Experience of Samadhi: An In-depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation »

Richard Shankman is a Buddhist meditation teacher with nearly four decades' experience in meditation practice and study. He is cofounder of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies as well as the Community Partnership for Mindfulness in Education. He teaches throughout the country at Dharma centers and retreats, including Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

Dharma practice comprises a wide range of wise instructions and skillful means. As a result, meditators may be exposed to a diversity of approaches to the core teachings and the meditative path—and that can be confusing at times. In this clear and accessible exploration, Dharma teacher and longtime meditator Richard Shankman unravels the mix of differing, sometimes conflicting, views and traditional teachings on how samadhi (concentration) is understood and taught.

In part one, Richard Shankman explores the range of teachings and views about samadhi in the Theravada Pali tradition, examines different approaches, and considers how they can inform and enrich our meditation practice.

Part two consists of a series of interviews with prominent contemporary Theravada and Vipassana (Insight) Buddhist teachers. These discussions focus on the practical experience of samadhi, bringing the theoretical to life and offering a range of applications of the different meditation techniques.

Pt. 1 Samadhi in the Pali Texts

1 Samadhi in the Pali Suttas 3

2 Jhana in the Pali Suttas 32

3 Samadhi in the Visuddhimagga 53

4 Controversies Surrounding Samadhi 77

Pt. 2 Interviews with Contemporary Meditation Teachers

Jack Kornfield 107

Ajaan Thanissaro 117

Sharon Salzberg 130

Bhante Gunaratana 136

Christina Feldman 146

Leigh Brasington 156

Ajahn Brahmavamso 166

Pa Auk Sayadaw 174

App. 1 Does It Matter Where You Watch the Breath? 183

App. 2 The Four Stages of Enlightenment 187

App. 3 Organization of the Pali Canon 189

App. 4 Samatha Meditation Practices of the Visuddhimagga 191

Notes 207

Glossary 215

Sources for the Pali Texts 219

Credits 221

Index 223