VIII. Meditation and Mind Training

Anapana Sathi Bhavana, Ven. Nauyane Ariyadhamma Thera, Colombo, Sri Lanka: World Fellowship of Buddhists Dhammaduta Activities Committee, 1982, 44p. A concise, detailed manual on the development of mindfulness by meditation on the breath.(M#007)

Anapanasati: Mindfulness with Breathing, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Bangkok: Dhamma Study and Practice Group, 1989, 2^nd ed., 174p. A Thai meditation master presents a series of practical lectures given to Westerners attending the month long meditation courses at Suan Mokkh. The approach is a straight-forward instruction of the Anapanasati Sutta aimed at "serious beginners".(M#117)

Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka, William Hart, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987, 167p., 0-06-063724-2. Goenka is a retired Burmese industrialist who has established a well-regarded, non-sectarian Vipassana course that has attracted thousands of people of all backgrounds. The book is primarily based on his dhamma talks given during a ten-day retreat. Topics covered include: the search for happiness, the five aggregates, kamma, dukkha, training in morality, concentration, and wisdom, awareness and equanimity, and liberation. Includes Q&A and a glossary of Pali terms.(M#088)

Basic Method of Meditation, Ajahn Brahmavamso, Perth, Australia: Optima Press, 2003, 27p. A very concise outline of the seven stages that lead to the first jhana written by the British-born abbot of a forest monastery near Perth, Western Australia.(M#263)

Breaking through the Self Delusion: a Guide to Vipassana Meditation, Yogavacara Rahula Bhikkhu, [ Sri Lanka], 2003, 82p. The stubborn belief in an eternal controlling Self or Soul within each person is the fundamental ignorance and primary source from which all individual and collective suffering arises. For any deep insight to develop, a good understanding of these basic principles is very helpful. The first part of the book comprises selections from the Buddha's discourses that expound the five aggregates of clinging, which are the main focus of insight meditation. Part two is a collection of essays on the mind and meditation from various sources and dhamma teachers. The awareness exercise at the end will be a helpful guide or reminder for anyone desiring to make inroads in breaking through the self delusion.(M#283)

Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation, Larry Rosenberg,  Boston: Shambhala, 1998, 215p., 1-57062-350-3. An experienced teacher at the Insight Meditation Society presents the Buddha's basic meditation instructions on the breath using the Anapanasati Sutta as the structure. Jon Kabat-Zinn, in the Foreward, states that Rosenberg's book "illuminates the sutta's essence and its practical utility in a wholly contemporary Western idiom, making it tangible, compelling, and immediately relevant for anybody who is seriously interested in developing a personal meditation practice."(M#226)

Breath Sweeps Mind: a First Guide to Meditation Practice, Jean Smith (ed.), NY: Riverhead Books, 1998, 289p., 1-57322-653-x. A nice introduction to the theory and practice of meditation, including topics such as: what is meditation?, why meditate?, posture, breathing, and potential problems. All Buddhist traditions are represented with short pieces by a wide variety of teachers and ancient and contemporary texts from the words of the Buddha to contemporary teachers such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Joseph Goldstein, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Bhante Gunaratana.(M#282)

Buddhist Meditation and Depth Psychology, Dr. Douglas Burns, 1994, 3^rd ed., Kandy: BPS, 92p., (WH 88/89), 955-24-0114-3. The Buddhist meditative path to liberation as viewed from the perspective of modern psychological theory. A practical manual written by a Westerner who spent many years living in Thailand.(M#023)

Buddhist Mediation: Systematic and Practical, Yogi C.M. Chen, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1980, 2^nd ed., 486p. A manual based on the experiences of an Buddhist yogi who practiced solitary meditation in India at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains for over 28 years. It explains and correlates the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions of Buddhist meditation and offers detailed instructions on undertaking the Vajrayana method for a Western student.(M#191)

Buddhist Meditation: the Way to Inner Calm and Clarity, Piyadassi Thera, Taipei, Taiwan: Buddha Educational Foundation, [1979], 100p. A practical and readable meditation guide written by a well-known Sri Lankan monk.(M#024)

