Genuine Happiness

B. Alan Wallace

Description

Discover your personal path to bliss

"This book will give anyone interested in the spectrum of core meditative practices stemming from the Buddhist tradition but in essence universal the deepest of perspectives on what is possible for us as human beings as well as excellent guidance in the essential, time-tested attitudes and practices for actualizing our innate capacity for wisdom, compassion, and well-being, right here and right now."
—Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses and Full Catastrophe Living

"In Genuine Happiness, Alan Wallace displays his rare talent in boiling down the complex to the clear and in guiding readers through a practical path to contentment. A gift for all moods and seasons."
—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

"This lucid and rich book offers brillant, wise, and accessible teachings on the essentials of four core meditation techniques that lead one to genuine joy and happiness. Alan Wallace's years of practice and teaching shine through every page, as with ease and great humanity, he brings to the reader the possibility of liberation."
—Joan Halifax Roshi, abbot of Upaya Zen Center

"Genuine Happiness is a treasure chest of wisdom: clear, inspiring teaching jewels. It is an excellent support for any student of meditation."
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience

In today's overstimulated world, many are realizing that happiness gained through material wealth and frivolous conquests is short-lived. To achieve long-term happiness, you must access your own bountiful resources—housed in your heart and mind. In Genuine Happiness, longtime Buddhist practitioner Alan Wallace shows you the path to bliss.

Drawing on more than three decades of study under His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sixty other teachers, as well as 2,500 years of Buddhist tradition, Alan Wallace guides you step by step through five simple yet powerful meditations to help you focus your mind and open your heart to true happiness. Featuring a Foreword by the Dalai Lama, this book will help you discover that it is possible to experience genuine happiness every day.

As you incorporate the meditations from Genuine Happiness into your life, you will discover that the joy you've sought has always been only a few meditative minutes away.
FOREWORD BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Introduction.

PART ONE: Refining the Attention.

1. Mindfulness of Breathing.

2. Settling the Mind in Its Natural State.

3. The Awareness of Being Aware.

PART TWO: Insight through Mindfulness.

4. Mindfulness of the Body.

5. Mindfulness of the Feelings.

6. Mindfulness of the Mind.

7. Mindfulness of Phenomena.

PART THREE: Cultivating a Good Heart.

8. Loving-Kindness.

9. Compassion.

10. Empathetic Joy and Equanimity.

PART FOUR: Exploring the Nature of Consciousness.

11. Bodhichitta: The Spirit of Awakening.

12. Daytime Dream Yoga.

13. Nighttime Dream Yoga.

14. The Great Perfection.

APPENDIX: THE SANTA BARBARA INSTITUTE FOR CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES.

NOTES.

RECOMMENDED READING.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

INDEX.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• 14th Dalai Lama
• Buddhism
• Christian meditation
• Christian worship
• Dalai Lama
• Religion
• Meditations

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 02 mai 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470353134
• Langue: English

Extrait

Genuine Happiness
Genuine Happiness
Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment

B. Alan W ALLACE
Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

John Wiley Sons, Inc.
Copyright 2005 by B. Alan Wallace. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone].
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data :
Wallace, B. Alan.
Genuine happiness : meditation as the path to fulfillment / B. Alan Wallace; foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-471-46984-X (cloth)
1. An ap anasm rti. 2. Meditation-Buddhism. I. Title.
BQ5630.A6W35 2005
294.3 4435-dc22
2004027098
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5
Contents

