Joseph Goldstein (1) (1944–)

An in-depth exegesis of the Buddhist scripture Satipatthana Sutta, foundation of the Theravada Buddhist practice of insight/mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is here presented right in the context of its Buddhist philosophy and metaphysics, from which the contemporary psychological practice of mindfulness has extracted it. Goldstein here pushes back against that movement, writing in Chapter 11 that

it is important to remember that the Buddha gave these teachings for the purpose of freeing the mind from suffering. He is talking about liberation, not about simply getting more comfortable in our lives or sorting out our personal histories. Although these may be helpful by-products of the practice, the teachings in this discourse address the very largest questions of birth, aging, disease, and death, and how we can be free in this great cyclical wheel of existence.

Fair enough, and this book is an excellent advocate for the whole Buddhist worldview. I'm personally not a fan of the abnegation of self ("aha, of course you're not!", the Buddha would surely say) that is core to Buddhism, and not being sold on it and other fundamental philosophical concepts of Buddhism, the book began to bore me, as it is after all basically a manual on how one can improve one's Buddhist practice.

Personally, I've learned that I prefer my Mindfulness largely extracted from its Buddhist structure, which is an important thing to learn in itself.… (more)

This is definitely a comprehensive look at the core concepts of Buddhism from the perspective of many different traditions. Goldstein postulates that while history has seen the division of Buddhism into many different traditions, it’s arrival in the West has heralded a reunification of the teachings of the Buddha. This is seen as a positive outcome, one that offers those on the path with many vantage points with which to guide them along their own path towards awakening. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in Buddhism.… (more)