Strengthening, calming, and stabilizing the mind is the essential first
step in accomplishing nearly any goal. Growing up American with a
Tibetan twist, Sakyong Mipham talks to Westerners as no one can:
in idiomatic English with stories and wisdom from American culture and
the great Buddhist teachers. Turning the Mind Into an Ally makes it possible for anyone to achieve peace and clarity in their lives.
Is the mind our enemy? It can be, suggests Shambhala International's
director Mipham in his first book. The key to peaceful and sane living,
says Mipham, is training our minds. Without that training, people live
"at the mercy of our moods." Meditation is the tool that can help
spiritual seekers master, rather than be mastered by, their own minds.
This book blends a philosophically savvy explanation of why meditation
is necessary with an artful and accessible introduction to the basics of
meditation. Mipham moves elegantly from the prosaic (how to sit with a
straight spine) to the profound (why one should bravely contemplate
illness, aging and death). Indeed, those practicing spiritual
disciplines from any tradition-Christian, Wiccan, and so forth-could
benefit from Mipham's commonsense approach to meditation. He
acknowledges, for example, that the tyro might get bored, distracted or
even hungry for a cookie. New meditators are likely to find a million
and one excuses for not meditating. But, says Mipham gently, "at some
point you just have to sit down and do it." Mipham's guide is
distinguished by its intelligible prose; unlike many fellow travelers,
he does not drown his reader in jargon. He defines Buddhist basics, like
"samsara" and "karma," clearly. Three useful appendices, outlining
meditation postures and giving simple instructions for contemplation,
round out the book, and a foreword by Pema Chodron is an added treat.
This easy read is one of the best of the Buddhism-for-Westerners genre.
Mipham is director of Shambhala International, an umbrella organization
representing over 100 meditation and study centers that was founded by
his father, the renowned spiritual leader Chogyam Trungpa. His first
book offers basic guidelines to meditation or peaceful abiding for
those interested in learning more about Buddhist meditation. His
instruction and discussion of the virtues of peaceful abiding are
followed by suggestions for thematic contemplative meditations on
topics such as birth, old age, and death. Having grown up in the United
States but with traditional Tibetan training, Mipham is able to
connect the traditional practice with the Western mind-set. He also
brings a youthful spirit to his writing, with frequent use of outdoor
sports (e.g., horseback riding, archery, golf, and hiking) to embellish
his teachings metaphorically. Unfortunately, this work lacks the
passion and depth so notable in his father's writings, and the text
breaks little new ground. Those new to Tibetan Buddhism will find more
inspirational reading in books by the Dalai Lama, and there is more
in-depth instruction on Tibetan meditation practices in works such as
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's A Meditation Handbook. Recommended for libraries
with large Buddhist collections.
