The Satipatthana Sutta is the Buddha's single most important discourse describing the practice of meditation. Here for the first time is the condensed version of the daily evening discourse given by the author to his students on a seven day retreat. This text can serve as a review after taking a course or for scholars as a further study of the sutta. The book is also a great tool to help meditators practice and as S.N. Goenka said, "Liberation can only be gained by practice, never by mere discussion." Included is a list of abbreviations, a glossary, and an English translation of Pali passages.

In simple and straightforward language, Bhante Gunaratana shares the Buddha's teachings on mindfulness and how we can use these principles to improve our daily lives, deepen our mindfulness, and move closer to our spiritual goals. Based on the classic Satipatthana Sutta, one of the most succinct yet rich explanations of meditation, Bhante's presentation is nonetheless thoroughly modern. The Satipatthana Sutta has become the basis of all mindfulness meditation, and Bhante unveils it to the reader in his trademark "plain English" style. Contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness—mindfulness of the body, of feelings, of the mind, and of phenomena themselves—is recommended for all practitioners. Newcomers will find The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English lays a strong groundwork for mindfulness practice and gives them all they need to get started right away, and old hands will find rich subtleties and insights to help consolidate and clarify what they may have begun to see for themselves. People at every state of the spiritual path will benefit from reading this book.

"This book helps to fill what has long been a glaring gap in the scholarship of early Buddhism, offering us a detailed textual study of the Satipatthāna Sutta, the foundational Buddhist discourse on meditation practice."--Back cover.

The 11 discourses in this volume provide a broad overview of the teachings of Buddha to help meditators understand what to do and why, so they work in the proper way and achieve the proper results.

Transformation and Healing presents one of the Buddha's most fundamental teachings and the foundation of all mindfulness practice. The Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness has been studied, practiced, and handed down with special care from generation to generation for 2,500 years. This sutra teaches us how to deal with anger and jealousy, to nurture the best qualities in our children, spouses, and friends, and to greet death with compassion and equanimity.

After enlightenment, the Buddha delivered his first discourse to five disciples in Deer Park, India. Known as the Four Noble Truths, this lesson forms the foundation and essence of all the Buddha's teachings. It contains all the necessary information and instruction for us to become free from suffering and gain insight into the truth of enlightenment. The First Discourse of the Buddha includes a history of the Buddha's life, background on Buddhism, and a contemporary translation of and commentary on the Four Noble Truths.