Buddhist Rituals and Observances, Ajahns Sucitto and Candasiri, [ Hertfordshire, UK]: Amaravati Publications, 2001, 26p, 1-870205-15-4. A booklet that explains and discusses the outward forms of practice that can be cultivated to "bring emotive forces into our daily lives" such as joy, gladness, trust, and the uplift of the heart. Topics include: Buddha images, shrines, stupas, making offerings to monks or nuns, rites of passage, and public festivals.(M#268)

Buddhist Way to Mental Health, Ven. Madihe Pannasiha Maha Thera, Colombo, Sri Lanka: Dharma Vijaya Foundation, 1987, 57p. A treatise on the practice of mindfulness of breathing (anapana sati).(M#029)

Buddhist Women Meditators of Sri Lanka, Helle Snell, Kandy: BPS, 2001, 87p., (WH 443/445), 955-24-0223-9. Sixteen interviews with mature women who share what it means to them to meditate daily. They talk openly about their lives and the problems they experience living in the modern world and how meditation helps them overcome all kinds of difficulties.(M#254)

Buddho, Phra Ajaan Thate Desaransi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, [1997], 29p. A brief but detailed meditation manual that trains the mind by the repeating of the word buddho.(M#184)

Calm and Insight: a Buddhist Manual for Meditators, Bhikkhu Khantipalo, London: Curzon Press, 1981, 152p., 0-7007-0141-9. A practical book on meditation written by an experienced Western monk who trained for several years in Thailand. Includes chapters on: the preliminaries, the mind as it is, the four foundations of mindfulness, calm and insight, meditation methods, and the fruits of insight.(M#279)

Clarity of Insight, Ajahn Chah, Redwood Valley, CA: Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, 2001, 52p. Contains two dhamma talks: (1) clarity of insight and (2) suffering on the road. The first is a concise yet detailed talk given to a group of lay meditators in Bangkok in April 1979 on how to practice meditation. The second is a talk given to a group of monks preparing to leave the monastery and go off wandering after their fifth year of guidance under Ajahn Chah.(M#247)

Contemplation of Feeling: The Discourse-grouping on the Feelings (Vedana-Samyutta), Nyanaponika Thera, Kandy: BPS, 1983, 45p., (WH 303/304). An anthology of passages from the Samyutta Nikaya and other texts concerning the Buddha's teachings on vedana (feeling). (M#126)

Directing to Self Penetration: Six Dhamma Talks about centering the mind in non-attachment, Tan Acharn Kor Khao-suan-luang, Bangkok: Chuan Printing, [1984], 74p. Transcripts of talks by Upasika Kee Nanayon who founded a community for female Buddhists in the Thai countryside.(M#093)

Entering the Stream of Dhamma, Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, [1992], 70p. The author is the abbot of a forest monastery in northeastern Thailand. He explains how to use basic wisdom, that we already have, to contemplate things like the Five Aggregates, the Four Elements, defilements, and cravings which cause rebirth and suffering. An appendix includes beginning techniques in walking and sitting meditation.(M#194)

Essentials of Insight Meditation: a Pragmatic Approach to Vipassana, Ajahn Sujiva, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia: Buddhist Wisdom Centre, 2000, 315p, 983-9245-02-3. The author is a monk who has spent many years teaching vipassana meditation in Malaysia and overseas. The book is an elaboration of the dhamma talks given at his ten-day retreats in Australia. Chapters include: basic preparatory instructions, the five controlling faculties, types of concentration, understanding insight, and mindfulness in daily life.(M#299)

Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest, Nyanaponika Thera, Kandy: BPS, 3^rd ed., 1993, 34p., (WH 26), 995-24-0111-9. An anthology of excerpts from the suttas and the Commentaries that address how to deal with the hindrances (sense desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and doubt) when they arise in the mind.(M#128)

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, Jon Kabat-Zinn, New York: Delta, 1990, 467p., 0-385-30312-2. A self-help manual that emphasizes meditation's healing potential. Presents practical lessons in basic breathing meditation, paying attention to one's experience, yoga, and how to apply insights gained to the obvious stresses of physical and emotional pain. The techniques are based on the author's ten years of clinical experience with over four thousand people who participated in the Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.(M#141)

