Jhāna Practice Collection

The Jhāna Classics collection from Wisdom Publications is a series of books that cover a range of topics broadly associated with the practices of mindfulness (sati) and the jhānas.

Explore the Collection

CURRENT TITLES

Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator’s Handbook

Meditation: it’s not just a way to relax, or to deal with life’s problems. Done correctly, it can be a way to radically encounter bliss and to begin—and sustain—real transformation in ourselves. In Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond, self-described meditation junkie Ajahn Brahm shares his knowledge and experience of the jhanas—a core part of the Buddha’s original meditation teaching. Never before has this material been approached in such an empowering way, by a teacher of such authority and popularity. Full of surprises, delightfully goofy humor, and entertaining stories that inspire, instruct, and illuminate, Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond will encourage those new to meditation, and give a shot in the arm to more experienced practitioners as well.

 

The Art of Disappearing: The Buddha’s Path to Lasting Joy

Whether mere bumps in the road or genuine crises, we live in a world of unwanted events that no willpower can prevent. In The Art of Disappearing, Ajahn Brahm helps us learn to abandon the headwind of false expectations and follow instead the Buddha’s path of understanding. Releasing our attachment to past and future, to self and other, we can directly experience the natural state of serenity underlying all our thoughts and discover the bliss of the present moment. In that space, we learn what it is to disappear. Ajahn Brahm, an unparalleled guide to the bliss of meditation, makes the journey as fun as it is rewarding.

The Art of Disappearing, comprised of a series of teachings Ajahn Brahm gave to the monks of Bodhinyana Monastery, where he serves as abbot, offers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of contemporary Buddhism’s most engaging figures.

 

Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English: An Introductory Guide to Deeper States of Meditation

Countless people worldwide have made Mindfulness in Plain English a beloved and bestselling classic in almost a dozen languages. Now after nearly two decades, Bhante helps meditators of every stripe take their mindfulness practice to the next level—helping them go, in a word, beyond mindfulness. In the same warm, clear, and friendly voice, Bhante introduces the reader to what have been known for centuries as the “jhanas”—deeply calm, joyous, and powerful states of meditation that, when explored with the clearly presented tools in this book, can lead to a life of insight and unshakeable peace.

 

Meet the Authors

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, affectionately called Bhante G by his students, is an internationally recognized author, meditation teacher, and beloved monk in the Theravadan tradition, and is the founding abbot of the Bhavana Society. Born in rural Sri Lanka, he has been a monk since age 12. He has taught in a number of settings, including the Buddhist Vihara of Washington D.C. where he served as president, the American University in Washington D.C. where he served as Buddhist chaplain and also earned a Ph.D. in philosophy, and at meditation centers worldwide. Bhante G has a strong scholarly background and lifelong commitment to dhamma. As such, he has written a number of books, including the now-classic meditation manual Mindfulness In Plain English and its companion Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness. Bhante G has regularly led retreats on vipassana, mindfulness, metta (loving-friendliness), concentration, and other topics at the Bhavana Society which he co-founded in 1985 out of a desire to teach meditation in an environment allowing for longer retreats and intense practice free from the trappings of a city vihara. His teachings have a direct, compassionate style that mirrors that of his books and articles. As a teacher, he is known for his emphasis both on samadhi and on metta as part of spiritual training.

Ajahn Brahm (Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera), born Peter Betts in London in 1951, is a Theravada Buddhist monk. Ajahn Brahm grew up in London and earned a degree in Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University. Disillusioned with the world of academe, he trained as a monk in the jungles of Thailand under Ajahn Chah. A monk for over thirty years, Ajahn Brahm is a revered spiritual guide and the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery, in Serpentine, Western Australia—one of the largest monasteries in the southern hemisphere. He is also the Spiritual Director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, and spiritual adviser and inspiration for Buddhist centers throughout Asia and Australia. His winning combination of wit and wisdom makes his books bestsellers in many languages, and on his teaching tours Brahm regularly draws multinational audiences of thousands.