An Authentic Guide to Meditation

My hope of this book is to guide you to finding a type of meditation that will “bring you home” whenever you choose - to a space of calm clarity in which you will find peace and restore your energy or from which you can effectively engage in the world. Yet above all, I hope this book can serve as a “bridge” to enlightenment, whether you are following a Buddhist path or any other authentic spiritual tradition. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART ONE - THE PRELIMINARIES Why is it Important to Meditate? What is Meditation? Overview of the Meditation Path Choosing a Meditation Object Creating the Right Environment PART TWO - THE BREATH AS AN OBJECT AND THE STAGES OF MEDITATION Mindfulness of the Present Moment with the Breath Getting the Mind on the Meditation Object (Like a Waterfall Cascading over Rocks) Keeping the Mind on the Meditation Object (Becoming like a River Flowing through a Gorge) Fine Tuning the Mind (Like a River Flowing Slowly through a Valley) Unifying the Mind (Like