Meditating Selflessly

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-20
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780262525190

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Meditating Selflessly by James H. Austin Pdf

A guide to Zen meditative practice informed by the latest findings in brain research. This is not the usual kind of self-help book. Indeed, its major premise heeds a Zen master's advice to be less self-centered. Yes, it is "one more book of words about Zen," as the author concedes, yet this book explains meditative practices from the perspective of a "neural Zen." The latest findings in brain research inform its suggestions. In Meditating Selflessly, James Austin—Zen practitioner, neurologist, and author of three acclaimed books on Zen and neuroscience—guides readers toward that open awareness already awaiting them on the cushion and in the natural world. Austin offers concrete advice—often in a simplified question-and-answer format—about different ways to meditate. He clarifies both the concentrative and receptive styles of meditation. Drawing widely from the exciting new field of contemplative neuroscience, Austin helps resolve an ancient paradox: why both insight wisdom and selflessness arise simultaneously during enlightened states of consciousness.

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 371 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2011-09-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780262260367

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Selfless Insight by James H. Austin Pdf

Attention, self-consciousness, insight, wisdom, emotional maturity: how Zen teachings can illuminate the way our brains function and vice-versa. When neurology researcher James Austin began Zen training, he found that his medical education was inadequate. During the past three decades, he has been at the cutting edge of both Zen and neuroscience, constantly discovering new examples of how these two large fields each illuminate the other. Now, in Selfless Insight, Austin arrives at a fresh synthesis, one that invokes the latest brain research to explain the basis for meditative states and clarifies what Zen awakening implies for our understanding of consciousness. Austin, author of the widely read Zen and the Brain, reminds us why Zen meditation is not only mindfully attentive but evolves to become increasingly selfless and intuitive. Meditators are gradually learning how to replace over-emotionality with calm, clear objective comprehension. In this new book, Austin discusses how meditation trains our attention, reprogramming it toward subtle forms of awareness that are more openly mindful. He explains how our maladaptive notions of self are rooted in interactive brain functions. And he describes how, after the extraordinary, deep states of kensho-satori strike off the roots of the self, a flash of transforming insight-wisdom leads toward ways of living more harmoniously and selflessly. Selfless Insight is the capstone to Austin's journey both as a creative neuroscientist and as a Zen practitioner. His quest has spanned an era of unprecedented progress in brain research and has helped define the exciting new field of contemplative neuroscience.

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : Mit Press
Page : 342 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0262012596

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Selfless Insight by James H. Austin Pdf

Attention, self-consciousness, insight, wisdom, emotional maturity: how Zen teachings can illuminate the way our brains function and vice-versa.

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 876 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 1999-06-04
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0262260352

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Zen and the Brain by James H. Austin Pdf

A neuroscientist and Zen practitioner interweaves the latest research on the brain with his personal narrative of Zen. Aldous Huxley called humankind's basic trend toward spiritual growth the "perennial philosophy." In the view of James Austin, the trend implies a "perennial psychophysiology"—because awakening, or enlightenment, occurs only when the human brain undergoes substantial changes. What are the peak experiences of enlightenment? How could these states profoundly enhance, and yet simplify, the workings of the brain? Zen and the Brain presents the latest evidence. In this book Zen Buddhism becomes the opening wedge for an extraordinarily wide-ranging exploration of consciousness. In order to understand which brain mechanisms produce Zen states, one needs some understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain. Austin, both a neurologist and a Zen practitioner, interweaves the most recent brain research with the personal narrative of his Zen experiences. The science is both inclusive and rigorous; the Zen sections are clear and evocative. Along the way, Austin examines such topics as similar states in other disciplines and religions, sleep and dreams, mental illness, consciousness-altering drugs, and the social consequences of the advanced stage of ongoing enlightenment.

