basic practices such as breath, lovingkindness and walking meditation. I have found very few books bother to explain walking meditation in enough detail for it to be useful. This is a shame because it is an especially good practice for Westerners.
If you want something more in-depth, try "Breath by Breath" by Larry Rosenberg. If you are fairly advanced, then Mindfulness with Breathing would also be excellent. You can see a list of mediation resources and reviews on my profile. I teach workshops on this topic, so I am well read in this area.
good for beginners.......2003-07-07
There are many ways to practice Buddhism, even many ways to interpret and practice Theravada Buddhism, the subject of this title. This is a good beginners book to some of the core practices of Theravada Buddhism, simply and clearly written. The emphasis on karuna (compassion) and metta (lovingkindness) would be helpful for students who have not yet worked on these principles. People who have already done a lot of vipassana-style meditation practice and who have done a lot of reading on the topic may find this volume too basic for them. But for people just getting into this tradition, it's a very nice introduction.
The authors run a lay meditation retreat centre at a non-functioning wat on the island of Ko Pha-Ngan in Thailand (the name of the place is Wat Khao Tham although since there are no resident monks there it's not a true wat). It's an excellent learning place for people new to vipassana. Two places in northern Thailand I would also highly recommend - especially for people who want to go a little deeper - are Wat Ram Poeng in Chiang Mai and Wat Phra That Chom Thong in Chom Thong.
Average customer rating:
- A Meditation in and of itself!
- Great book
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Choosing What's Chosen You: A Guide for the Cultivation of Lovingkindness
Mark Pelter
Manufacturer: iUniverse.com
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0595279481 |
Book Description
Choosing What's Chosen You is a unique self-help workbook that will guide you through the process of developing lovingkindness toward yourself and others. The reader is asked to choose a personal learning goal to explore through the Eastern practice of Lojong, which includes helpful slogans and daily meditation. Hundreds of probing questions, revealing the preciousness and impermanence of life, and distinguishing between needless and inevitable suffering, are used to promote inner healing.
A learning goal might focus on the needless suffering caused by a sense of unworthiness, insecurity, loneliness, or abandonment that limits your ability to open your heart to yourself, or to others. Author Mark Pelter provides a way to change how you relate to your emotional issues.
Choosing What's Chosen You uncovers your real emotional need for a heart connection to self, others, higher consciousness or God/dess. Working through this process will help you to develop your ability to meet core level needs by transforming painful emotions into your personal path of freedom. This workbook can be used over and over again throughout your life. It is a step-by-step guide for consciously choosing, meeting, and embracing your own humanity.
Customer Reviews:
A Meditation in and of itself!.......2004-01-31
When I first saw the title of this book, I thought it would approach the subject of mindfulness entirely from the Buddhist perspective. However, I was delightfully surprised to see that the author had considered a wide variety of spiritual traditions in his examination of the subject.
The workbook style works well for helping readers to understand what is meant by the elusive term "mindfullness.' I also found that the questions posed truly challenge the reader to understand how one moves in the world and how each of us can make a significant difference simply by being aware of our actions, motives, and thoughts.
I highly recommend this book and believe that it could readily be used effectively in a group therapy setting, regardless of the spiritual tradition of the participants.
Great book.......2004-01-11
This is a wonderful self help tool that anyone would be lucky to own.
Product Description
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Art of Living Houston
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The three refuges
shrot talks of Venerable Master Chin Kung
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