Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions

Matthieu Ricard is a well-known Buddhist monk. Son of the famous French philosopher Jean-François Revel, Ricard was a dedicated student of biology when he became interested in Buddhism at age 21 during a sojourn in Darjeeling, India. Subsequent visits culminated in his conversion to Buddhism, but at the request of his mentor, Kangyur Rinpoche, he went back to Paris to finish his PhD in molecular biology in 1971 at the Institut Pasteur, under the guidance of the Nobel prize winner Jacques Monod. Because of his interest in science and Buddhism, he became an active participant in a series of gatherings called the Mind and Life Institute, a dialogue forum between the Dalai Lama and Western scientists. Ricard joined these dialogues in 2000 at their eighth meeting and had the opportunity to meet such prominent scientists as Daniel Goleman, Paul Ekman and Richard J. Davidson. Davidson was studying several emotional states such as joy, happiness, enthusiasm, and compassion from a neurological perspective. Davidson and his colleagues were the first to study meditation using modern scanning technologies (functional magnetic resonance imaging -fMRI and electroencephalograms -EEG) at the University of Wisconsin.Ricard's book, Why Meditate? is a succinct but comprehensive introduction to the subject. "Meditation is a matter not of theory but of practice, just as it does not satisfy your hunger to read a restaurant menu if you are not going to eat something from it," he states. Ricard starts with the idea that meditation, like any other training requires to be practiced to see results. In support of this idea he reminds us that modern neuroscience talks about neuroplasticity and neurogenesis and finds that meditation produces anatomical effects in the brain. After talking about why to meditate and what to meditate about Ricard concentrates on a series of simple but effective techniques for achieving a mindfulness meditation, a state that consists of "full awareness of everything that arises within and around us from moment to moment - awareness of everything we see, hear, feel and think." To achieve such awareness Ricard summarizes various Buddhist devices such as concentration with or without an object, means to overcome obstacles, nine key methods for cultivating attention, and finally he makes a remarkable presentation of meditating on altruistic love as a way to achieve joy in the happiness of others. The book includes a 60-minute CD where Ricard presents the main points of the book in a clear language.One of the interesting sections of the book is how meditation can help to deal with physical pain. Medical literature is increasingly giving importance to the role of placebos as part of healing. Placebos are effective because they create the expectancy that an inert substance will have a similar effect as the real drug and the brain is then ready to deal with it. But here, Ricard is going beyond that scheme; he rather suggests that we have to accept the pain and give it a particular meaning. We should observe the pain mindfully, by using mental imagery, and to try to transform the pain by awakening love and compassion: "Filled now with altruistic love, you stop asking yourself bitterly, "Why me?" but rejoice that someone else has been spared that suffering." In one of the final chapters, Ricard deals with a fascinating subject, the mind observing the mind. From his observations as a scientist familiar with modern neuroscience and as a Buddhist monk with more than 35 years of experience meditating, he brings fascinating insights about the nature of the mind, and particularly, how to deal with emotions such as anger and anxiety.This book is a good illustration about how close are Buddhism and the classical yoga tradition in relation to the role of meditation as a tool to achieve deep personal transformation.

The media could not be loaded.  "Over the course of the last ten years, I have also participated in several research programs intended to document the long-term effects of meditation practice on the brain and on behavior. This research has shown that it is possible to make significant progress in developing qualities such as attention, emotional balance, altruism, and inner peace. Other studies have also demonstrated the benefits of meditating for 20 minutes a day for a period of six to eight weeks. These benefits include a decrease in anxiety, in vulnerability from pain, and in the tendency toward depression and anger, as well as strengthening the power of attention, boosting the immune system, and increasing one's general well-being. Thus, no matter what point of view you approach it from--whether that of personal transformation, the development of altruistic love, or physical health--meditation emerges as a factor essential for leading a balanced life, rich in meaning."~ Matthieu Ricard from Why Meditate?Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who left a promising career in cellular genetics before leaving France to study Buddhism in the Himalayas over 37 years ago. Actively involved in the research on mindfulness and dubbed the happiest person in the world by various publications, he's an ideal guide to helping us get our meditation on.And, this book is PACKED with Big Ideas.If you're looking for a quick-reading "Why to?" and "How to?" on meditation (with an emphasis on some of the spiritual dimensions), it's definitely a good choice.The ultimate reason for meditating is to transform ourselves in order to be better able to transform the world. To put it another way, we transform ourselves so that we can become better human beings and serve others in a wiser and more effective way. Meditation thus gives our life the noblest possible meaning.Let's take a peek at some of my favorites Big Ideas:1. The Ultimate Reason - Transform ourselves to serve.2. Calmness, Kindness - And neuroplasticity.3. Sitting with Dignity - And Living with it.4. Mindfulness Muscles - Time to work `em out.5. Little by Little - That's the way to roll.Let's realize it's all about the consistency over the intensity and not be heroes at the beginning who run out the back door, mmmmk? :)

This is a wonderful book with step by step instructions on how to meditate and incorporate meditation into your daily life. It teaches you that through meditation transcendence can be achieved and this enables you to become more aware of the world around you.The topics covered are kindness, forgiveness altruism and many more and through regular mediation these qualities can be expanded to benefit the whole world.I keep it with me all the time so I can reflect on the words within this lovely little book

love it!

good

Lovely book with very useful tips.

This book is the heart of a man, Matthieu Ricard, so humble and humane in a dignified way.In addition to giving instructions for quietism, readers are guided in creating an active knowing based on discursive meditation.This book is an intimate instruction that provides any person who wants to meditate regularly the tools of calming, objects/methods they will need to get their mindfulness back, and the traditional development of discursive meditations of altruistic love, exchange, stopping identification with defiled emotion, and bringing daily life and practice together. A sublime interchange of ideas and inspiration.Matthieu backs you up the whole way. This is the only reference one needs in their shed. Completely simple and easy to understand, and to put into action.Astounding breadth of narrative in a friendly conversation manner. "Why Meditate" requires readers to just try it and see.Whether you are Buddhist, Catholic, Agnostic, or Jew, I recommend you buy this book.