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yates9's review against another edition
4.0
I was really unfamiliar with this subject before this book.
The book and the theory seems pretty much insane.
However there are parta of this that make complete sense and are hard to disagree with. There are some other subtle aspects that come from a slight proselytising, as if meditation were something one xan be “successful” at… what does that mean? The paradox is the whole point of meditation is to cross a sort of existentialist bridge.. l?
The book and the theory seems pretty much insane.
However there are parta of this that make complete sense and are hard to disagree with. There are some other subtle aspects that come from a slight proselytising, as if meditation were something one xan be “successful” at… what does that mean? The paradox is the whole point of meditation is to cross a sort of existentialist bridge.. l?
srasmus's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
In this meditation guide, Swami Rama makes the case for meditation for the modern human. He also explains the basics and how to get started meditating. I enjoyed it, and feel it really taught me a lot about Himalayan meditation. My only issue with it is that it makes some fishy scientific statements, without backing them up. This mainly appears in the chapters about alternate nostril breathing: it claims that having a blocked nostril makes it so one half of your body isn't being oxygenated, which is an incredibly odd thing to say. He also seems to exaggerate the effects of meditation by pointing to some questionable studies done, and draws strange conclusions from them. Overall, it's fine for beginners to mindfulness, but I wouldn't read into it too much.
ninabrown's review
5.0
The practice of meditation exists in pretty much every spiritual belief system. It can have a different name, its purpose concealed by obscure wording of some calcified dogma, its essence overgrown with obsolete rituals, but the true heart of meditation - a quiet, mindful introspection - is very much alive and should be practised by every human being.
Many books were written about meditation and the sheer volume of these writings can be confusing (OMG where do I start?), but if you took all these texts and pared down the differences, what remains is a set of very simple instructions and they are all contained in this slim volume. This could be deceptive - if you read this book today, you won't be meditating like a pro tomorrow. But it means that if you read this book today you will have all you need to start practising tomorrow. And the fact that the book is so slim is good for another reason also - you can read it in one sitting and then move on to practice without much thinking about it. Reading about meditation is not meditation, trying it, doing it is. Meditation is like playing a musical instrument - say a flute. All you need to play the flute is to blow into it and move your fingers on the holes along its body. But between producing a sound and making beautiful music are years of patient, continuous practice. Same with meditation.
I am not trying to say that this is the one and only book on meditation you should ever read. What I am saying is that this book will give you an excellent start. You may never want to read anything else, but if you are curious then other texts are certainly worth exploring later on. Your practice will give you the best foundation to expand your knowledge, that of the first hand experience.
Many books were written about meditation and the sheer volume of these writings can be confusing (OMG where do I start?), but if you took all these texts and pared down the differences, what remains is a set of very simple instructions and they are all contained in this slim volume. This could be deceptive - if you read this book today, you won't be meditating like a pro tomorrow. But it means that if you read this book today you will have all you need to start practising tomorrow. And the fact that the book is so slim is good for another reason also - you can read it in one sitting and then move on to practice without much thinking about it. Reading about meditation is not meditation, trying it, doing it is. Meditation is like playing a musical instrument - say a flute. All you need to play the flute is to blow into it and move your fingers on the holes along its body. But between producing a sound and making beautiful music are years of patient, continuous practice. Same with meditation.
I am not trying to say that this is the one and only book on meditation you should ever read. What I am saying is that this book will give you an excellent start. You may never want to read anything else, but if you are curious then other texts are certainly worth exploring later on. Your practice will give you the best foundation to expand your knowledge, that of the first hand experience.