Buddha's Little Instruction Book

Just as the serene beauty of the lotus blossom grows out of muddy water, Buddha's simple instructions have helped people to find wholeness and peace amid life's crises and distractions for more than 2,500 years. For this small handbook, a well-known American Buddhist teacher and psychologist has distilled and adapted an ancient teaching for the needs of contemporary life. Its practical reminders and six meditations can infuse the smallest everyday action with insight and joy.

JACK KORNFIELD was trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India and has taught meditation worldwide since 1974. He is one of the key teachers to introduce Theravada Buddhist practice to the West. For many years his work has been focused on integrating and bringing alive the great Eastern spiritual teachings in an accessible way for Western students and Western society. Jack also holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He is a husband, father, psychotherapist, and founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society and the Spirit Rock Center. His books include A Path with Heart, Seeking the Heart of Wisdom, A Still Forest Pool, and Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart.

The following words of wisdom come from the teachings of the Buddha and those meditation masters who have followed the Buddha's path of happiness. The simple verses in this book explore the themes of individual awareness and kindness, wise relationships, and the interconnection of all beings. At their heart they simply remind us that we too can live with the wakefulness and compassion of a Buddha.

In the back of the book is a section called "The Art of Meditation." It includes six meditations to quiet your mind and open your heart in the midst of everyday life.

May these words and practices bring you inspiration, wisdom, and delight.