F OREWORD BY H IS H OLINESS THE D ALAI L AMA
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
Introduction
PART ONE Refining the Attention
1 Mindfulness of Breathing
2 Settling the Mind in Its Natural State
3 The Awareness of Being Aware
PART TWO Insight through Mindfulness
4 Mindfulness of the Body
5 Mindfulness of the Feelings
6 Mindfulness of the Mind
7 Mindfulness of Phenomena
PART THREE Cultivating a Good Heart
8 Loving-Kindness
9 Compassion
10 Empathetic Joy and Equanimity
PART FOUR Exploring the Nature of Consciousness
11 Bodhichitta : The Spirit of Awakening
12 Daytime Dream Yoga
13 Nighttime Dream Yoga
14 The Great Perfection
A PPENDIX : T HE S ANTA B ARBARA I NSTITUTE FOR C ONSCIOUSNESS S TUDIES
N OTES
R ECOMMENDED R EADING
B IBLIOGRAPHY
I NDEX
Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Meditation is an instrument or technique to shape or transform the mind. According to my own meager experience of meditation as a simple Buddhist monk, as I get older, even though many of the problems I face become more serious and my responsibilities become more challenging, my mind is becoming calmer. The result of a calmer mind is that I am happier. When faced with problems, my peace of mind is largely undisturbed. This is certainly the result of meditation.
Meditation is important as a tool for transforming the mind. We do not have to think of it as something religious. Like compassion and the spirit of forgiveness, I would include it among our basic good human qualities. When we are born we are quite free from ideology, but we are not free from the need for human affection. Compassion, love and forgiveness, the spirit of harmony, and a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood are all taught by our religious traditions. And yet this does not mean that if you accept the value of compassion or forgiveness then you must take up religion as a whole. Meditation is the same; we can use it as a means of strengthening our basic good human qualities.
Generally speaking, our awareness is normally attracted toward physical sensory experiences and mental concepts. With meditation we learn to withdraw our mind inward; we don t let it chase after sensory objects. However, we don t withdraw it so much that it becomes dull. We have to maintain a very full state of alertness and mindfulness so that an awareness of our natural state of mind emerges. This is a state of mind in which awareness is not afflicted by memories and thoughts of the past, nor is it afflicted by thoughts of the future, anticipations, fears, and hopes. Rather, our mind remains in a natural and neutral state.
When we withdraw our mind from external objects, it s almost as if we can t recognize it as our mind. There is a kind of absence, a kind of vacuity. However, as we slowly progress and get used to it, we begin to notice an underlying clarity, a luminosity. And that s when we begin to realize and appreciate the natural state of the mind.
Now, the Buddhist tradition of meditation includes many different techniques and practices. But it is very important to be skillful in how we apply them. We need a balanced approach, combining studying and learning with the practices of contemplation and meditation. Otherwise, there is a danger that too much intellectualization will kill the more contemplative practices. But then, too much emphasis on practical implementation without study can kill the understanding.
In this book, Alan Wallace describes a range of meditation techniques from the simplest mindfulness of breathing up to the exalted methods of Dzogchen. From a perspective of long experience of study and practice, he has tried to present these techniques with reference to the universal qualities of the human mind, free from the cultural embellishments that may have become associated with them as they were developed in India, Tibet, and else-where. This is, I believe, entirely appropriate. When the Buddha and other great teachers of the past first gave these instructions, they did not do so in order that only Indians, Tibetans, or Asians should benefit, but in order that all sentient beings should find peace and happiness. It is my prayer, too, that whoever puts these instructions and words of advice into effect may find the tranquility and insight that is their fruit.
September 29,2003
Acknowledgments

This book is based on a series of lectures I gave in Santa Barbara from the autumn of 2000 through the spring of 2001. These lectures were recorded and then transcribed by many volunteers among my students, to whom I am deeply grateful. These raw transcripts were then edited into book form by Brian Hodel, after which I made various changes, which he polished once again. It has been a pleasure working with Brian, and I thank him for his unflagging enthusiasm and skillful editing. The manuscript was then sent to my agent, Patricia van der Leun, who coached me with enormous patience in writing a book proposal and polishing my writing style. It was thanks to her that the manuscript was submitted to John Wiley Sons, and due to the kind interest on the part of Thomas Miller, executive editor, general interest books, that it was accepted for publication. I have very much enjoyed working with Teryn Johnson, the editor at John Wiley Sons who line-edited the manuscript and made other helpful suggestions. I am grateful to all those who have contributed to this book, especially my many teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Rabten, and Gyatrul Rinpoche, without whom my life in Dharma and this book that has resulted from it would have been impossible. Finally, I wish to express my thanks for the loving support of my wife, Vesna A. Wallace, and stepdaughter, Sarah, who have brought so much joy to my life.
Introduction

Over the past thirty-four years that I have studied and practiced Buddhism, I have trained under the guidance of sixty teachers from the East and West. Most of my spiritual mentors have been Tibetan, but I have also learned from meditation masters trained in the Theravada traditions of Burma, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Among the wide range of meditation practices to which I have been exposed, I have found none more beneficial than the following five Buddhist meditations:

Meditative quiescence

The Four Applications of Mindfulness (of the body, feelings, mind, and mental objects)

The Four Immeasurables (compassion, loving-kindness, empathetic joy, and equanimity)

Dream yoga

Dzogchen, the Great Perfection
As far as I m concerned, these are the greatest hits of the Buddhist meditative tradition because they present a direct path leading to the realization of our deepest nature and the potentials of consciousness. These meditations are the essential Buddhist practices for refining the attention, cultivating mindfulness, opening the heart, investigating the nature of the waking state and its relation to dreaming, and finally probing the nature of awareness itself. Each takes you a step further on the path to enlightenment, yet you don t have to believe in any specific creed to engage in them, and you can swiftly see for yourself how they alleviate the afflictions of the mind and bring you a greater sense of well-being and fulfillment.
I have not watered these meditations down for popular consumption; nor have I mixed them with cultural additives from the traditional Asian civilizations in which they have long been preserved. While I admire those cultures, I was born and r