Customer Reviews
This book changed my life - By: Philip J. Heaton, 25 Aug 2008 
Goenka, an old man from Burma with a powerful commitment to spreading the understanding of the law of nature or Dhamma, & this book - changed my life. The book showed me the way to the 10 day meditation course from which I learned the art of living & the secret if happiness. You MUST buy this book..
Footnotes on the "Satipatthana Sutra" - By: calmly, 16 Oct 2007 
The core of the "Art of Living" seems to bein Chapter 8,in the sections "The Stock of Past Reactions" & "Eradicating Old Conditioning". The material presents here follows from the "Satipatthana Sutra" from the Pali Canon, held to be the Buddha's teaching (of vipassana meditation).
Whether one can exhaust a store of conditioning related to "craving " seems debatable. Perhaps one learns to break the habit of activating elementsin that store. Perhaps the notions of an internal store, of "craving", of a "fasting of the spirit", are inventions that one eventually wearies of.
This teaching does seem considerably simpler than many Tibetan forms of Buddhism, although Dzogchen may challenge vipassana meditationin the directness of conveying it.
I tried the practice of Vipassana several times but didn't find it helpful. Whether the Buddhist theory behind it makes sense I have no idea. Modern Western cognitive therapy has some parallels to vipassana teaching & I would suggest the book "Mind over Mood" by Greenberger & Padesky, which I have found effectivein relieving my anxieties.
To Talk About the Book, You Have to First Talk About the 10-Day Course - By: M. Glickman, author of Beyond the Breath: Extraordinary Mindfulness Through Whole-Body Vipassana Meditation, 05 Jun 2007 First, a very wee bit about me: before learning the meditation technique taught by the Indian-Burmese meditation master S. N. Goenka, I'd practicedin other traditions for more than 15 years & completed many long retreats. Initially, I only attended a Goenka course because the 10-day retreat was offered for free (I'm a frugal sort of guy). But I left with a priceless gift, convinced this type of meditation truly works better than other kinds.
To call it a "Goenka course" is actually a little misleading since it suggests that Goenka invented this type of meditation. He didn't. He learned itin Burma, where it is believed that over the millennia Burmese monks & meditation teachers have preserved the exact method the Buddha himself used. Whether or not this meditation technique is truly the Buddha's original practice, doesn't really matter much; once you try it, it is so powerful, you're likely to see how this approach can truly free us from negativity.
Spread almost solely through word of mouth, Goenka's courses are now offered on every inhabitable continent on the globe. According to the independent Buddhist magazine Buddhadharma, each year an estimated 100,000 people take a Goenka course. This means he has probably taught more people Buddhist meditation than anyonein history--including the Buddha himself! (Admittedly, the comparison is a bit silly since the Buddha wasn't able to offer retreats via audio & videotape.)
It's worth noting, that although a layman, Mr Goenka, who is independently wealthy, has never made any money from teaching Buddhism. As already noted, his famous ten-day meditation courses are offered for free. After finishing a course, students may give a donation (to the nonprofit foundation that takes care of the expenses of running a meditation center), but contributions are totally voluntary & there is never any pressure to give.
Goenkaji, as his students call him, has a beautiful voice, a delightful accent, a grandfatherly warmth, & a terrific sense of humor. These qualities work well to balance his passion & seriousness of purpose. During a course, he gives a clear & accessible framework for understanding Buddhism & how to do this type of meditation. Through collaboration with the assistant teacher Bill Hart, The Art of Living faithfully presents Goenka's teachings from his 10-day course--minus the meditation instructions and, naturally, the sound of his lyrical voice.
The book's strength's are those of Mr. Goenka's: clarity & accessibility. Most of his explanations are illustrated with a traditional Buddhist parable or with a story from his extensive teaching experiences. The book's weakness is that Mr. Goenka's charisma is diminishedin print. Like any great teacher or storyteller, the book can't recreate his uncanny sense of timing & his animated voices. Perhaps this weakness isn't apparent to those who read the book before taking a course (I took a course before reading the book). Calling this a "weakness," though, is not to dis' The Art of Living, which is a valuable resourcein its own right. It is helpful to have Mr. Goenka's presentation written down & the book includes some Q & A not presented during a course (Mr. Goenka, who was bornin 1924, & now has compromised health has retired from active teaching).
