Bear Awareness: Questions and Answers on Taming Your Wild MindThe bestselling author of Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? and one of the world’s most beloved Buddhist monks answers meditators’ questions. In Bear Awareness English monk Ajahn Brahm answers actual questions from his meditation students––questions you may have had as well. While most mindfulness meditation teachers praise the benefits of bare awareness, he teaches bear awareness. He helps us make friends with the scary things that come up on the cushion, and he knows how to lift the mood with a well-placed stuffed teddy––or a well-timed pun. The intimacy of the question-and-answer format provides a fresh experience of learning from a master meditator. Whether he is urging readers to fly Buddha Air (sit back and relax on your way to nirvana), giving tips for dealing with panic attacks or depression, or extolling the bliss of meditation that is better than sex, he gives us permission to enjoy our lives and our practice. |
Contents
1 The Hahayana Approach to Meditation | 1 |
2 Bear Awareness | 19 |
3 Waiting for a Painless Butt | 33 |
4 Flying Buddha Air | 51 |
5 Everyday Kindfulness | 73 |
6 Beyond the Incense Smoke | 99 |
7 Dhamma and Greg | 125 |
Abbreviations | 150 |
Terms Explained | 151 |
About Ajahn Brahm | 159 |
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Common terms and phrases
abbot afraid Ajahn Brahm Ajahn Chah anagarika anattā anymore arahant ariyas aware bad kamma Bāhiya beautiful become enlightened bhikkhunī bliss Bodhinyana Monastery body brahmavihāras brain Buddha Buddhist can’t chanting deep meditation deva Dhamma disappear disciples dung eightfold path energy enjoy everything fear feel five precepts forest give grumpy happens happy heaven heavenly jhāna kamma keep kids kill kind let go live look loving-kindness means mettā mind mistakes monastic monk mother negative never nibbāna Nikāya nimitta nuns once pain past peace person Perth precepts realize realm rebirth reborn relax remember retreat samādhi Sangha sense sitting sleep someone Sometimes stop story stream-winner stuff stupid suffering suttas talk teaching teddy bear tell temple Thai Thailand there’s things thought tion told vipassanā walking meditation Wat Bovorn Wat Saket what’s wonderful words you’re you’ve