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2016-11-04
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262035088

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Living Zen Remindfully by James H. Austin Pdf

In Conclusion -- 2 In Zen, What Does It Mean "To BeEnlightened"? -- 3 Developing Traits of Character on the Way to Altruism -- Cultural Estimates of Character, East and West -- What Can Zen Buddhism Offer Today? -- Native Capacities -- Altruism -- Recent Interviews with Contemporary Buddhist Teachers in the West -- Part II Implications of a Self-Other Continuum -- 4 The Self: A Primer -- The Semantics of Self -- Where Is the Self? -- Recent Studies of Our Normal Autobiographical Self: A Progress Report

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 905 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2018-08-02
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262352482

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Zen and the Brain: The James H. Austin Omnibus Edition (Meditating Selflessly, Zen-Brain Horizons, and Living Zen Remindfully) by James H. Austin Pdf

Three books on Zen and the brain by the celebrated Zen practitioner-neurologist James Austin. This compilation in digital form of three books by the celebrated Zen practitioner-neurologist James Austin offers concrete advice about various methods of meditation, provides timeless wisdom of Zen masters, integrates classical Buddhist literature with modern brain research, and explores mindfulness (and remindfulness) training. In these books, Austin clarifies the benefits of meditative training, guiding readers toward that open awareness awaiting them on the cushion and in the natural world. He discusses different types of meditation, meditation and problem-solving, and the meaning of enlightenment; addresses egocentrism (self-centeredness) and allocentrism (other-centeredness) and the blending of focal and global attention; and considers the illuminating confluence of Zen, clinical neurology, and neuroscience. He describes an everyday life of “living Zen” while drawing on the poetry of Basho, the seventeenth-century haiku master, and illuminates the world of authentic Zen training—the commitment to a process of regular, ongoing daily life practice that trains and enables us to unlearn unfruitful habits, develop more wholesome ones, and lead a more genuinely creative life.

Author : Laurence Freeman
Publisher : Burns & Oates
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 1997-12
Category : Meditation
ISBN : 082641091X

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The Selfless Self by Laurence Freeman Pdf

Many people today have a spiritual thirst and hunger for silence and for prayer that is as urgent in its way as the material needs of the world. Modern people need a way to return to this health, a way that must be new and old: a traditional way that meets people where they are. In The Selfless Self, Laurence Freeman looks at the essential elements of meditation: silence, stillness, simplicity. He expands on the power of meditation to transform the way in which we see our place and our responsibilities in the world and how it can help us to resist the pressure to conform to materialistic standards. As Freeman writes, "The wonderful thing about meditation, the spiritual journey into the cave of the heart, is that once we have taken each successive step of faith and the light has shone in that dark place, then that place is enlightened. Fear and the primal fear of death is transcended".

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 86 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2014-01-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780262318846

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On the Varieties of Attention, digital original edition by James H. Austin Pdf

During the past three decades, neurology researcher James Austin (author of Zen and the Brain) has been at the cutting edge of both Zen and neuroscience, constantly discovering new examples of how these two large fields each illuminate the other. In this BIT, Austin discusses how meditation trains our attention, reprogramming it toward subtle forms of awareness that are more openly mindful. He reveals many subtleties in our networks of attention. They enable us to direct attention voluntarily—from the top down—or reflexively—from the bottom up—and to focus it either internally or externally.

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 301 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2014-08-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780262027564

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Zen-Brain Horizons by James H. Austin Pdf

A neurologist and Zen practitioner clarifies the benefits of meditative training, drawing on classical Buddhist literature and modern brain research. In Zen-Brain Horizons, James Austin draws on his decades of experience as a neurologist and Zen practitioner to clarify the benefits of meditative training. Austin integrates classical Buddhist literature with modern brain research, exploring the horizons of a living, neural Zen. When viewed in the light of today, the timeless wisdom of some Zen masters seems almost to have anticipated recent research in the neurosciences. The keen attentiveness and awareness that we cultivate during meditative practices becomes the leading edge of our subsequent mental processing. Austin explains how our covert, involuntary functions can make crucial contributions to the subtle ways we learn, intuit, and engage in creative activities. He demonstrates why living Zen means much more than sitting quietly indoors on a cushion, and provides simplified advice that helps guide readers to the most important points.

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 615 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2010-09-24
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780262260374

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Zen-Brain Reflections by James H. Austin Pdf

