A Tibetan Buddhist anthology of contemplative exercises for cultivating the innate yet undeveloped powers of mind, body and human emotion

Drawn from Tibet's rich contemplative literature, Buddhist Meditation offers classic exercises focused on the opportunities and challenges of life; cultivating inner calm; fostering a wider perspective on oneself in relationship to others; working with negative emotions; and the highest values of the Buddhist tradition, love and compassion.

Several dozen meditation instructions are collected in twelve chapters. All major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism are represented. The book is structured around 'foundation practices': practice manuals that immerse the reader in the search for meaningful, compassionate responses to the ubiquity of human suffering, and the contemplative techniques that translate that search into action.

Part existential philosophy, part ethics, part self-help program and part cosmology, the foundation exercises present a complete Buddhist picture of life, the ethical universe, and the first steps in making a positive impact in life for ourselves and others. These are steps anyone can begin to take by dedicating themselves to train in contemplative exercises.

Kurtis R. Schaeffer (Author, Introducer)
Kurtis R. Schaeffer is Frances Myers Ball Professor at the University of Virginia. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Life of the Buddha by Tenzin Chögyel (Penguin Classics 2015). He is co-director of the Religion, Race and Democracy Lab at the University of Virginia and co-host of the Sacred & Profane podcast. He is series editor of Lives of the Masters for Shambhala Publications.