Gil Fronsdal(b. 1954)

Vast archive of dharma talks from Theravada and Insight Meditation teachers including Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Gil Fronsdal.

Detailed guide to anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) practice in the Theravada tradition, written by a teacher at the Insight Meditation Center.

Inspired by his years of Buddhist monastic life, Gil Fronsdal has written these warm-hearted stories as part of the tradition of teaching through storytelling. These are tales of transformation and spiritual growth. They delight and challenge as they express different facets of the Buddhist path to liberation in familiar, yet fresh and engaging, ways. These stories can be reread often, each time supporting new reflec- tions on the spiritual life and the possibility of each person awakening to the kindness, clarity and insight available to all of us. A Monastery Within points to how each person can build an inner home for the awakened life.

The early history of the Mahāyāna movement has drawn a great deal of attention from scholars over the last half century. Among the various suggestions made about its origins are that it was initially a lay movement, a path of greater stringency for monastics, a stūpa cult, a practice of forest recluses, or even the result of influences from outside the Buddhist tradition. In this study Gil Fronsdal examines the Daoxing jing, a second-century Chinese translation of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines. The Daoxing jing is the earliest version of the Perfection of Wisdom scripture, one of the most important foundational texts of the Mahāyāna movement. In this study Fronsdal challenges many contemporary presumptions, including those about the characteristics of the aspiration for buddhahood and what it means to be a bodhisattva, and offers insight into the early formation of a strain of thought and practice that contributed to what eventually became the Mahāyāna as we know it today.

Aufsätze über die Übung buddhistischer Achtsamkeit. Eine inspirierende und leicht zugängliche Sammlung von Essays und bearbeiteten Vorträgen über die Übung buddhistischer Achtsamkeit. Gil Fronsdal schreibt, dass die Suche nach dem was zur Hand liegt, die Suche nach dem ist, das uns am nächsten liegt, nach dem, das im gegenwärtigen Augenblick direkt gesehen, gehört, gerochen, geschmeckt, gefühlt und erkannt wird. Gil bringt die Übung der Achtsamkeit nicht nur bei formeller Meditation zum Einsatz, sondern auch bei all den unterschiedlichen Aspekten des täglichen Lebens.

A timely essay collection on the development and influence of secular expressions of Buddhism in the West and beyond. How do secular values impact Buddhism in the modern world? What versions of Buddhism are being transmitted to the West? Is it possible to know whether an interpretation of the Buddha’s words is correct? In this new essay collection, opposing ideas that often define Buddhist communities—secular versus religious, modern versus traditional, Western versus Eastern—are unpacked and critically examined. These reflections by contemporary scholars and practitioners reveal the dynamic process of reinterpreting and reimagining Buddhism in secular contexts, from the mindfulness movement to Buddhist shrine displays in museums, to whether rebirth is an essential belief. This collection explores a wide range of modern understandings of Buddhism—whether it is considered a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle choice—and questions if secular Buddhism is purely a Western invention, offering a timely contribution to an ever-evolving discussion. Contributors include Bhikkhu Bodhi, Kate Crosby, Gil Fronsdal, Kathleen Gregory, Funie Hsu, Roger R. Jackson, Charles B. Jones, David L. McMahan, Richard K. Payne, Ron Purser, Sarah Shaw, Philippe Turenne, and Pamela D. Winfield.

This easy-to-understand translation of one of the earliest surviving Buddhist texts offers a pathway to awakening that is simple, straightforward, and free of religious doctrine One of the earliest of all Buddhist texts, the Atthakavagga, or “Book of Eights,” is a remarkable document, not only because it comes from the earliest strain of the literature—before the Buddha, as the title suggests, came to be thought of as a “Buddhist”—but also because its approach to awakening is so simple and free of adherence to any kind of ideology. Instead the Atthakavagga points to a direct and simple approach for attaining peace without requiring the adherence to doctrine. The value of the teachings it contains is not in the profundity of their philosophy or in their authority as scripture; rather, the value is found in the results they bring to those who live by them. Instead of doctrines to be believed, the “Book of Eights” describes means or practices for realizing peace. Gil Fronsdal’s rigorous translation with commentary reveals the text to be of interest not only to Buddhists, but also to the ever-growing demographic of spiritual-but-not-religious, who seek a spiritual life outside the structures of religion.

The Dhammapada is the most widely read Buddhist scripture in existence, enjoyed by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. This classic text of teaching verses from the earliest period of Buddhism in India conveys the philosophical and practical foundations of the Buddhist tradition. The text presents two distinct goals for leading a spiritual life: the first is attaining happiness in this life (or in future lives); the second goal is the achievement of spiritual liberation, freedom, absolute peace. Many of the key themes of the verses are presented in dichotomies or pairs, for example, grief and suffering versus joy; developing the mind instead of being negligent about one's mental attitude and conduct; virtuous action versus misconduct; and being truthful versus being deceitful. The purpose of these contrasts is, very simply, to describe the difference between what leads to desirable outcomes and what does not. For centuries, this text has been studied in its original Pali, the canonical language of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. This fresh new translation from Insight Mediation teacher and Pail translator Gil Fronsdal is both highly readable and scholarly authoritative. With extensive explanatory notes, this edition combines a rigorous attention to detail in bringing forth the original text with the translator's personal knowledge of the Buddhist path. It is the first truly accurate and highly readable translation of this text to be published in English.

Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice. An inspiring and very accessible compilation of essays and edited talks on the Buddhist practice of mindfulness. As Gil Fronsdal states, "the search for the issue at hand is the search for what is closest at hand, for what is directly seen, heard, smelt, tasted, felt, and cognized in the present." Gil brings the practice of mindfulness not only to formal meditation but to all the varying aspects of every day life.

Essais portant sur la pratique Bouddhiste de l'attention: une compilation très accessible et motivante d'essais et d'exposés portant sur la pratique bouddhiste de l'attention. Comme le dit Gil Fronsdal: "essayer de toucher le coeur du sujet signifie essayer de toucher ce qui est à portée de main: ce qui peut-ètre vu, entendu, senti, goûté, ressenti et directement connu dans le présent." Gil applique la pratique de l'attention non seulement à la méditation formelle, mais à tous les différents aspects de la vie quotidienne.

This book is an engaging collection of essays, reflections and practices on the Five Hindrances, the primary obstacles to mindfulness and serenity in the teachings of the Buddha. With his characteristic clarity, born from decades of meditation practice and teaching, Gil Fronsdal demonstrates how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones on the path of freedom.

Ensayos budistas sobre la atencion plena; una accesible e inspiradora compilacion de ensayos y platicas editadas sobre la practica budista de la atencion plena. Como el autor afirma, "la busqueda del meollo del asunto inmediato es la busqueda de lo que esta mas a la mano, ya que lo que se ve directamente, se oye, se huele, se saborea es la cognicion del presente." Gil Fronsdal aporta la practica de la atencion plena no solo a la meditacion formal, sino tambien a todos los diversos aspectos de la vida cotidiana.