Diamond Mind: A Psychology of Meditation

I already read other Rob Nairn's other two books. I positively recommend them.

The best book I know on Meditation

One of the best books out there for those who want to start and sustain a meditation practice; it is among the top 3 or 4 that I recommend for beginners. I first read it about 12 years ago and just recently picked it up out of my bookshelves to re-read. I was again struck by how well the writer understands the practice of meditation (and the pitfalls and barriers). The author comes from a Tibetan (Vajrayana) perspective, but this manual is broadly applicable to those from other schools of thought or branches of Buddhism, as well as those of a firmly secular orientation. Note: as usual, I highly recommend that the reader actually do the exercises within each chapter. It's like sports/fitness -- reading about it does one no good at all. Only by practicing it does one attain any benefit.

This was the second book on Buddhist meditation that I ever read, thirteen years ago. I will never forget my smirk and misplaced confidence when, with the book as my guide, I sat down for my first five minute meditation session, where all I had to do was notice my mind and not get distracted. How difficult could that be. Right, how impossible that was then. A rich, generous book, written for the beginner without dumbing it down, by a truly beautiful human being.

All my students must read this short primer on psychological benefits of meditation presented from an easy to digest western perspective. Includes truly helpful diagrams and visualizations of thought processes. I've purchased more than 12 copies of this book over the year, and frequently give it as a gift to those in emotional need.

This is the best book on meditation I've read in quite a while. Nairn is very good at getting at the heart of why we find meditation so difficult: we set up ambitions and goals for what's "supposed" to happen, and strive to attain them. We have a big agenda for our meditation, and expect perfection in this, as in many areas of our lives. This switches on our critical mind, he explains, and we create stress, self-torment, striving, and "no meditation." Nairn is also very clear on the nature of thought, how to work with thoughts in meditation, and how to stabilize the mind. Very highly recommended!

Diamond Mind is an incredible primer on meditation. Nairn dispenses with jargon and mystique, writing unpretentiously about the mechanics of the mind and the common problems encountered in this practice. With clarity and simplicity, he supplements his very readable prose with straightforward exercises and Q&A sections. Amazingly enough, the book is able to articulate the facets of meditation practice without religious or denominational references, embracing the terminology of western psychology to enrich the material. If you have always had questions about meditation or you seek to understand your practice better, this book is truly a diamond in the rough.

This is an excellent book that will help anyone who is either just beginning to meditate or has been meditating for years. It helps answer questions like "What do I meditate about?", "Why is this not working?" and "What should my goal be?". Whether one is buddhist or not this book can help you bring tranquillity to your mind, thus benefiting you and others. I thank Rob Nairn for writing such a joyful and helpful book.

This book was my "meditation for beginners"and it is extremely helpful and easy read. I would recommend it to any one who wants to begin but needs direction. I can see using it as a refresher reference in the future.

First off, I would like to say that I have read 100+ books on the subjects of spirituality and/or meditation over the last few years and this is the first book that I have decided to write a review for. Having read the other reviews for this book on Amazon, I was a bit dubious as to how this book could possibly be any different from all the other meditation books that I have come across. Well, I am glad to say that it is different. The author elucidates topics such as: - what adopting an attitude of acceptance really entails - the paridoxicality of abandoning goals in order to achieve them - how to properly apply mindfulness and what this does for us - how the mind perpetuates its unsettledness and how to stabilise it - the true meanings of tranquillity and equanimity The book manages to pack more concise, practical and insightful information into just over 100 pages than other much lengthier tomes have done. His writing style cuts to the chase and demystifies meditation. Highly recommended.

Este libro no es un simple psicólogo. Es psicólogo o para aquellos estudiantes que ya tienen un conocimiento profundo del budismo. El libro está escrito en Inglés. Trae algunas prácticas y ejercicios, pero sólo se recomiendan para aquellos que ya están muy avanzados en la práctica del budismo. También existe la dificultad de algunos escritores expresarse de manera que el público en general pueda disfrutar del libro.

Amazing book! This is exactly what I needed to help me with some of the barriers I was experiencing with my meditation practice. Would recommend it to anyone getting into meditation or more experienced meditators.

a book that does help explain what Buddhist meditation is about, and uses short practical breathing and reflection mindfulness moments to centre the self. I like it as part of my widening book collection on the subject