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Product Description
Review
Thirty pleasant, rambling beginner's lessons in Buddhism by a leading light of the Santa Cruz sangha. Some of the chapters are based on transcriptions from tape-recorded classes taught by Levine at Soledad prison, but they all sound "live," i.e., spontaneous and disconnected. Levine talks in soothing, informal tones about developing mindfulness, about letting go of the thinking and judging self, seeing through the illusion of the separate self, reaching enlightenment by not reaching for it, etc. He spends a little time discussing meditation techniques, postures and so forth, but he mostly skips the mechanics. His message is straightforward and tremendously, perhaps unbelievably, positive: just let the "unwholesome qualities" of greed and hatred drop away, and one's "natural state of loving kindness and generosity" will stand revealed. From time to time Levine slips into the cliches of psychobabble ("ego trip," "judgmental"), but he snaps back soon enough into readable prose. Sometimes he interrupts the flow of his low-key lecture for a "guided meditation" - practical exercises recapitulating the previous lessons. What the newcomer to Buddhism will make of all this, of sudden declarations that "The void is the vastness in which we are occurring, it is the truth itself," is hard to say. He might, conceivably, be sufficiently intrigued to seek out formal training in Buddhism, and become a convert. Which is what Levine, in his modest way, is trying to get him to do. (Kirkus Reviews)
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Poet and meditation teacher Levine writes simply and gently about his own personal experiences with and insights into vipassana meditation. An inspiring book for anyone interested in deep personal growth.
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First Sentence
Meditation is for many a foreign concept, somehow distant and foreboding, seemingly impossible to participate in. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Meditation is for many a foreign concept, somehow distant and foreboding, seemingly impossible to participate in. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring,
By
This review is from: A Gradual Awakening (Paperback)
I'm a college student who frequently loathes her readings. NOT THIS ONE. It will challenge the way you think, it will challenge the way you act, it will challenge your perceptions, it will change your life and the way you see it...in a positive, worthwhile, meaningful, not condescending, warming, loving, caring way.Do yourself a favor, READ THE BOOK. Rent it from the library, borrow a copy from a friend, buy it if you want. You can pick it apart, read the SHORT, CONCISE, WISE chapters in any order you want for any duration, and you will inevitably learn from it. I am eternally grateful to my professor who assigned this book. It has made me a better person.
3.0 out of 5 stars
For the not yet even moderately mindful,
By theworld (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Gradual Awakening (Paperback)
I thought I would slip a review in here by someone who is already familiar with mindfulness. The thing with many books on mindfulness, is that they don't offer anything except encouragement to be mindfull. I would suggest this book for occassional reading for those who often forget their consciousness for days at a time. Slow and continuous reading will help implement the motivation to be more aware.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An incredibly helpful book,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Gradual Awakening (Paperback)
Stephen Levine is an extremely compassionate person who transmits this ability to the reader. He inspires the reader to be loving and patient with others and him/herself. Hope and love are inspired and it's an all together useful and reachable path that he shows us. This book is a must for any seeker or traveler on the spiritual path.
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