Heart of Buddhist Meditation: A Handbook of Mental Training Based on the Buddha's Way of Mindfulness, Nyanaponika Thera, York Beach, MA: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1988, 223p., 0-87728-073-8. A well-respected monk presents a classic introduction to the Buddha's "way of mindfulness" (i.e. Satipatthana), as well as guidance to the practical applications of these teachings. The book is divided into three parts: a lengthy essay with detailed practical descriptions; a translation of the greater discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness; and an anthology of texts dealing with Right Mindfulness.(M#225)

In the Lap of the Buddha, Gavin Harrison, Boston: Shambhala, 1994, 289p., 0-87773-995-1. In this courageous and articulate personal testimony, a gay man uses Buddhist insight meditation to deal with the suffering he has experienced from child abuse and from being HIV positive. He describes how he has been able to open himself to the suffering as he follows the five Buddhist precepts of refraining from harming, stealing, using false speech, engaging in sexual misconduct, and using intoxicants. Many subsections within the six chapters begin with accounts of the Buddha's life and teachings taken from Buddhist scriptures. These are followed by Harrison's reflections on how we deal-usually ineffectively-with suffering. Instructions are also given on the way Buddhist meditation practice is done. An effective writer uses Buddhist teaching and meditative practice to effect a triumph of the human spirit.(M#293)

In This Very Life: The Liberation Teachings of the Buddha, Sayadaw U Pandita, Kandy: BPS, 1992, 298p., 955-24-0094-5. An experienced Burmese meditation master's instructions to Western students in intensive retreat. He starts with basic instructions on sitting and walking meditation, and goes on to describe in detail the stages of practice, including recognizing and dealing with problems that arise as insight progressively deepens. Other topics include: developing the five spiritual faculties, recognizing unwholesome mental states, the seven factors of enlightenment, jhanas, and the road to nibbana. Glossary and index.(M#121)

Inner Strength, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1993, 106p. Sixteen talks that deal primarily with the techniques of breath meditation, plus a number of passages about the values underlying its practice.(M#173)

Investigation for Insight, Susan E. Jootla, Kandy: BPS, 1983, 62p., (WH 301/302). An exploration of the teachings of dhammavicaya (investigation-of-dhammas), a key factor to be developed in the cultivation of insight.(M#049)

Jhanas in Therevada Buddhist Meditation, Mahathera Henepola Gunaratana, Kandy: BPS, 1988, 75p., (WH 351/353), 955-24-0035-X. This booklet, a condensed version of Bhante Gunaratana's treatise, The Path of Serenity and Insight, outlines the role of jhana (meditative absorption) in Theravada Buddhist meditation. The author's perspective here is based largely on the later commentaries to the Pali Canon and therefore uses examples from the relatively rare practice of kasina meditation. Still, many of the insights offered by the book will be of value to those practicing satipatthana vipassana and breath meditation.(M#125)

Keeping the Breath in Mind & Lessons in Samadhi, Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1990, 82p. A "how-to" book of mind liberation from a renown Thai monk. Part one is a basic guide to the techniques of breath meditation and part two consists of excerpts from five of his talks dealing with meditation issues.(M#171)

Key to Liberation, Ven. Ajahn Chah, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1998, 50p. A meditation manual by a Thai monk who played a major role in the spread of Buddhism to the West in the second half of the 20^th century.(M#208)

Light of Wisdom: Meditation in Pa Auk Forest Monastery, Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1996, 277p. A compilation of 16 Dhamma talks given to groups of Burmese meditators. The talks include a variety of advanced meditation subjects such as: Four Elements meditation, meditation on 32 parts of the body, white kasina meditation, discerning causal relationship, etc.(M#205)

Loving-kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, Sharon Salzberg, Boston: Shambhala, 1995, 193p., 1-57062-037-7. The author shows how the Buddhist path of lovingkindness can help us discover the radiant, joyful heart within each of us. Topics of the eleven chapters include: the benefits and hindrances of lovingkindness, working with anger and aversion, developing compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, and the power of generosity and morality. Draws on simple Buddhist teachings, wisdom stories from various traditions, guided meditations, and her own experience from 25 years of practice and teaching.(M#163)

Manual of Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapana Dipani), Mahathera Ledi Sayadaw, Kandy: BPS, 1999. 55p., (WH 431/432), 955-24-0194-1. The author was one of the pioneers in the modern revival of insight meditation in Burma. The booklet outlines all the basic principles of meditation on breathing in the form of a commentary on the Anapanasati Sutta together with some additional practical techniques.(M#156)

