A course in the Buddhist practice of the brahma viharas, or "heavenly abodes". Detailed instructions from the Buddhist tradition in cultivating mindfulness, presented by a prominent Insight Meditation teacher.

Compassion, kindness, equanimity, and joy are not only the fruits of the awakened life but also the path to it: attitudes of mind that can be cultivated by anyone willing to set the intention for doing so. Christina Feldman shows how these ennobling qualities - known in Buddhism as the brahma viharas (sublime abodes) or the Four Immeasurables - are far more than simply the "feel-good" states they are sometimes mistaken for. If we pursue them sincerely as spiritual practice, they work together, complementing and enhancing each other, to lead us to the kind of awakening that we are compelled to share with others. Thus through the practice of the brahma viharas, we can become participants in the healing and liberation of our world.

Boundless Heart: The Buddha's Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity, Christina Feldman, Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 2017, 160 pages, $16.95

Christina Feldman is of the generation of dharma teachers that began teaching in the west in 1975 after spending some years in Asia studying and practice in both the Mahayana and Therevadan traditions. She is a co-founder of Gaia House and has served as a guiding teacher of IMS since its early days. She is the founder of the Women�s retreat and the family retreat at IMS. More recently, she is a co-founder of Bodhi-College, which is dedicated to the study and practice of the early teachings of the Buddha. She teaches Buddhist psychology in several university settings in Europe, and she teaches both traditional retreats and study programs. She has been involved in the evolving exploration of mindfulness in contemporary settings. Her latest book is Boundless Heart: The Buddha's Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity.In June 2019, Guilford Press will be publish her next book, Mindfulness: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Psychology, co-authored with Willem Kukyen. She lives in England and is a mother and a grandmother.