Art of Disappearing: the Buddha's path to lasting joy
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As human beings, we strive to make life go smoothly for ourselves and others, but that is expecting from the world something it cannot give. Ajahn Brahm, the bestselling author of Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? and Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond, presents in this new work wisdom for learning to abandon the headwind of false expectations and follow instead the path of understanding in order to find true joy within. By releasing our attachment to past and future, hope and fear, we can settle into the stillness underlying all our thoughts and discover the bliss of the present moment.
"Do not read this book if you want to be a somebody. It will make you a nobody, a no self....The true purpose of practicing Buddhism is to let go of everything, not to get more things like attainments to show off to your friends. When we let go of something, really let go, then it disappears. We lose it. All sucessfull meditators are losers. They lose their attachments. Enlightened ones lose everything. They truly are the Biggest Loser....May you all Get Lost." —Ajahn Brahm.
PRAISE
"With his characteristic simplicity, clarity, and humor, the British-born Thai forest monk, Ajahn Brahm, offers a prescription for treating dissatisfaction with our lives, whether it be difficulties with our health or any circumstance not to our liking. His instructions on meditation and on mindfulness practice are simple and clear enough for new practitioners, while at the same time offering profound insights for those with years of experience. Brahm teaches us the "art of disappearing" into stillness, which gives rise to contentment with life as it is at this very moment. This is Ajahn Brahm's prescription for true peace and profound happiness. What a gift of the Dhamma!"—Toni Bernhard, author of How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and their Caregivers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AJAHN BRAHM grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in London. Scholarships got him to Cambridge University where he garnered a degree in Theoretical Physics. Eventually disillusioned with the world of academe, he trained as a monk in the jungles of Thailand under the highly esteeemed Buddhist master Ajahn Chah. A monk for over thirty years, Ajahn Brahm lives in Australia, is a revered spiritual guide and the abbot of one of the largest monasteries in the southern hemisphere, regularly drawing multinational audiences of thousands.
Preface
1. The Big Picture
2. Bringing the Mind into the Present
3. Developing Mindfulness
4. Medicines for the Mind
5. Wisdom Power
6. Pacification and the Insights that Follow
7. Appreciating the Bliss
8. Recognising True Wisdom
9. Happiness Comes From Disappearing
10. Making This the Last Time
11. Climbing the Pyramid of Samadhi
Abbreviations
Index
Glossary
About the Author