IN THE LAP OF THE BUDDHA
Gavin Harrison
Foreword by JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN
SHAMBHALA
Boston& London
1994
Foreword
I first meet Gavin Harrison in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1981. From that beginning meditation weekend, Gavin has become a longtime student, friend, and colleague whose special gifts now shine so profoundly through this book. Thought an extraordinary journey of suffering, shared in these times by so many others, Gavin has forged an understanding infused with wisdom and compassion. It is a wisdom grounded in the meditation practice of the Buddha’s teachings, and a compassion born from his own great open heart.
How do we cope with the trauma of abuse, with the on-slaughters of disease, or with the simple tribulations of our daily life? And in the midst of it all, how can we connect with the purity of awareness that remains our unfailing refuge? In the Lap of the Buddha points us to the inner strength and courage we all have, although sometimes overlook.
A deeply personal odyssey gave birth to this book. A time-less wisdom emerges from it. I am grateful to Gavin for this gift of Dharma. Only someone who lives the teachings could have written it.
JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN
Contents
Foreword by Joseph Goldstein
Preface
1. APPROACHING SUFFERING
An Almost Perfect Dream
Beyond the Walls
The Spiritual Journey
2. OPENING TO SUFFERING
Suffering and Compassion
The Way of Insight Meditation
Instructions for Insight Meditation
Our Personal Drama and Beyond
3. ASPECTS OF MEDITATION
Beyond the Grip of Fear
Working with Pain
Face to Face with Mortality
Fear of Death
Working with Anger
Self-Hatred and Self-Love
Transforming the Legacy of Abuse
4. MEDITATIONS OF THE HEART
The Divine Abodes
Loving kindness
Compassion
Sympathetic Joy
Equanimity
Forgiveness
5. QUESTIONING
Faith, Doubt, and Self-Acceptance
Karma: “Why Me?”
6. LIVING WITH LOVE
A Healthy Foundation for Meditation
Generosity and Selflessness
Introducing the Precepts
The First Precept: Refrain from Harming
The Second Precept: Refrain from Stealing
The Third Precept: Refrain form False Speech
The Fourth Precept: Refrain form Sexual Misconduct
The Fifth Precept: Refrain form Needless Use of Intoxicants
Family and Community
Dancing with Life and Death
Note
Suggested Reading
MeditationCenterInformation
Acknowledgments and Credits
Index