Meditation in Words, Phra Acharn Thate Desaransi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, [1999], 2^nd ed., 213p. Conversations between a wide variety of student meditators and a Thai meditation teacher.  The students are a mix of men and women, monastics and laypeople, Thai and Westerners. All of them recount their personal experiences pertaining to meditation.(M#190)

Meditation on Breathing: Anapana-sati, Venerable Balangoda Anandamaitreya, Los Angeles: Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara, 1986, 20p. A concise set of instructions written for intermediate Western meditators intent on mastering the the Buddha's teaching of mindfulness of in-breath and out-breath that leads to concentration and insight.(M#281)

Meditation: Samadhi Bhavana, Ven. Ajahn Chah, Ubon Rajathani, Thailand: Bung Wai Forest Monastery, 1991, 28p. A talk on establishing a meditative foundation of tranquility and calm given to lay Buddhists in London.(M#138)

Metta: Loving kindness in Buddhism, Khun Sujin Boriharnwanaket, London: Triple Gem Press, 1995, 120p., 1-897633-14-9. Introduces the basic Buddhist teachings of metta and its practical application in today's world. A compilation of lectures given by the author in the Boranives Temple ( Bangkok) for mixed groups of scholars, monks and lay people. Includes questions and answers raised during the talks.(M#165)

Mindfulness in Plain English, Ven. Henepola Gunaratana, Boston: Wisdom Pub., 1992, 198p., 0-86171-064-9. A step-by-step guide to Insight meditation that is nondenominational yet deeply spiritual in approach. The author, the senior monk of the Bhavana Society in West Virginia, writes with clarity and wit.(M#099)

Mindfulness of Breathing and Four Elements Meditation, Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1998, 2^nd ed., 86p. An advanced manual that contains instructions for mindfulness of breathing meditation, four-elements meditation, and subsequent detailed discernment of materiality.(M#204)

Mindfulness: The Path to the Deathless, Ajahn Sumedho, Hertfordshire: Amaravati Publications, 1987, 74p., 1-870205-01-4. A clear, step-by-step instruction and reflection on Buddhist meditation as taught by Ajahn Sumedho. Includes sections on the what and why of meditation, as well as: breath, mantra, walking, kindness, ordinary, thought, hindrances, and emptiness.(M#246)

Only the World Ends, Ven. Acharn Thate Desaransi, Jayasaro Bhikkhu (transl.), Nongkhai, Thailand: Wat Hin Mark Peng, 1987, 79p. An intermediate guide to meditation as used in the forest monasteries of North-East Thailand.(M#100)

Path Fruit and Nibbana, Kheminda Thera, Colombo, Ceylon: R. Weerasuria, 1965, 58p. A treatise on meditation and the process of passing from a "commoner" to a "noble one" with selections from the suttas and commentaries.(M#062)

Path of Freedom (Vimuttimagga), Arahant Upatissa, Kandy: BPS, 1995, 362p., 955-24-0054-6. A meditation manual evidently based on the experience of Buddhist monks in ancient times and compiled by a famous Sri Lankan monk who lived in the first century A.D. for the guidance of those intent on a contemplative life. The work is compiled in accordance with the classical Buddhist division of the path into the three stages of virtue, concentration, and wisdom, culminating in the goal of liberation. It is widely believed that the Vimuttimagga may have been the model used by Acariya Buddhaghosa to compose his magnum opus, the Visuddhimagga, several centuries later. The older work is marked by a leaner style and a more lively sense of urgency stemming from its primarily practical orientation.(M#210)

Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa, (Bhikkhu Nanamoli, transl.), Taipei, Taiwan: Buddha Educational Foundation, [1999], 885p. The most important non-canonical work of Theravada Buddhism; written in the fifth century.  The book serves as a systematic encyclopedia of Buddhist doctrine and a comprehensive guide to all the methods of meditation. The translator's long introduction gives the historical and doctrinal background of the work.(M#154)

Path of Serenity and Insight: an Explanation of the Buddhist Jhanas, Ven. Henepola Gunaratana, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1985, 263p., 0-8364-1149-8. An advanced study of the jhanas, high levels of meditative attainment distinguished by powerful concentration and purity of mind, and their usefulness for the dedicated meditator.(M#063)

