When you are ready, you grab the right book.
I bought this book one or two years ago when trying to learn more about meditation, as it was highly recommended. I read it somewhat and left it on the shelf. I was more looking into the energetic side of things back then and the book seemed not to offer much.
Everything moves in circles and cycles it seems.
I returned to this book, and found it now to be a compendium of enormous wisdom. Goldstein unfolds from a simple basic practice of awareness how it touches on everything and ties into all parts of your life. He brings the concept of awareness alive and shows how it works in meditation and beyond.
I know authors who describe the technicalities of meditation and states. That describe deep and peak experiences along the road and talk about higher states and enlightenment a lot. Goldstein's approach is different, he is a gentle and compassionate helper along the road. He seems to be perfectly suited for people who try to hard instead of accepting and letting go. People beating themselves up and always aiming for the highest goal - perfectionists - will find a wise friend in Goldstein, who shows you the seemingly small baby steps of getting there.
He shows how the judging mind can sabotage you even when your mind is set on doing things. He shows you how to be compassionate and gentle to yourself, how to lower expectations in order to truly excel at finding peace. How to let go of things even like failure to be aware. Working yourself up about how you failed to concentrate only feeds thought and agitation. Goldstein shows in gentle words how to relax into that situation and allow yourself to be human, which includes imperfection, errors and past mistakes.
He shows that the past is immaterial, that this moment is always the right moment for a change.
Also this books contains very interesting interpretations of karma and enlightenment, anecdotes of many kinds, including of the author's experience, about his teachers and teachings of the Buddha.
Even for Non-Buddhists as myself this is a very profound read about meditation, relating mindfully to your life and how to gently change within to come to peace.
Oliver
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