Summary of Henepola Gunaratana's Mindfulness in Plain English

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Meditation takes gumption. It is difficult and takes time. It also takes energy and determination. It requires a host of personal qualities that we normally try to avoid. But meditation takes these things and uses them to overcome our inherent unsatisfactoriness.

#2 The essence of our experience is change. Change is incessant. Moment by moment, life flows by and it is never the same. We try to stick each perception into one of three mental pigeon holes: good, bad, or neutral. Then, according to which box we stick it in, we perceive with a set of fixed habitual mental responses.

#3 The Buddha said that life is suffering. Sounds bleak, doesn’t it. It is not, though. It is actually a lovely way to perceive the world. It is a learnable skill, not easy but possible.

#4 The goal of human existence is happiness. We are seeking it in many different ways, from food, wealth, sex, entertainment, and respect. But the truth is that we are not really after these superficial goals. We are after the feeling of relief that comes when the drive is satisfied.

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E-kirja: 5. kesäkuuta 2022