The Art of Living is generally read by two types: someone who has recently finished a ten-day Goenka retreat or by someone considering taking a course. For the first group or "old students", the book is a great refresher & offers details you may have missed on the video or audio tape. For the total newcomer, there is a minor dilemma: is it best to know what to expect before you go or to go fresh so you get the full impact of his words when you hear them "live." Since I took my first course before reading the book & had a powerful experience, that's what I'd recommend. But if you haven't made up your mind that you're definitely going to a course & you want more info, then by all means read the book first. The important thing is to get yourself to a course (yes, I know 10-days is a long time-except if you try to remember what you did over the last week & a half & it seems to have gone byin a flash).
If I could be immodest for a moment, the book I wrote--Beyond the Breath: Extraordinary Mindfulness Through Full-Body Vipassana Meditation (Tuttle Publishing)--is also likely to be of interest to anyone who has taken a Goenka course or who is considering taking one (and it is also likely to be of interest to anyone interestedin meditation or Buddhism). While the book stands on it's own,in many ways it complements The Art of Living. To help explain why this meditation method works so well, Beyond the Breath is much more apt to refer to scientific research than a traditional parable. For instance, Beyond the Breath explains why Goenka & the Buddha's advice to live a moral life makes so much sense based on what we now know about evolutionary psychology; it also explains the essence of Buddhist practice on an easily understood biochemical basis. So while The Art of Living offers wonderful stories & great homespun analogies that make good common sense, Beyond the Breath, will be especially helpful for those who want to know WHY this method (and Buddhist practicein general) works so well. Such insight isn't just an intellectual exercise; greater understanding leads to greater confidencein actually doing the practice.
But whether or not you read either book, I encourage you to take a course. If you want to check out more about Goenka's organization & courses, go to www[dot]dhamma[dot]org.
a modern classic exposition of an ancient technique - By: , 18 Feb 1998 
This meditation can free you from migraine, as the teacher S.N. Goenka's own experience proves the happiness one may benefit from the meditation practise. It encourages you to attend a practical 10 day course which is well organised & charges no amount from the student. A spirit motivated by convictionin dhamma & an international academyin bombay establishes itself to be a professional bodyin offering coursesin vipassana & dhamma. If one visits the main centrein bombay, one can meet the principal teacher S.N. Goenka & see that his work is really commentable. One can sense his compassion & sincerityin his efforts to help people, & you can feel immeasurable happinessin seeing how he helps immates , prisoners who suffers so much mental agony by introducing meditation & how they are transformed after the noble dhamma is taught & practised. They return to society to become good people The art of living mindfully, by focusing on one's breathing & comtemplation of feeling are just some of the foundation of mindfulness so much exphasizedin ancient buddhist texts. It is not a book written to just impress the general reader of any of its organised theory, but one of direct experience & aim at to encourage practical aspects of meditation. This book has no sectarism & it brings you to realise the nature of your own physical & mental structure, by observing ones bodily sensations. It is said that one can understand the emotional aspects of human & attain wisdom & compassion when one penetrates the true nature of ones aggregates, through mindful introspection . For example, a meditator contemplating of the sensations of his body experiences pain, happy & neutral sensations. In understanding this, he realises all beings by nature experience this & would not cause pain to any beings, such as pouring hot water to a rat or beating animals, hurting people etc. Finally,in the world of today, this book introduces one to its courses which teaches the practise of loving kindness meditation, such morein need of demandin midst of the samsaric conditionings of the world such as war, poverity & disaster, may all beings practise insight meditation & reach to true happiness, true liberation. May you read this book & attend a 10 days course taught by s.n. goenka or his assistants & derive benefit. Yourin the truth Asoka lai hoe peng singapore feb 1998
This is the best introduction to Buddhism I've ever found. - By: , 19 Sep 1997 I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK HIGHLY ENOUGH!
For those new to Buddhism, this slim volume is the best concise, non-sectarian, comprehensive introduction I've foundin twenty years.
Answers the "basic" questions about such topics as: morality, training the mindin concentration, "what causes unhappiness?", "what is Mindfulness meditation?", "how can it help me?". No history or cultural baggage, just the fundamentals.
- I literally buy this bookin volume quantities several times a year so I can give it away to people who are curious about Buddhism!
(For more detailed info on meditation theory & instruction, I highly recommend "Mindfulnessin Plain English" by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana).
