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Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume 1  By  cover art

Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume 1

By: Joseph Goldstein
Narrated by: Joseph Goldstein
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Publisher's summary

In the words of the Buddha, the four foundations of mindfulness (the four satipatthanas) are "the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha (suffering) and discontent, for acquiring the true method, for the realization of Nibbana." Within the quintessential discourse called the Satipatthana Sutta, we find the Buddha's seminal teachings about the practice of meditation.

On Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume I: The Body, esteemed teacher and author Joseph Goldstein presents an audio curriculum to reveal the deeper insights of this vital sutta - and how it serves to inform and guide your own daily practice.

Goldstein sets the stage for your journey through the sutta by clarifying the Buddha's initial declaration of the "direct path" to awakening that is its promise. Through the wisdom of Buddhist masters of ancient and modern times and the expertise of his own 40-year study and practice, he shares the subtle nuances of each key term derived from the original Pali. Where do you find the ardency to sustain and balance your efforts along the path? How do you cultivate the breadth of mindfulness that makes any spiritual undertaking possible? What strengthens your perception of impermanence - both internally and externally?

With Goldstein's lucid instruction, you will discover a wellspring of profound revelations to revitalize and mature your practice, and help you bring forth its fruits in every area of your life.

Course objectives:

  • Explore the four abidings of mindfulness, or qualities of mind, as the direct path for awakening
  • Observe the three kinds of cravings and desires, and how they manifest
  • Analyze how mindfulness of the body is the first foundation of mindfulness as taught by the Buddha
  • Discuss the ways of clearly knowing and the four basic qualities of matter in relationship to the relative (objective or conceptual) and the ultimate (subjective or direct) levels of experience or truth

On Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume I: The Body, Goldstein introduces you to the first satipatthana, the domain of the body. Here, you will learn the cornerstone techniques for successful meditation practice, as taught by the Buddha himself.

From appropriate places and postures for practice to clear comprehension of all aspects of the body to the elements and energies that make up our physical form, Goldstein brings you to the threshold of the "ultimate truth" of our bodies.

©2012 Joseph Goldstein (P)2012 Sounds True

What listeners say about Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume 1

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Not for beginners

Any additional comments?

This is a review of the three "books" in this trilogy by J. Goldstein. What you have is a set of more then 40 lectures that take you step by step through the Satipatthana Sutta. Some focused lectures, analyze just a few words. Each lecture is 45-60 minutes long, and the audience for these lectures are students of meditation (mostly Vipassana meditation I think), some taking 7 day retreats and some 90 days. The material is at times very personal and advanced, and seems intended for students that have practiced at least 1-4 years. These lectures occurred over 3-4 years, and there is a mild amount of repetition of stories and examples in them. I did not find this repetition straining, as I listened to these lectures over a slow 4-6 month period and have revisited them. If you do not already have some experience in meditation, and practice, then much of what the lectures are about may not make sense to you. These lectures do not seem to me a place to start your study, but a place to deepen it. So if you are a beginner, put these three "book" in your wish list. Then take a class and practice for 1-4 years. A better book for beginners might be "the art of living" by W. Hart or any of the books by Pema Chodron. I am profoundly thankful the author and the group of students that made this amazing trilogy possible.

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85 people found this helpful

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I have nothing but positive things to say except..

That the first track is actually from the 6th lecture I believe, before the actual series begins on track 2.

And, well, that's not really a negative thing to say, right? Just a shout-out for a little IT intervention, I suppose.

Regardless, Joseph Goldstein should be a core component to your Buddhist lecture library in that he strikes the balance between very technical and very loving/open with a sincerity that you can appreciate - if you are ok with slow paced, careful formulations of words.

Probably not for those seeking fast injections of mental calm and assurances from Deepak Chopra, Dr Phil, or Eckhart Tolle.

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missing first 5 sessions

The recording is missing the first 5 sessions. I returned it for a refund. I hope this problem is corrected.

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Life Changing

What did you love best about Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume 1?

The lessens are great; engaging and peaceful. I listen to them over and over.

Any additional comments?

Note: The audio starts on Sesson 6 then proceeds to Sesson 1. If you don't mind, then it doesn't matter...

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Peaceful (and informative) Abiding

What did you love best about Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume 1?

It is, as another reviewer pointed out, not for absolute beginners. It is a series of dharma talks by Joseph Goldstein, a prominent vipassana teacher renowned for his work in the West.

What other book might you compare Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume 1 to and why?

Roots of Buddhist Psychology by Jack Kornfield, which is also a series of talks on Buddhism.

What does Joseph Goldstein bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A sense of peace, and experience. He is a teacher, and verbal transmission just seems to work better.

What did you learn from Abiding in Mindfulness, Volume 1 that you would use in your daily life?

Being aware, being present, being compassionate.

Any additional comments?

A few earlier comments indicated that track 6 was out of place - this has been fixed and the audio plays very well.

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Expansion of Ideas

Essentially, this is a lecture series recorded live in front of a group, covering the basic ideas of Buddhism. At my current level, I can only imagine what the well-versed would get out of this. I've only recently really started expanding my understanding of Buddhism as part of my continuing education on the religions of the world, and I found this easy to grasp but still difficult to fully appreciate. I think that's more the nature of the teachings, however, that understanding will unfold in time with practice and repeat exposure. I found the expansion of the ideas presented to be of immense value. To my mind, this might be as easy as it gets, if one can truly say such a thing of this system.

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Great teaching communicated eloquently

The author does an amazing job communicating the Dharma in way that brings the teachings to life for the listener.

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6 people found this helpful

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Excellent

Great help for practice. Excellent and clear narration. As a beginner in the practice I found it refreshing that I could follow the narration and the teachings

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For Religious Buddhists.

In Buddhist literature, some books can be too caught up in detail, exactitude and meticulousness to be meaningful teachings. Some are too easy-breezy and new-age without weightiness, and like Buddhism itself, what we look for is the middle way in a teacher.

Joseph Goldstein is a respected teacher, and I have enjoyed some of his previous works and his guided meditations. What I was looking for here was some advanced dharma talks to listen to between my own sitting meditations.

The opening lecture consists of gleaning the meaning from small snippets of Buddhist scripture. Goldstein is basing it on a book he read ... the work of a German scholar and monk based in Sri Lanka. This scholar has a different shading to the meanings of some of the original Pali words. One of the words that Joseph Goldstein spends almost an hour on in the first lecture is 'ardent'.

Now, I don't know how good that German monks English is, nor how good his ancient Pali is. To me, for this lecture to mean anything, you have to accept that these are the actual words of Gautama Buddha, that Gautama Buddhas words are somehow inspired and inerrant (in the way some Christians believe the Bible to be inspired), that the German scholar has the Pali right, that he has the English right, and then that you trust in your mind that you know what 'ardent' means, and that you care about any of this.

The subsequent lectures do improve over the first, but were still pedantic for my tastes, and not the sort of thing that I was looking for. I will not buy the follow ups. Maybe I am listening to them wrong, though. I am literally sitting cross legged on a cushion with it playing after a meditation session in silence with my eyes closed, and planning to continue with another meditation session immediately afterwards with the lecture in mind. I find it really hard to care about the literal words from scripture in this relaxed state. It is perhaps better listened to in your car like I might with other audio books.

For me, this series of lectures is not that middle way. This is for seriously religious Buddhists more than seekers looking to deepen their mindfulness practice.

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Thank You so much!

I have all three in this series and keep coming back to them. The best teachings on meditation and Buddhism I have found to date, and I have quite a collection now. Yes, they are longer recordings, but an excellent investment of time. Thanks again.

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