Bear Awareness: questions and answers on taming your wild mind

The bestselling author of Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? and one of the world's most beloved Buddhist monks answers meditators' questions.

Ajahn Brahm is known and appreciated not only for his insights and deep experience of meditation but also for his his sense of humor. His "bad" jokes lift the mood and open the heart to a kinder and more compassionate perspective. Often the truth of what he says is in the joke itself. But the main purpose in looking on the bright side is to release problems that are keeping us from moving forward on the Buddhist path.

Originally conceived to commemorate Ajahn Brahm's fortieth anniversary as a monk, this book draws together questions and answers from retreats he led at his retreat centre for lay meditators over several years. Whether he is urging readers to fly Buddha Air (sit back and relax on your way to nirvana), giving tips for dealing with panic attacks or depression, boredom in meditation, or the inner critic, or extolling the bliss of meditation that is better than sex, he gives us permission to enjoy our lives and practice. Fans of Ajahn Brahm's previous books will recognize a few of the stories here, but the intimacy of the question-and-answer format provides a fresh experience of learning from a master meditator