Brain Training With the Buddha

Description

Train your mind for tranquility and focus with this fresh, secular guide to mindfulness using the Buddha's original teachings. Eric Harrison is not a Buddhist - nor is he even religious. But his lifelong mindfulness practice is rooted in the Satipatthana Sutta - the Buddha's original text on how to meditate. Harrison realized that the clearly defined steps in the sutta, even without their spiritual context, amount to a brain-training program anyone can follow. As the Buddha puts it: "The systematic four-stage training of attention is the only way to Enlightenment." Now - informed by a lifetime spent teaching tens of thousands to meditate - Harrison offers an updated, modern English translation of the sutta and lucid guidance on how to apply it. This accessible work is for anyone interested in their mind, body, and life overall - no background in Buddhism required.

Eric Harrison is the author of seven books on meditation and mindfulness that have been translated into 13 languages and published in 15 countries. He began teaching meditation as a secular, science-based therapy decades ago-long before the modern mindfulness movement began-and has taught tens of thousands of students. He lives in Perth, Australia.

"Brings clear thinking, practical wisdom, and welcome rigor to the widely popular concept of mindfulness."--Publishers Weekly "A deeply engaging book which both Buddhist meditators and secular mindfulness practitioners around the globe will find useful. To help clarify mindfulness, Eric Harrison explores the relationships, overlaps, and divergences between western Buddhist meditation and secular mindfulness. Whatever your particular views and preferences on the subject, [Brain Training with the Buddha] will help you locate them. I also enjoyed Eric's translation of the Satipatthana Sutta for its accessibility."--Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness "The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the Buddha's foundational teachings on mindfulness. This commentary by a staunchly non-Buddhist mindfulness teacher makes for a stimulating and, at times, provocative read."--David Michie, author of The Dalai Lama's Cat series and Mindfulness is Better Than Chocolate