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    Why Meditate?: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
    Why Meditate?: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
    Why Meditate?: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
    Ebook157 pages2 hours

    Why Meditate?: Working with Thoughts and Emotions

    By Matthieu Ricard

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    About this ebook

    Learn the Art of Meditation!

    Wherever he goes, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard is asked to explain what meditation is, how it is done, and what it can achieve.

    In this elegant, authoritative, and entirely accessible book, he sets out to answer these questions. Although meditation is a lifelong process even for the wisest, Why Meditate? demonstrates that by practicing it on a daily basis we can change our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. In this brilliant short book and the accompanying audio download, Ricard talks us through the theory, spirituality, and practical aspects of meditation. He illustrates each stage of his teaching with examples, leading readers deeper into their own practice.

    Through his experience as a monk, his close reading of sacred texts, and his deep knowledge of the Buddhist masters, Ricard shows the significant benefits that meditation, based on selfless love and compassion, can bring to each of us.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHay House LLC
    Release dateSep 1, 2010
    ISBN9781401929350
    Why Meditate?: Working with Thoughts and Emotions
    Author

    Matthieu Ricard

    Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who had a promising career in cellular genetics before leaving France to study Buddhism in the Himalayas thirty-five years ago. He is a bestselling author, translator and photographer, and an active participant in current scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. He lives and works on humanitarian projects in Tibet and Nepal. Happiness was published by Atlantic Books in 2007.

    Read more from Matthieu Ricard

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    • 5/5
      One very good down to earth book on the topic of meditation.

      It presents in simple, clear, and practical terminology the reasons for meditation.

      I have never seen this done before from a truly non religious point of view.

      It is truly unique, short, to the point, and practical.

      It preaches not at all.

    Book preview

    Why Meditate? - Matthieu Ricard

    Bonus eBook Content

    Thank you for purchasing the Why Meditate? eBook

    by Matthieu Ricard. This eBook includes a free audio download!

    To access this bonus content, please visit www.hayhouse.com/ebookdownloads

    and enter the Product ID and Download Codes as they appear below.

    For further assistance, please contact Hay House Customer Care by phone:

    US (800) 654-5126 or INTL CC+(760) 431-7695 or visit www.hayhouse.com/contact.php.

    Thank you again for your Hay House eBook purchase. Enjoy!

    Hay House, Inc. P.O. Box 5100 Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100 (800) 654-5126

    Praise for Why Meditate?

    "In this marvelous book, Matthieu Ricard articulates the

    Dharma in the very same way he embodies it in his life;

    that is, with profound clarity, goodwill, and humility.

    These qualities come through on every page and make the

    experience of reading and practicing with this elegant and

    deceptively simple primer on meditation tantamount to

    entering into and familiarizing oneself in an ever-deepening

    way with the landscape of one’s own truest self."

    — Jon Kabat-Zinn,author of Wherever You Go,

    There You Are and Coming to Our Senses

    "This is the book on meditation that I’ve been

    waiting for. Reading it has helped me hone my

    personal practice, and finally I have come across the

    perfect book to recommend to all those interested in

    meditation—newcomers and experts. Why Meditate?

    is clear, accessible, deep, and practical."

    — Tal Ben-Shahar, author of Happier

    "An excellent introduction to a practice that has

    calmed the mind for thousands of years. Profound

    concepts and essential instructions are explained with

    the utmost clarity. I highly recommend it!"

    — Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., director of Beck Institute

    for Cognitive Therapy and Research, clinical

    associate professor of psychology in psychiatry,

    University of Pennsylvania, past president,

    Academy of Cognitive Therapy

    "Why Meditate? is a clear and insightful guide to

    beginning a meditation practice, and to continuing one

    skillfully. Matthieu Ricard provides helpful and specific

    instruction along with an immense depth of understanding

    about happiness, suffering, and living a better life."

    — Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness

    and The Kindness Handbook

    "Writing as a true spiritual friend, Matthieu Ricard

    shares the wisdom he has gained from his four

    decades of spiritual training that clearly and succinctly

    presents what meditation is and how to practice it,

    step by step. This book is a treasure to be read

    with care and shared with those you love."

    — B. Alan Wallace, author of Mind in the Balance

    WHY MEDITATE?

    ALSO BY MATTHIEU RICARD

    Books

    HAPPINESS: A Guide to Developing

    Life’s Most Important Skill

    THE MONK AND THE PHILOSOPHER: A Father and Son

    Discuss the Meaning of Life (with Jean-François Revel)

    THE QUANTUM AND THE LOTUS: A Journey to the

    Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet

    (with Trinh Xuan Thuan)

    Text and Photographs

    BHUTAN: The Land of Serenity

    BUDDHIST HIMALAYAS

    (with Olivier and Danielle Föllmi)

    JOURNEY TO ENLIGHTENMENT: The Life and World

    of Khyentse Rinpoche, Spiritual Teacher from Tibet

    MONK DANCERS OF TIBET

    MOTIONLESS JOURNEY:

    From a Hermitage in the Himalayas

    TIBET: An Inner Journey

    Translations

    THE LIFE OF SHABKAR:

    The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin

    WHY MEDITATE?

