Meditation on Perception: Ten Healing Practices to Cultivate Mindfulness

This is a very good little book. It is written in Gunaratana's "plain English" style, a phrase used in several of his earlier titles. But the informal, friendly method does not belie or compromise the deeper message. Rather, it becomes more accessible to everyday western readers who want to avoid getting bogged down in doctrine. The result is a very clear exposition of applied Buddhist psychology - the Buddha's recommended training to live a peaceful and productive existence with a happy mind.Think about it. "Perception" links what comes to us through our senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, and thinking - thoughts that arise spontaneously in our minds) with our feelings about and reactions to them. It therefore determines in large measure the volitional actions of body, speech, and thought that result. Unfortunately, perception is a highly fluid process that is very nonspecific. The result with respect to any particular sensory input varies across people and also differs in each of us with time and according to circumstance. A number of people, for example, can witness exactly the same event. Yet we often hear different accounts of it. Twenty year olds and sixty year olds tend to see things in much different ways - so do men and women as well as people from different cultures. Bhante G, as the author is called, suggests that the perception of a beautiful flower seen on a lovely spring day is greeted with different feeling than when it is seen on a mother's coffin. So perception is a function not only of the object or event but also of the perceiver and the circumstance.In so much as perception informs our actions, and actions have consequences, focusing on the perceptive process and its quality seems worth the effort. It will influence our own happiness and state of mind, as well as that of others around us. Moment to moment awareness (i.e. mindfulness) clearly understanding events as they unfold is required if we are not to be controlled by the process. Bhante G discusses the issues and suggests meditation training methods to approach the task. The methods included developing and practicing ever-present mindfulness, an awareness of the reality in and around us clearly comprehending its meaning.The book itself is divided into three sections and uses a short Buddhist discourse (Sutta) as its cornerstone. A translated copy is provided as an appendix. The first section (3 chapters) discuss perception in general, its nature, distortions, and purification. The second section (10 chapters) discusses each of the 10 perceptions mentioned in the discourse and is a commentary of sorts that explains them. The last of these chapter describes in some detail key perceptions that evolve from meditation on the breath, a core technique for most meditation practitioners. The third section (6 chapters) describe several meditations based on earlier discussions. Bullet points are provided suggesting possible experiences and insights as well as the basic methods.Who might benefit from reading this book? Experienced meditation teachers will likely find new ways to enrich their practice and perhaps find thoughts and methods to share with their students. People who meditate and students will find a concise and practical introduction to applied Buddhist psychology and philosophy devoid of any reference to ritualistic practice or complicated images, as lovely as some of those might be. Indeed, the book is likely worthwhile for any person curious about the subject even absent prior experience. Some concepts may be unfamiliar but they are easily retrieved from the internet and a complete glossary is provided.It would be a mistake to avoid the book thinking that, "Buddhism is not my religion." The Buddha's thought is clearly respected and even revered in the book; but it is not a religious book. It is simply a guide to transforming one's own mind toward a goal of peace and happiness - in this case through understanding one's own perceptive process. Indeed, even devout Christians may discover ways to support and expand their own faith. Qualities like love, compassion, generosity and so forth are attributes of the mind (or heart). Jesus said during his Sermon on the Mount that such unwholesome behaviors as murder and sexual misconduct in the form of adultery have their roots in the mind, the heart. We find for example such passages as,"You have heard it said that you shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council ..." and also,"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."Furthermore, it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, Jesus said, but what comes out of it because that proceeds from the heart (mind) which can hold evil thoughts of murder, adultery, lying, theft, and so forth. So our actions of body, speech and thought all have origins in the mind (heart) - and perceptions inform our actions. Thus, it is reasonable to speculate that understanding the psychological principles outlined by this Buddhist monk could enhance and enrich Christian practice.Finally, the final chapter is called "Freedom". It outlines the Buddha's path to freedom but never tells us exactly what freedom is. Reducing such transcendental concepts as liberation, freedom, Nibbana (mentioned many times in the book) and Heaven to simple language using common words is a difficult task. Perhaps the Buddha's attempt was as good as any."One who is dependent has wavering. One who is independent has no wavering. There being no wavering, there is calm. There being calm, there is no yearning. There being no yearning, there is no coming or going. There being no coming or going, there is no passing away or arising. There being no passing away or arising, there is neither a here nor a there nor a between-the-two. This, just this, is the end of stress." (Nibbana Sutta #4, Udana 8.4: translator, Thanissaro Bhikkhu)"The end of stress." Perhaps that is not such a bad goal for a modern American life.

The moment the pre-publication notice of another book by Bhante Gunaratana came to my attention the order for it was on the way. His previous books had all been excellent. His books on mindfulness contained clear and concise instructions centered on key suttas from the Buddha's teachings, and were the kind of books you recommend to anyone who wants to develop a Buddhist practice.What a pleasure to dive into the text the moment it arrived. Bhante Gunaratana has again written clear and practical advice for the practitioner. This time the hub of the book is the Girimananda Sutta which contains the Buddha's teachings on perceptions. Introduction flows into definition and on into explanation, placing perception in its place among the aggregates, words flowing effortlessly as if we're traveling along a gentle river. It's clear we're in the hands of a master.By the middle of chapter three we begin to see where we've been going wrong; we add concepts to bare perceptions and come up with distorted perceptions that are like mirages leading us into the thickets of hindrances and suffering. Brief discussions of not self, knots, karma, wrong view, five hindrances, ten fetters, and the four form and four formless jhanas follow, smoothly woven into the text.Part Two is the Ten Healing Perceptions. Each is a chapter and each begins with a translation of the passage in the Girimananda Sutta from which it came. The Ten can be seen using the "Look Inside" feature so they're not listed here. After carefully reading them, Part Three naturally flows into practical applications for meditation. These are excellent for making the intellectual into the experiential; a very necessary part of any practice, and thus this book becomes a reference book for far into the future.This book is a must read as a follow up to Bhante Gunaratana's previous books. Putting all his books together you'll have a wonderful basic foundation for your Buddhist spiritual growth.

I read Bhante G's first book, Mindfulness in Plain English, and then bought this one. It's exactly what I need to read write now. I've been meditating everyday for 6 months and am finding this book to be very helpful with where I need to head in my practice now. Highly recommend!

Another reviewer mentioned it I've read a lot of Bhante's books and i know my way around fairly well l I've been practicing Buddhism for 15 years. I found this book difficult to follow and get, it's not one of his best that's for sure.

This is a beautiful book and has been very useful for my practice. It specifically addresses the damaged perceptions that are so troubling...the ones that we habitually add on to an initial arising or thought or emotion or contact with an object that have to do with judgements about ourselves or others or other things. It stresses recognition of impernanence and no-self. I've been through his "Mindfulness in Plain English" a number of times (the very best book on Theravadin-style meditation, in my opinion). This is an excellent follow-up for those who have a daily practice but are troubled by the mental formations that produce resentment, fear, agitation, and so on.

Author is an elegant writer, and breaks down ancient teaching into practical points that makes sense for todays world. Simply brilliant!

Good book for readers deeply interested in the subject.

This book is worth the read. While it doesn't delve deeply into the subject of meditation, it does provide a new persective on how to apply meditation to a specific topic - in this case, perception.

bhante will help you see clearly

Five star