文档介绍：Mindfulness In Plain English
By
Ven. Henepola Gunaratana
Preface
In my experience I found that the most effective way to express something in order to
make others understand is to use the simplest language. Also I learned from teaching that
the more rigid the language the less effective it is. People to not respond to very stern and
rigid language especially when we try to teach something which normally people don't
engage in during their daily life. Meditation appears to them as something that they
cannot always do. As more people turn to meditation, they need more simplified
instructions so they can practice by themselves without a teacher around. This book is the
result of requests made by many meditators who need a very simple book written in
ordinary colloquial language.
In preparing this book I have been helped by many of my friends. I am deeply grateful to
all of them. Especially I would like to express my deepest appreciation and sincere
gratitude to John Patticord, Daniel J. Olmsted, Matthew Flickstein, Carol Flickstein,
Patrick Hamilton, Genny Hamilton, Bill Mayne, Bhikkhu Dang Pham Jotika and Bhikkhu
Sona for their most valuable suggestions, comments and criticisms of numerous points in
preparing this book. Also thanks to Reverend Sister Sama and Chris O'Keefe for their
support in production efforts.
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About the Author
Venerable Henepola Gunaratana was ordained at the age of 12 as a Buddhist monk at a
small temple in Malandeniya Village in Kurunegala District in Sri Lanka. His preceptor
was Venerable Kiribatkumbure Sonuttara Mahathera. At the age of 20 he was given
higher ordination in Kandy in 1947. He received his education from Vidyalankara
College and Buddhist Missionary College in Colombo. Subsequently he traveled to India
for five years of missionary work for the Mahabodhi Society, serving the Harijana
(Untouchable) people in Sanchi, Delhi, and Bombay. Later he spent ten