Recommend Me A Book, Please.

FairyFeller

I've been slogging my way through Meditation For Dummies and at nearly 3/4 of the way through it I don't feel any wiser about meditation than before I started. When I read posts on here and from other practitioners they talk about structured meditation and gaining insight from their practice.

I'm very OCD about doing things the right way and feel that I'm spending too much time and effort reading about it rather than practicing it.

Can somebody please recommend a good book as there is nobody in my area I can really turn to for help.

Zenshin

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

In This Very Life by Sayadaw U Pandita.

Both are from the Theravada perspective.

zenmyste

Ever tried forgetting about reading and just concentrate on meditating?

Books can only show us the door, we must walk through it..

If u still need help knowing where the door is, there is plenty of info on the internet. (U dont need to go looking for that one perfect book)

At the end of the day it comes down to one thing; "practice"

Many peeps on here used to tell me the same thing and i never believed them.. I always wanted the next best book.... Turns out, they were right all along.

Perhaps Just forget about the studying for awhile and just practice sitting, its hard just find time so give it a go and see what happens.

Jeffrey

I'll echo what zenmyste said. Instructions are like reading about how to ride a bike whereas the actual meditation you develope the balance to ride.

FairyFeller

Thank you to the three of you for your replies. Zenmyste & Jeffrey, this reflects on what I'd been thinking I just need to bite the bullet and get on with it but I have also ordered In This Very Life as well.

genkaku

Here are some meditation instructions (with pix). It's from a Zen point of view, but sit-down-and-do-it meditation doesn't know from 'Buddhist schools.'

robot

Here is a good one.
http://www.amazon.com/Breath-Liberating-Practice-Insight-Meditation/dp/1590301366

Invincible_summer

Emphasis mine:

FairyFeller said:

I'm very OCD about doing things the right way and feel that I'm spending too much time and effort reading about it rather than practicing it.

Can somebody please recommend a good book as there is nobody in my area I can really turn to for help.

Well, @FairyFeller, it sounds like you know what you need to do!

There's no 100% "right" way to do anything. My suggestions is to increase your meditation time and ask questions once you have done more of it - not that your question is silly or anything (we've all been in your place, and even return to it), but it will probably help you understand the practice better if you, well, practice. I found that the more I read about meditation, the more confused I got. Then, once I established a solid meditation practice, I came back to some of the books I read with much more insight. It all made more sense.

Straight_Man

The best way to meditate is to practice, and find your own "riding the bicycle way, then once you find one way which works you will find the mindfulness becoming part of your life after a year or so, probably. There is NO one perfect single way to meditate in Buddhism. If you find one method too hard, try another, but give each a go for a month or more of regular practice before giving up on it. Read the warnings on the internet and here in the meditation section about what metheds to leave for later, also, please.

ThailandTom

'Mindfulness in Plain English'

'The Way It Is'

both great books for beginners or advanced Buddhists IMO

Vastmind

Books can provide teachings
.....but they can't provide experience.

Someone can tell you about it
....but they can't do it for you.

Time to jump in the water and learn
to swim, hahaha

lobster

FairyFeller said:

Can somebody please recommend a good book as there is nobody in my area I can really turn to for help.

You are the good book and not nobody (not yet anyhow)

Walking, sitting or mantra meditation? Your play.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
Reed Rumi
http://www.flutopedia.com/lit_rumi.htm

ZenBadger

I think that one problem is that meditation isn't a single thing, it is a collective term for a lot of related techniques. It is usually agreed that meditation on the breath is the root of meditation practice and that is deceptively difficult to do well. After you are able to quieten the mind (sort-of) effectively the different schools diverge into a welter of more advanced techniques. At this point you might want to think about what school of Buddhism interests you the most, at least choosing one of the big three divisions - Zen/Chan, Theravada, Vajrayana. You don't have to stick with it but you will need a focus for your initial foray beyond the basics. This is the part where more structured meditation comes into view, from the beauty of mindfulness practice through to the mental gymnastics of Koan contemplation. Some of these can be done alone but many require a teacher or at least someone to talk to in person. There are many good books on these things but for now I would recommend practicing breath meditation regularly, using the meditation break to read up on the different schools, traditions and techniques that might help you move towards your goal.

FairyFeller

Thank you all for you help so far.

I am trying to keep an open mind about which path I am taking but always find myself halfway down the Theravada path before I realise so I think this'll be the path for me.

Chaz

I'm wondering if there's a Buddhist center near you. If so, go to that center and ask for meditation instruction. One-on-one instruiction is a gazillion times better than anything you'll get from a book. Even if it's not a Theravedin center go there anyway. Any sort of meditation is better than none, and most of them teach similar techniques, but the names may be different.

And don't be so concerned about what tradition you want to follow. Chances are you'll change your mind about traditions at least once. I started out in a Pure Land group, moved on to Shambhala and I'm currently practicing in the Kagyu lineage.

Nirvana

One of the greatest pieces of literature ever: The Dharma Bums By Jack Kerouac


Eat Your
Dessert before Dinner!

Bunks

"Being Nobody Going Nowhere" by Ayya Khema and "Seeking the Heart of Wisdom" by Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein.

Both in the Theravadan tradition.

Both have meditation instructions but also cover a lot of the Buddha's teachings too. Good all round books - I recommend them to anyone starting out on the path.

how

@FairyFeller
I'd just surrender to the meditation. Let go of the experiences that others write about and have your own.
The refuges/ the 4 Noble truths/the 8 Fold Path/ and Dependent Origination can keep you safely on the path for now..
In meditation, worrying about getting right is just another control issue to stop feeding.

sova

accesstoinsight.org is a true storehouse of English translations of sutras from the Pali canon. So the traditions that spread southward. Much of this library is common to all Buddhist traditions and i would recommend finding a deep sutra you understand perhaps 40% of and studying it. Clarity will come with diligence.

Meditate daily. Don't ask questions on forums unless you want to be confused.

You must seek out your own materials. It all depends on how earnestly you approach The Great Task.

Before you can practice you must know how to practice. Your curiosity should grow so ravenous (hungry) and strong that you will listen deeply, truly, and intently.

Before one can recommend a book, one must know the contents. Know the contents of your immediate experience.

My recommendation comes to you via private message.

anando

Hi, i would like to suggest the Pali_Canon: Majjihimanikayo, Dighanikayo and the songs of nuns and monks. Before you buy, have a look at the qualifikations of the author.
If you are able to red german, buy Neumann, Karl-Eugen: Die Reden Gotamo Buddhos,
Wien-Zürich, 1957. This man was a Doktor of Indologie and did lots of studies in
foreign countries.

sakko

anataman

The tibetan book of living and dying - sogyal rinpoche - it was a great way for me to start getting it and getting it right

DharmaMcBum

The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. Not too deep into buddhism to be a grind to read but in enough to be interesting.

DairyLama

FairyFeller said:

Can somebody please recommend a good book as there is nobody in my area I can really turn to for help.

I'd recommend trying to get some face to face instruction if you can. This site might be helpful - not all groups sign up, but the one's who are on there should know what else is going on locally:
http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/