For more information about the Concord Public Library, please visit our website, concordpubliclibrary.net, visit us on Tumblr at reading-rumblr.tumblr.com and concordteens.tumblr.com, and also visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/ConcordPublicLibrary.
Sit Like a Buddha: A Pocket Guide to Meditation
Lodro Rinzler
2014, 128 pages
Nonfiction
I’ve read a number of meditation and mindfulness books, many of which are long and go into a great deal of explanation. That can be interesting, but for someone starting or re-starting a meditation practice, basic may be better. Sit Like a Buddha is a compact book, easy to slip into a purse or pocket, but it’s packed with helpful information.
Rinzler covers the why’s and how’s of meditation as well as the obstacles and benefits in short, straightforward chapters outlining what he identifies as ten steps to becoming a regular meditation practitioner. The steps are sensible, from figuring out why you want to do this to relaxing. The instruction is light rather than pedantic, and sets achievable goals for readers.
Rinzler is in his early 30s, lives in New York, wears bow ties and stylish glasses and writes about going to bars and checking out attractive people. He also doesn’t try to separate meditation and mindfulness from Buddhist teachings, as some writers do. As a middle-aged non-Buddhist, some of the book felt like it wasn’t addressed to me. But, near the end of Sit Like a Buddha, Rinzler notes, “Meditation is just a tool to let you be you: to bring a sense that you are actually good enough, worthy enough, and kind, strong, and smart enough to handle whatever arises,” which is a beneficial message for anyone.
