Swallowing the River Ganges : A Practice Guide to the Path of Purification - Softcover

Matthew Flickstein

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0861711785 ISBN 13: 9780861711789

Publisher: Wisdom Publications, 2001

Synopsis

An invaluable roadmap for anyone who meditates, Swallowing the River Ganges is a comprehensive practice guide to the "great treatise" of Theravadan Buddhism, the "path of purification" (Visuddhimagga). Written in the fifth century, this encyclopedic manual of Buddhist doctrine and meditation organizes the various teachings of the Buddha into one clear path. Step by step, this meditation course guides readers through the seven stages of purification, explaining the teachings and putting them into a modern context.

About this title

Review:

Trauma can be a catalyst for change. The Buddha saw the trauma of dissatisfaction everywhere and so put together the most powerful recipe for life transformation ever. This is according to Matthew Flickstein, who should know: once a successful Ph.D. psychotherapist, he is now a Buddhist monk and meditation teacher. Accustomed to creating personal development workshops, Flickstein created a book that is like a workshop manual. Swallowing the River Ganges is a plan for living the Buddhist way. Combining the teachings of two Buddhist classics, Flickstein reveals a step-by-step path that culminates in living the enlightened life. First come the moral precepts that help you take up a right livelihood, including a smart approach to the material things. Then, of course, comes meditation, with all the training basics. Formal meditation leads to mindfulness in daily life. And after that come higher levels of mindfulness, knowledge, and insight. Flickstein's years of experience are obvious in the way he beaks down intricate levels of practice into clear descriptions, never leaving out possible downsides or roadblocks. Honest, succinct, and practical, Swallowing the River Ganges is a perfect how-to book for transforming life along the Buddhist path. --Brian Bruya

About this edition

• Publisher: Wisdom Publications
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0861711785
• ISBN 13: 9780861711789
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224