Journey to Mindfulness: The Autobiography of Bhante G.

by Henepola Gunaratana, Jeanne Malmgren (With)

Overview

The inspiring life-story of from the bestselling author of Mindfulness in Plain English—updated and expanded in honor of his 90th birthday.

Bhante Gunaratana—Bhante G., as he is affectionately called—has long been among the most beloved Buddhist teachers in the West. Ordained at twelve, he would eventually become the first Buddhist chaplain at an American university, the founder of a retreat center and monastery, and a bestselling author.

Here, Bhante G. lays bare the often-surprising ups and downs of his more than ninety years, from his boyhood in Sri Lanka to his decades of sharing the insights of the Buddha, telling his story with the "plain-English" good-humored approach for which he is so renowned.

This expanded anniversary edition includes four new chapters in which Bhante reflects on the impact of the tsumani that struck his homeland in 2004 and his subsequent appearance on Larry King Live, his brief experiment in ordaining nuns at his monastery, as well intimate reflections on the loss of family members, and his own aging and infirmity—providing a model an inspiring model to us all of gracious equanimity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614294580
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	11/28/2017
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	312
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, a native of Sri Lanka, is the author of several Wisdom titles: Mindfulness in Plain English; Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness; Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English; The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English; Meditation on Perception; and Loving-Kindness in Plain English. A Buddhist monk for more than 75 years, he is North America’s highest-ranking monk of the Siyam Nikaya sect of Theravada Buddhism. After coming to the U.S. in 1968, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from The American University in Washington, D.C.  He has led meditation retreats all over Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America. In 1988 he founded Bhavana Society (www.bhavanasociety.org), the forest monastery/retreat center in West Virginia where he now lives.

Jeanne Malmgren has been a student of Bhante Gunaratana since 1985. After a long career in journalism, she earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and now has a private practice of psychotherapy. She also writes about healing arts, teaches classes and workshops in mindfulness, and leads meditative hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina, where she lives. She can be reached at www.upstatecounselor.com. 

Table of Contents

	Preface	7
1.	Small Treasure	13
2.	The Homeless Life	35
3.	Escape	57
4.	A Monk Once Again	71
5.	Monks' School	79
6.	Higher Ordination	85
7.	The Final Cure: Meditation	93
8.	The Struggle to Stay in School	99
9.	Missionary Monk	107
10.	Crossing the Ocean to India	115
11.	The Relics and the Dalai Lama	119
12.	Among the Untouchables	129
13.	Under the Great Bodhi Tree	141
14.	A Trip Back Home	149
15.	My Father's Funeral	155
16.	Malaysia	165
17.	An Invitation to the West	173
18.	Coming to America	177
19.	Manual Labor Missionary	183
20.	Mistaken for a Woman	191
21.	"Officer Bhante G."	199
22.	A Last Visit with My Mother	211
23.	"Are You Mister Gunaratana?"	217
24.	Breaking Free	227
25.	Building a Monastery	235
26.	No Price Tag	245
27.	Chief Sangha Nayaka	253
	Afterword	259

Editorial Reviews

Like the stories of the wisest and kindest of grandfathers. A joy to read.

Sylvia Boorstein

A most refreshing book from a Buddhist meditation teacher who lays bare his human failings and admits they are as much a part of his life as his achievements. It is also a fascinating globe- and culture-crossing autobiography of a man born in a small village in Sri Lanka with enough persistence and good kamma (Pali for karma) to see him through many vicissitudes. Author of the bestseller Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante G., as he is affectionately known, repeatedly ran away from monasteries where he lived as a boy monk, stole things as a child, smoked and had traumatic fear-inducing accidents with water. As his story makes clear, his is a very human journey of teaching himself as well as others what the Buddha taught about how to live. That organizations that promote ethical living and spiritual development should also have their share of bickering, envy, and bad behavior is an unsurprising part of his story, candidly told without excess rancor or blame. The monk-author is fluent in different cultures as well as languages, and his autobiography contributes to an understanding of the relationship between the American Buddhism of converts and traditional Asian Buddhism, more specifically the Theravada branch of Buddhism as practiced in his native Sri Lanka. This plain-English look back at 75 years of an admixture of adversity, humility, and hard-won wisdom tells an engaging story that non-Buddhists can appreciate as well as Buddhists.

