The Quiet Mind

This is a tiny little book, just large enough to hold a CD (there is one taped to the back cover) and just long enough to give several teachers room to write short descriptions of their respective Buddhist approaches to the quiet mind. (The guided meditations are equally short – none of them last even 10 minutes.)

The subtitle of The Quiet Mind says, “A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation” and a beginner might, on the one hand, be pleased to find samples of several meditation paths in one place, but a beginner might also be confused by the diverse approaches and wonder where to start, which path to pursue, and where each path will lead. A beginner might also wonder whether these paths are sequential, complementary, or competing.

So, perhaps a nice book for a true beginner wanting to get a tiny taste of meditation practice, but not enough here for a snack, much less a meal.