So,Satipatthana fans <cheers! noting cheering and cheering sensations and cheering dhammas...>, Analayo has a new book out (which is ready now on Kindle, and paperback is ready in another week or so): Perspectives on Satipatthana including a study of Tibetan and Chinese agamas, where these two (broadly speaking) traditions have similar writings to the Pali text; it's without speculative judgments of which traditions and which sutras could be "earlier" (and is unavailable to the 'authenticity' traps once apparent among differing traditions and writings).

It's also written for meditation practitioners.

I remember talking after a short class once and Ven. Analayo said for his PhD work he committed to meditating more hours in a day than working on his PhD. His understanding of meditation (in addition to as several languages) has seemed to me so far very useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-Satipatthana-Bhikkhu-Analayo/dp/190931403X/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JS4QA3JE349JS48H2E9

..thanks..can't wait for the paper one.

cheers

Ordered. Will start today!

Thanks Katy.

El Bagpuss! Nice to see your post again. Hi to the Mrs. B.

Tom, Nick, Ian ("Ian..<ghosty voice> this is your conscience speaking, I know we're gonna order the booooooook and revieeeew it" ;) I was just thinking last week, "Hey, I think I want to do another home retreat with four months and each month studying one of the foundations." Et puis, voila.

...4 months.noting 'envy..envy..envy.."

Have you read it? Why is it cool?

Hey there B,

Have I read it? I was just able to order it for kindle application, so I am reading it. The paperback is available March 18 on AMZN.

Why is it cool, you ask? Well, I can say for myself that I take interest in Analayo's work because he's thorough in his documentation, meaning he has many footnotes in his books and I value this because I can then go see for myself whence comes his basis of instruction and his basis of practice.

The previous documentation and writing of Analāyo based on Pali texts leads to me consider that his study of Tibetan and Chinese texts (included in his new book) may be as thoroughly researched and documented, that his new book on the satipatthana (the four categorical places where the mind may establish itself) will probably be a helpful use of my time like his other writings. And so far it's been helpful.

Still, an inference is not a valid basis for making absolute statements.

I'll be taking a look at this one. Thanks for the recommendation.

Thanks for replying Katy.

I gave up reading dhamma books a long time ago, however, his topic, the satiphattana, is at the very core, and you say he is acedemically rigourous and a deep meditator and these things are essential. Please let me know what you think when you are done.

thnx
bailey

edit* anyone else who finishes the book I am interested in hearing from

I'm already reading it and have trouble putting it down. I rate myself in my practice as "buying a bronze that is dirty and cleaning it sometimes". The emphasis on consistency of mindfulness and interrupting the thought streams that are hindrances is more pronounced than I have read it. In some ways I'm liking this more than the 1st book but that has more to do with practicality. Cleaning the bronze seems more appropriate for most meditators until they can actually abandon it but there's the danger in thinking you're better at the practice than you actually are.

Paying attention to when good mind-states are happening and cultivating them more is seen as an incentive to keep practicing and eventually a mental quiet is preferred in the mind with gradual training so that can be done a lot longer than people realize.

I'm just skipping to parts I need now but I'm sure there are more jewels to be found here.