Patipada, or the mode of practice of Venerable Acharn Mun, Venerable Acharn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno, Udorn Thani, Thailand: Wat Pa Baan Taad, 1997, 575p. An advanced text that describes the Dhutanga practices of Ajahn Mun in great detail. The Dhutanga are ascetic practices that are followed to counteract specific defilements.(M#262)

Power of Mindfulness, Nyanaponika Thera, San Francisco: Unity Press, 1972, 56p., 0-913300-02-0. An excellent overview of the powers of "bare attention" in mindfulness practice, organized in terms of four of its aspects: its capacity to "name" experience with dispassion; its non-coercive attitude toward experience; its capacity to slow down the mind so that the mind can see itself more clearly; and its capacity to see things directly, as they are.(M#102)

Practical Advice for Meditators, Bhikkhu Khantipalo, 1974, Kandy: BPS, 35p., (WH 116). Introductory text to meditation practice at home, in daily life, and on retreat. Also discusses the cultivation of the divine abidings (brahma-vihara) and the perfections (parami), as well as some of the possible pitfalls of meditation practice.(M#066)

Present Moment Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living, Thich Nhat Hanh, Delhi: Full Circle, 1997, 75p., 81-7621-006-4. An inspiring handbook of gathas, or "mindfulness verses", with commentaries by a peaceful and poetic Vietnamese monk. These practical verses can help us slow down and enjoy each moment of our lives.(M#257, #104)

Sati: Mindfulness in Plain English, Ven. Henepola Gunaratana, Concord, CA: California Buddhist Vihara Society, [nd], Dhamma Dana Series: Number Three, 15p. An article on sati directed to the general reader.(M#069)

Satipatthana Sutta and its Application to Modern Life, V.F. Gunaratna, Kandy: BPS, 1981, 27p., (WH 60). A lecture on the fourfold development of mindfulness given to the Education Department Buddhist Society in Colombo.(M#070)

Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation, Joseph Goldstein & Jack Kornfield,  Boston: Shambhala, 1987, 195p., 0-87773-327-9. A guide to insight meditation born out of the authors' twelve-year collaboration in teaching intensive meditation retreats throughout the world. The topics covered include: hindrances to meditation, karma, three basic characteristics of reality, integrating a life of responsible action with a meditative life based on non-attachment. Exercises are included.(M#221)

Seven Stages of Purification and Insight Knowledges, Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera, Kandy: BPS, 1983, 82 p. A guide to the progressive stages of Buddhist meditation by a well-respected Sri Lankan meditation master.(M#072)

Sitting: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation, Diana St. Ruth, New York: Arkana, 1998, 78p., 0-14-019568-8. A basic overview of meditation that includes specific techniques, such as counting breaths and walking meditation, in addition to providing helpful illustrations of postures and sitting styles. The author emphasizes that a regular meditation practice is a critical ingredient to know "the way of liberation from suffering and the realization of genuine happiness".(M#228)

Straight from the Heart: Thirteen Talks of the Practice of Meditation, Ven. Acariya Maha Boowa Nanasampanno, [Udorn Thani: Thailand], 1987, 150p. This collection of talks was originally given for the benefit of a lay disciple who had come to Ajaan Maha Boowa's monastery to receive guidance as she faced her approaching death from bone marrow cancer. These talks offer important lessons about how to learn from pain, illness, and death, by seeing through to their ultimate nature.(M#074)

Therapeutic Action of Vipassana / Why I Sit, Paul Fleischman, Kandy: BPS, 1986, 47p., 955-24-0070-8, (WH 329). A practicing American psychiatrist trained in vipassana meditation by S.N. Goenka explains what is universally practical, efficacious, and therapeutic about it and the art of living as taught by the Buddha. He also discusses various reasons and benefits to sitting in meditation.(M#280)

To the Last Breath: Dhamma Talks on Living and Dying, Venerable Acharn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno, & Directions for Insight: Six Dhamma Talks on Centering the Mind in Non-Attachment, Acharn Kor Khao-suan-luang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1999, 2^nd ed., 278p. This book contains two sets of newly revised Dhamma talks by two different meditation teachers. The 1980 edition of Amata Dhamma has been revised and has new additions, including its new title To the Last Breath. These talks were given by a well regarded monk to a knowledgeable Buddhist dying of cancer. The emphasis is on dealing with pain, suffering and, finally, death.  Directions for Insight- the second part of this book- is only a slightly revised version of Directing to Self Penetration. These talks are by a lay woman teacher who was dedicated to meditation, strictly keeping the Eight Precepts, and constantly trying to guard the sense doors.(M#207)

