replaced by THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES
Boundless Heart presents a unique interweaving of teachings on the Four Immeasurables and instruction on quiescence, or shamatha, meditation practices. Alan Wallace's teachings on the Four Immeasurables are based on Buddhaghosa's Path of Purification and address the cultivation of loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, and empathetic joy. It is a rich suite of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others.
On these foundational practices of Theravada Buddhism, Alan brings to bear the insights and approaches of the Tibetan tradition. Juxtaposed with the Four Immeasurables, he presents teachings on shamatha meditation practice to empower the mind and render it "fit for service." His meditation instructions provide the steps for the complete achievement of shamatha.
This book is based on teachings given during a week-long retreat at a remote and beautiful site in the Eastern Sierras, and in its tone we experience the intimacy and focus of the setting. In addition to Alan's unique style of presentation, blending vivid story-telling with incisive analysis, the book includes both guided meditations and lively discussions in which the participants grapple with the implications of these teachings for their own lives.

Boundless Heart , B. Alan Wallace, Snow Lion Publications, Paperback, 183 pages, $14.95

B. Alan Wallace trained for many years as a monk in Buddhist monasteries in India and Switzerland. He has taught Buddhist theory and practice in Europe and America since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including H.H. the Dalai Lama. After graduating summa cum laude from Amherst College, where he studied physics and the philosophy of science, he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Religious Studies at Stanford University. He has edited, translated, authored, and contributed to more than thirty books on Tibetan Buddhist medicine, language, and culture, and the interface between science and religion.

Preface

1 Introduction
Why Practice?
The Foundation of Ethics
The Affirmation of Intuitive Wisdom
A Meditation on the Jewel in the Lotus: OM MANI PADME HUM
Questions and Responses: On Ethics and the Sequence of Practice

2 Entering Samatha Practice
Beginning the Meditation
Relaxation, Stability, and Vividness
Questions and Responses: On Breath Awareness
The Mastery of Attention: Mindfulness and Introspection
Samatha as a Catalyst for Mental Events
Dealing with Problems in Samatha Practice

3 The Path to Samatha: An Overview
The Nine Stages of the Path to Samatha
The Achievement of Samatha
The Prerequisites for Achieving Samatha
Five Obstructions to Progress in Samatha
The Five Factors of Stabilization
On the Choice of an Object in Samatha Practice
Questions and Responses: On Achieving Samatha
Beyond Samatha

4 Loving-Kindness
Meditation: Loving-Kindness for Oneself
Extending the Practice of Loving-Kindness
The Advantages of a Lay Person in the Practice of Loving-Kindness
Loving-Kindness for One's Enemies
The Problem of Righteous Anger
Passion and Patience in Response to the Sources of Suffering
Finding a Lovable Quality
Confusing Attachment with Loving-Kindness
Questions and Responses: Enemies and Insight
The Attainment of Samatha in Loving-Kindness

5 Compassion
Questions and Responses: Catharsis, Logic,and Compassion
Compassion for a Suffering Person: Meditation
Extending the Meditation on Compassion
Intrusiveness in the Practice of Compassion
Meditation on Avalokitesvara, the Embodiment of Compassion

6 Empathetic Joy
Rejoicing in Others' Happiness
Rejoicing in Virtue

7 Equanimity
Equanimity in Theravada Buddhism
Equanimity in Tibetan Buddhism
Questions and Responses: On Distinguishing Attachment from Affection

8 The Empowerment of Insight
From Insight to an Unmediated Experience of the Ultimate
Questions and Responses: The Urgency and Rarity of Spiritual Awakening

Notes