A sequel to the popular Zen and the Brain further explores pivotal points of intersection in Zen Buddhism, neuroscience, and consciousness, arriving at a new synthesis of information from both neuroscience research and Zen studies. This sequel to the widely read Zen and the Brain continues James Austin's explorations into the key interrelationships between Zen Buddhism and brain research. In Zen-Brain Reflections, Austin, a clinical neurologist, researcher, and Zen practitioner, examines the evolving psychological processes and brain changes associated with the path of long-range meditative training. Austin draws not only on the latest neuroscience research and new neuroimaging studies but also on Zen literature and his personal experience with alternate states of consciousness. Zen-Brain Reflections takes up where the earlier book left off. It addresses such questions as: how do placebos and acupuncture change the brain? Can neuroimaging studies localize the sites where our notions of self arise? How can the latest brain imaging methods monitor meditators more effectively? How do long years of meditative training plus brief enlightened states produce pivotal transformations in the physiology of the brain? In many chapters testable hypotheses suggest ways to correlate normal brain functions and meditative training with the phenomena of extraordinary states of consciousness. After briefly introducing the topic of Zen and describing recent research into meditation, Austin reviews the latest studies on the amygdala, frontotemporal interactions, and paralimbic extensions of the limbic system. He then explores different states of consciousness, both the early superficial absorptions and the later, major "peak experiences." This discussion begins with the states called kensho and satori and includes a fresh analysis of their several different expressions of "oneness." He points beyond the still more advanced states toward that rare ongoing stage of enlightenment that is manifest as "sage wisdom." Finally, with reference to a delayed "moonlight" phase of kensho, Austin envisions novel links between migraines and metaphors, moonlight and mysticism. The Zen perspective on the self and consciousness is an ancient one. Readers will discover how relevant Zen is to the neurosciences, and how each field can illuminate the other.

Author : Ellen Jikai Birx
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2014-04-01
Category : Self-Help
ISBN : 9781614290940

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Selfless Love by Ellen Jikai Birx Pdf

Selfless Love shows how meditation can help us realize that we don’t love—we are love. Gentle, elegant, and radically inspiring, Selfless Love presents a holistic, experiential meditative path that enables us to see beyond our preconceived notions of identity, spirituality, and humanity. Drawing equally from Zen parables, her experience as a mental health therapist, and the Gospels, Ellen Birx shows us that through meditation we can recognize that our true selves are not selves at all - that all beings are united in unbounded, infinite awareness and love, beyond words. Recognizing the limitations of language in describing the indescribable, Birx concludes each chapter in the Zen tradition of "turning words" with a verse meant to invite insights.

Author : James H. Austin
Publisher : Mit Press
Page : 844 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 1999-01
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0262511096

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Zen and the Brain by James H. Austin Pdf

A neuroscientist and Zen practitioner interweaves the latest research on the brain with his personal narrative of Zen.

Author : Matthieu Ricard
Publisher : Hay House, Inc
Page : 200 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2010-09-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1401929354

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Why Meditate? by Matthieu Ricard Pdf

Why meditate? On what? And how? In his latest book Why Meditate?—an instant bestseller in the author’s native France—Matthieu Ricard aims to answer these very questions. As a molecular geneticist turned Buddhist monk, Ricard brings a wholly unique perspective to the practice of meditation. Often referred to as "the happiest man in the world," he advises us in the ways to imbue our lives with a true sense of serenity and fulfillment. In simple, clear language, Ricard walks readers through the theories and practicalities of meditation, demonstrating its many benefits in our modern world. He shows readers how to achieve emotional balance, enhance mindfulness, expand altruistic love, and develop a sense of inner calm; while also reducing anxiety, vulnerability to pain, and tendency toward depression and anger. This enlightening book conflates the spiritual with the scientific, the transcendent with the pragmatic, and the Western world with Eastern wisdom. No matter what point of view you approach it from—whether that of personal transformation or physical health—meditation emerges as a prominent part of leading a balanced life. In the accompanying 60-minute audio download, Ricard explores the concepts of freedom and self, expands on the benefits of meditation, and advises on the benefits of creating a regular meditative practice.

Author : Stuart Mackay
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 1994
Category : Meditation
ISBN : 0646213474

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Simply Meditation by Stuart Mackay Pdf

Author : Achaan Chah
Publisher : Quest Books
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2013-10-23
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780835630238

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A Still Forest Pool by Achaan Chah Pdf

Achaan Chah spent many years walking and meditating in the forest monastery of Wat Ba Pong, engaging in the uncomplicated and disciplined Buddhist practice called dhudanga. A Still Forest Pool reflects the quiet, intensive, and joyous practice of the forest monks of Thailand. Achaan Chah’s humble words, compiled by two Westerners who are former ordained monks, awaken the spirit of inquiry, wonderment, understanding, and deep inner peace. Attachment, according to Achaan Chah, causes all suffering. Understanding the impermanent, insecure, and selfless nature of life is the message he offers for human happiness and realization. To vividly grasp the meaning of attachment leads us to a new place of practice – the path of balance, the Middle Path.