The founding of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in 1975 heralded a fresh expression of Theravada Buddhism among lay practitioners in the West. Today this flourishing tradition offers a path to liberation suited to people of our own time and place, amidst our own families and communities. Here is the first collection of writings by leading teachers of insight meditation who have taught at IMS: Joseph Goldstein on “The Science and Art of Meditation,” Jack Kornfield on “Path of Parenting, Path of Awakening,” Larry Rosenberg on “Moving into Deep Silence,” Sylvia Boorstein on “Perfecting the Heart,” Carol Wilson on “The First Buddhist Women,” and many others. In all, seventeen men and women–hailing from North America, Hawaii, England, Australia, and South Africa–share their intimate experiences of the practice of mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation; their understanding of the basic teachings of the Buddha; the lessons they learned from their own teachers; and advice on following the Buddha Dharma in relationships, work, and spiritual practice. Contributors include: Steve Armstrong, Sylvia Boorstein, Christina Feldman, Joseph Goldstein, Narayan Liebenson Grady, Bhante Gunaratana, Gavin Harrison, Jack Kornfield, Kamala Masters, Michele McDonald-Smith, Larry Rosenberg, Sharon Salzberg, Rodney Smith, Steven Smith, Ajahn Sumedho, Christopher Titmuss and Carol Wilson. All royalties from this book will be donated to Ram Dass–author of “Be Here Now” and other modern spiritual classics, who recently suffered a major stroke–in gratitude for his teachings and in support of his ongoing medical needs.