Publishers Weekly

Bhante Gunaratana is a meditation master who lives in each present moment. In Journey to Mindfulness, Bhante demonstrates, with warmth, humor, and rare candor, how it is possible to overcome experiences of abuse, rejection, and our own emotional reactivity through the practice of mindfulness. Journey to Mindfulness is an exhilarating journey into the mind and heart of someone whose life has been dedicated to living and sharing the Buddha’s teaching.

Matthew Flickstein

Inspirational, charming, and delightfully accessible—we are left with the image of a good man who has lived an extraordinary life and that this kind of life is within reach of all of us.

Branches of Light

Tremendously inspiring. It both breaks down illusions and over-idealism about Buddhism and gives a vision of how to attain the highest in our lifetimes. An old, humble monk reflecting on his arrogant youth has invaluable lessons for all of us.

Sumi Loundon Kim

"Bhante Gunaratana is a meditation master who lives in each present moment. In Journey to Mindfulness, Bhante demonstrates, with warmth, humor, and rare candor, how it is possible to overcome experiences of abuse, rejection, and our own emotional reactivity through the practice of mindfulness. Journey to Mindfulness is an exhilarating journey into the mind and heart of someone whose life has been dedicated to living and sharing the Buddha's teaching."

Matt Flickstein

"Journey to Mindfulness flows like a good Buddhist teaching, rich with anecdotes and detail from Bhante G.'s life. The story has just the right amount of history woven into Bhante's travels and adventures. It is also a very funny book. It seems that even monks can have a great sense of humor."

St. Petersburg Times

"Bhante Gunaratana's stature across America as a Buddhist teacher has risen with the popularity of his classic Mindfulness in Plain English. While Bhante's narrative doesn't leave out the hard parts, this is still, of course, a success story. And here lies the promise and purpose of Journey to Mindfulness: if Bhante G. can do it, so can you."

Shambhala Sun

"The 75-five-year-old teacher of Buddhist meditation, Bhante Gunaratana, reveals his human failings and shows how they are as much a part of his life as his accomplishments. The author of the bestselling Mindfulness in Plain English, he writes with refreshing candor. This plain-spoken book is a mix of humor, wisdom, adversity, and what appears to be genuine humility. As a child, Bhante exhibited bad behaviors, but shows how he taught himself and others what the Buddha taught, and how to live. He is now one of Buddhism's great teachers. An easy and engaging read that you don't have to be Buddhist to appreciate."

Arkansas Democrat Gazette

"Monks and nuns in the Buddhist tradition are often viewed as people who don't necessarily struggle as intensely with difficult emotions as the rest of us. Bhante G., as he is affectionately called, dispels that perception and reveals the intimate truths of his life with unflinching honesty, humor, and warmth. The author of the highly acclaimed bestseller Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante G never loses sight of the Buddha's teachings throughout a life marked by hardship and despair as well as great achivement and happiness. Time and again, we see that Bhante is undaunted by adversity. His tireless energy and unwavering faith reminds us that we too can embody these very same qualities. ...The scope of this book is wide and rich in detail; Bhante's message is inspiring."

Insight

"Spiritual teachers who write autobiographies are not always candid about their more human characteristics, but Bhante G's book is humorous and open. There is no doubt that this is the story of someone who chose to go his own way and live his vision. Like all good teachers, his story can inspire us to live our own."

The Middle Way

"Fascinating, and comforting in its honesty."

Kate Wheeler

"Wow! As a young, beginner Buddhist, I find Bhante G's seventy-five year life as a monk tremendously inspiring. Without sentimentality or excuses, Bhante G candidly and painfully reveals his shadow side—the rebelliousness, anger and uncontrollable emotion as a teenager and young man—and how he overcame his difficulties. All young adults exploring a path in the dharma should read this book! It both breaks down illusions and over-idealism about Buddhism and gives a vision, in a realistic way, of how to attain the highest in our lifetimes. An old, humble monk reflecting on his arrogant youth has invaluable lessons for us young adults just setting forth on the long path."

Sumi Loundon