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Passage Meditation: Bringing the Deep Wisdom of the Heart into Daily Life

Eknath Easwaran
Nilgiri Press (2008)
ISBN 9781586380267
Reviewed by Randy A. Lakin for RebeccasReads (6/08)

If you are someone who wants to learn more about meditation, this book is for you.  Eknath Easwaran’s book “Passage Meditation” explains what meditation is and its importance in our everyday life.  Many meditation instructors try to teach you how to empty your mind so you can meditate.  Eknath Easwaran’s approach is different, and believe me it works.  This book breaks meditation down into easy to understand terms and techniques.  Instead of a blank mind, Easwaran’s approach is to use a mantra or mantram. With this technique he teaches how to use a word, phrase or a few paragraphs that you repeat over and over.  This method helps to maintain focus and concentration.  By using the procedures laid out in this book I found that I could reach a meditative state faster and with less effort.  If you’re like me when I try to clear my mind, that just made more room for something else to pop right in there and take its place.

Eknath Easwaran also talks about slowing down your life and learning to enjoy it, as they say, “stop and smell the roses”.  When the author came to the United States from India he could not believe how fast Americans move through their daily lives.  In his village in India people moved at a healthy pace, not like we do each and every day of our lives.  How many times have you actually sat down with your friends and family to relax, talk and listen?  A lot of us will pretend to listen with the occasional nod of the head, but we’re really thinking about work tomorrow or the big game next week.  In this book, Easwaran explains how rushing through life is bad for you. You know the ones I am talking about, the type “A” personalities, or even normal people suffering from the stress of daily life.  This is what Easwaran refers to as the “Hurry Sickness”.  Did you know that all of this hurrying and stress could lead to hypertension and even heart disease itself?  He points out that once you add in a poor diet, poor sleep and other bad habit like smoking and excessive drinking you‘re taking years off your life.  I don’t know about you, but I think life is too short as it is.

I found the section on one-pointedness very interesting because it’s so true.  We have a hard time trying to concentrate on one thing at a time.  It’s also true that when you’re meditating and trying to concentrate on clearing your mind, that’s when it hits you, all of a sudden you start wondering if your favorite TV show is on tonight.  Then you’re thinking about work tomorrow, the kids or taking your pet to the vet.  I know from experience how hard it can be to stay focused, and in his book Easwaran explains how to avoid common mistakes and make it work for you.

Other areas that Easwaran covers are addressing the “Ego” and companionship.  He gives great insight into relationships and putting others first.  This book really ties everything together in a way that is very easy to understand.  I personally think that if everyone read this book and put its principles into practice, the world would be a much better place.  This is one book that deserves to be read more than once.  If you do not have a copy of this book, you’re missing out on some wonderful information.

  

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