Matteo (Matthew) Pistono is a writer, teacher of meditation, and student of engaged Buddhism. He is the author of Roar: Sulak Sivaraksa and the Path of Socially Engaged Buddhism (forthcoming 2018), Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Tert�n Sogyal (Hay House, 2014) and In the Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet (Dutton Penguin, 2011), and has written about Tibetan, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian cultural, political, and spiritual landscapes for a number of outlets including The Washington Post, Global Post, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, Lions Roar, BBC's In Pictures, Mens Journal, Kyoto Journal, and Himal Southasian.
List of practices and guided meditations xiii
Introduction xv
Chapter 1 An auspicious beginning 1
Why meditate? 3
Cultivating the mind 4
A meditator's toolbox 6
Where to begin? 9
"Good in the beginning" 12
Chapter 2 Cultivating stillness and comfort 17
Connecting body and mind through body scanning 18
Alertness in our meditation posture 23
The breath, our companion on the path of meditation 34
What to do with all of these thoughts? 39
Being kind to ourselves 43
Eight tips for establishing a daily meditation practice 45
Chapter 3 Discerning reality 51
Focusing on the present moment 52
Stillness, silence, and awareness 56
Attention, vigilance, and spaciousness 58
Mindfulness is only part of the story 60
Chapter 4 Opening completely to our world 67
The objects of our five senses 68
What is awareness? 74
Transforming distraction into meditation 78
How to deal with strong emotions and 'experiences' during meditation 85
"What if I feel bodily pain when I meditate?" 89
Caution! How not to become an escape artist from your life 92
Chapter 5 Integrating meditation into everyday life 95
Develop an interest in meditation 95
The spontaneous and informal session 97
Walking meditation 99
Falling asleep 103
Drinking and eating like the Buddha 106
Chapter 6 Working within our mind 113
A map of distraction: the Eight Consciousnesses 120
The Dalai Lama's sandals 128
Advice on gaining flexibility, stability, and ease in your meditation posture 131
Chapter 7 Meditation, contemplation, and thinking 135
Complementary practices 136
Expanding into the ever-changing present 139
Go outside! 144
Finding space in life 148
Chapter 8 Focus, friends, and teachers 155
Focus 155
Spiritual friends 156
Teachers 157
Make a plan for your meditation practice 161
Consistency is the key 163
The ripple effect 165
Further reading 167
Index 169
About the author 190