    Matthieu Ricard

    Translated by Sherab Chödzin Kohn

    HAY HOUSE, INC.

    Carlsbad, California • New York City

    London • Sydney • Johannesburg

    Vancouver • Hong Kong • New Delhi

    Copyright © 2010 by Matthieu Ricard

    Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com • Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au • Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk • Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za • Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com • Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

    Design: Tricia Breidenthal • Illustration: Padmakara Archives

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use—other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews—without prior written permission of the publisher.

    The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

    First published in France in 2008 by NiL Éditions, Paris © Matthieu Ricard, 2008

               Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    Ricard, Matthieu.

     [Art de la méditation. English]

     Why meditate? / Matthieu Ricard ; translated by Sherab Chodzin Kohn.

     p. cm.

     Includes bibliographical references.

     ISBN 978-1-4019-2663-2 (tradepaper : alk. paper) 1. Meditation--

     Buddhism. 2. Buddhism--Doctrines. I. Chödzin, Sherab. II. Title.

     BQ5614.R5313 2010

     294.3’4435--dc22

     2010006721

    Tradepaper ISBN: 978-1-4019-2663-2

     14   13  12   11    7   6   5   4

     1st edition, September 2010

     4th edition, December 2011

     Printed in the United States of America

    CONTENTS

    Preface

    Part I: Why Meditate?

    A Lucid Assessment

    Part II: What to Meditate On

    Training the Mind

    Part III: How to Meditate

    Preliminary Instructions

    Turning the Mind Toward Meditation

    Mindfulness Meditation

    Inner Calm

    Meditations on Altruistic Love

    A Sublime Exchange

    Soothing Physical Pain

    Deeper Insight

    Dedicating the Fruits of Our Efforts

    Bringing Meditation and Everyday Life Together

    Acknowledgments

    Notes

    Bibliography

    About the Author

    About Karuna-Shechen

    PREFACE

    Why this little book on meditation? For 40 years I have had the good fortune to study with authentic spiritual masters who inspired me and illuminated my path in life. Their precious instructions have guided my actions. I am not a teacher—I remain more than ever a student—but in the course of my travels around the world, I have frequently met people who have shared with me their wish to learn to meditate. I have tried to the best of my ability to direct them to qualified teachers, but this has not always been possible. So it is for all those people who have a sincere desire to meditate that I have collected these instructions, drawn from authentic Buddhist sources, into book form.

    The real significance of meditation is inner transformation through training the mind, which is a really inspiring adventure. The exercises you will find here are taken from a tradition that is more than 2,000 years old. It is best to explore them gradually, but you may also practice them independently of each other, whether you devote only 30 minutes a day to meditation or practice more intensively in the undisturbed environment of a retreat.

    As for my personal history, I had the tremendous good fortune of meeting my spiritual master, Kangyur Rinpoche, in 1967 near Darjeeling in India. I owe him whatever goodness there is in my life. After his death in 1975, I spent several years in retreat in a small wooden hut built on stilts in the forest above his monastery. For a period of 12 years, starting in 1979, I had the privilege of living in the presence of the great master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and receiving his teachings. Since 1991, when he departed this world, I have often stayed in retreat in a small mountain hermitage in Nepal, a few hours away from Kathmandu, in a contemplative center founded by the Shechen Monastery, where I usually reside. These periods of retreat have without a doubt been among the most fertile times of my life.

    Over the course of the last ten years, I have also participated in several scientific research programs intended to document the long-term effects of meditation practice on the brain and on behavior. This research has shown that it is possible to make significant progress in developing qualities such as attention, emotional balance, altruism, and inner peace. Other studies have also demonstrated the benefits of meditating for 20 minutes a day for a period of six to eight weeks. These benefits include a decrease in anxiety, in vulnerability to pain, and in the tendency toward depression and anger, as well as strengthening the power of attention, boosting the immune system, and increasing one’s general well-being. Thus, no matter what point of view you approach it from—whether that of personal transformation, the development of altruistic love, or physical health—meditation emerges as a factor essential for leading a balanced life, rich in meaning.

    It is a pity to underestimate the capacity we have to transform our minds. Each of us possesses the potential needed to free ourselves from the mental states that perpetuate our own suffering and that of others—the potential to find inner peace for ourselves and contribute to the happiness of all beings.

    Part I

    WHY

    MEDITATE?

    A LUCID

    ASSESSMENT

    Take an honest look at yourself. Where are you in your life? What have your priorities been up till now and what do you intend doing with the time you have left?

    We are a mixture of light and shadow, of good qualities and defects. Are we really the best we can be? Must we remain as we are now? If not, what can we do to improve ourselves? These are questions worth asking, particularly if we have come to the conclusion that change is both desirable and possible.

    In our modern world, we are consumed from morning till night with endless activity. We do not have much time or energy left over to consider the basic causes of our happiness or suffering. We imagine, more or less consciously, that if we undertake more activities we will have more intense experiences and therefore our sense of dissatisfaction will fade away. But the truth is that many of us continue to feel let down and frustrated by our contemporary lifestyle.

    The aim of meditation is to transform the mind. It does not have to be associated with any particular religion. Every one of us has a mind and every one of us can work on it.

    IS CHANGE DESIRABLE?

    Very few people would say that there is nothing worth improving about the

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