The Mindfulness in Plain English Collection {Book Review}

The Mindfulness in Plain English Collection shows the simple, elegant and refined approach of Buddhist practice without the need for icons, rituals, elaborate mantra and prayers and makes it perfectly honest.

By Ty H. Phillips

What is mindfulness?

What is the truth behind this trending word and movement? Bhante Guranatana has been a leading and pioneering voice for decades on what this truly is and means. His series of writings, presented in the collection tomb, Mindfulness in Plain English Collection is the answer to prayers for many a curious onlooker who is scared away or just plain turned off by all the cultural Buddhism books currently flooding the market.

While the title explains a lot, this is no drab text. It is an elegant and powerful read yet astonishingly approachable. His writing and teachings are open, humorous and straight to the point. This is what mindfulness really is. It is a look into what has been sadly secularized and stripped of all meaning in modern America in order to churn a profit.

It is the heart of the practice of Vipassana and Buddhist morality without cultural flooding.

Bhante Guranatana’s work has been an influence around the world in both the Theravada and Mahayana circles, and outside of Ajahn Chah, there is probably no more influential voice that came from the Theravada tradition. His work should be a must have for devout practitioners and curious onlookers who want to start the path or have a better understanding of Buddhism and meditation.

Guranatana’s sense of warmth and openness place him beside the great teachers of our time like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh.

The Mindfulness in Plain English Collection shows the simple, elegant and refined approach of Buddhist practice without the need for icons, rituals, elaborate mantra and prayers and makes it perfectly honest. While stripped of all cultural trappings, it is not lacking in any of the truth of the dharma. It is not gentrified, boardroom mindfulness. It is pure teaching in its absolute raw form.

While many of us enjoy a flavorful frappuccino, two pump, low fat, cinnamon swirl grande whatever it is,  the base of it all is black coffee. This teaching is the coffee.

Make great use of it. Absorb it. Make the foundation of stone and the house will stand. This is your stone foundation and it is absolutely not to be missed.

Photo: Wisdom Publications

Editor: Dana Gornall

Did you like this post? You might also like: