A whimsical and enthusiastic primer on meditation shares step-by-step instructions on the stages of meditation practice in accessible language, counseling beginning and intermediate-level readers on how to overcome obstacles. By the author of Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? Original Better than sex! That's how Ajahn Brahm describes meditation, and his enthusiasm is contagious. A self-described meditation junkie, Brahm, the author of the popular Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?, shares his recipe for bliss in this practical, energizing new book. The Meditator's Handbook is a complete, stem-to-stern guide to the subject, with precise step-by-step instructions for traversing the stages of practice and overcoming obstacles. Drawing on his working-class roots, Brahm explains difficult concepts clearly and easily, so that beginners understand them, while those who already meditate gain new insight. Full of surprises, delightfully goofy humor, and entertaining stories that inspire, instruct, and illuminate, The Meditator's Handbook encourages novices and gives a shot in the arm to more experienced practitioners. Foreword ix Abbreviations xi Introduction: The Big Picture 1(6) Meditation and its goal. How to use this book Part 1: The Happiness of Meditation 1. The Basic Method of Meditation I 7(12) A solid foundation using the first four stages of meditation 2. The Basic Method of Meditation II 19(10) Three advanced stages of meditation, in which the breath becomes beautiful 3. The Hindrances to Meditation I 29(10) The first two of the five hindrances standing between us and deeper states of meditation sensory desire and ill will 4. The Hindrances to Meditation II 39(14) The remaining three hindrances sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and doubt 5. The Quality of Mindfulness 53(12) Mindfulness, the gatekeeper, and how we can succeed in meditation 6. Using Variety to Freshen Up Our Meditation 65(16) Meditations that entertain the mind, relieve boredom, and create joy 7. The Beautiful Breath 81(22) Gaining deep states of meditation the jhanas-and the insights of enlightenment 8. The Four Focuses of Mindfulness 103(24) Using the focuses of mindfulness to arrive at the jewel in the heart of the lotus Part 2: To Bliss and Beyond 9. The Jhanas I: Bliss 127(10) The beautiful breath that begins the journey 10. The Jhanas II: Bliss upon Bliss 137(16) Nimittas, the doorway to the jhanas 11. The Jhanas III: Bliss upon Bliss upon Bliss 153(20) How to enter a jhdna, and what it is like inside 12. The Nature of Deep Insight 173(12) What keeps us from seeing things as they truly are How a mind empowered by deep meditation discovers truth 13. The Deep Insight That Liberates 185(26) Deep insights that change everything and lead us to the experience of enlightenment 14. Enlightenment: Entering the Stream 211(20) What nibbana (enlightenment) is, and the first experience of nibbana stream winning 15. Onward to Full Enlightenment 231(24) The four stages of enlightenment, and how to tell if someone is enlightened Conclusion: Letting Go to the End 255(18) The importance of letting go, the attachments or hurdles we may encounter, and how to develop peace and happiness in our busy lives Notes 273(4) Bibliography 277(4) Index 281