Tranquility and Insight: An Introduction to the Oldest Form of Buddhist Meditation, Amadeo Sole-Leris, Kandy: BPS, 1992, 176p., (BP 510S), 955-24-0101-1. The entire range of meditation approaches described in the Visuddhimagga is covered here in the two divisions of samatha (concentration or tranquility) and vipassana (insight). It also examines the two major contemporary forms of the traditional vipassana meditation practice that have been preserved in Myanmar ( Burma) and have spread to the world at large.(M#134)

Tuccho Pothila: Nurturing Buddhism Through Contemplation of Mind, Ven. Ajahn Chah, Ubon Rajathani, Thailand: Bung Wai Forest Monastery, 1985, 20p. An article on the importance of meditation practice.(M#077)

Turning the Mind into an Ally, Sakyong Mipham, NY: Riverhead Books, 2003, 234p., 1-57322-345-x. Is the mind our enemy? It can be, suggests Shambhala International's director Mipham in his first book. The key to peaceful and sane living, says Mipham, is training our minds. Without that training, people live "at the mercy of our moods." Meditation is the tool that can help spiritual seekers master, rather than be mastered by, their own minds. This book blends a philosophically savvy explanation of why meditation is necessary with an accessible introduction to the basics of meditation. Mipham moves elegantly from the prosaic (how to sit with a straight spine) to the profound (why one should bravely contemplate illness, aging and death). Mipham's guide is distinguished by its intelligible prose and he does not drown his reader in jargon.(M#292)

Unentangled Knowing: Lessons in Training the Mind, Upasaka Kee Nanayon, , Kandy: BPS, 1995, 164p., (BP 515S), 955-24-145-3. The author, one of the foremost teachers of Dhamma in modern Thailand, is known for the simplicity of her way of life and for the direct, uncompromising style of her teachings. The teachings in this book deal with a wide range of issues in the training of the mind and heart.(M#219)

Way of Buddhist Meditation: Serenity and insight according to the Pali Canon, Kheminda Thera, [ Colombo, Sri Lanka], 1982, 2^nd ed., 93p. A manual of meditation, with numerous references to the suttas, that grew out of a series of articles.(M#080)

Way of Mindfulness: The Satipatthana Sutta and Its Commentary, Soma Thera, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia: WAVE, 1999, 6^th ed., 171p. A translation of the Satipatthana Sutta, the Discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, together with its classical commentaries. This handbook contains a wealth of essential source material for the practice of insight meditation.(M#168)

The Way to the Happiness of Peace: Understanding the Basics of Insight Meditation, Sayadaw U Pandita,  Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1997, 44p., (WH 441/442), 955-24-0220-4. One of Burma's outstanding contemporary meditation masters explains in simple and lucid language the basic steps to be taken in insight meditation. His instructions, which center around the four foundations of mindfulness, will be beneficial to both beginners and experienced meditators.(M#261)

What Is Meditation?: Buddhism for Everyone, Rob Nairn, Boston: Shambhala, 2000, 96p., 1-57062-715-0. Explains the Buddhist worldview and the age-old practice it perfected to unfold our innate qualities of compassion, self-acceptance, and inner peace. A well-qualified Western teacher gives step-by-step instructions for beginning your own meditation and includes three simple exercises: "bare attention", "remaining in the present", and "meditation using sound".(M#224)

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, Jon Kabat-Zinn, New York: Hyperion, 1994, 278p., 1-56282-769-3. Maps out a simple path for cultivating mindfulness in one's daily life.(M#115)

Wisdom Develops Samadhi, Ven. Acariya Phra Maha Boowa Nanasampanno, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: WAVE, 1983, 59p. A classic that also appears in the first part of the book entitled Forest Dhamma. One of the clearest and most concise introductions to the field of "meditation practice" that follows the well-tested path of: (a) moral behavior (sila), (b) the development of calm (samadhi), (c) wisdom (panna).(M#196)