Buddhist Meditation for Beginners

The title of this collection is slightly misleading. While it does introduce Buddhist meditation, it also includes lectures and interactive exercises on meditation in general, as well as specific meditations on forgiveness and opening one's heart. Jack Kornfield's voice is gentle and perfectly paced as he guides listeners through these exercises. Kornfield balances Buddhist teachings on spirituality with accounts of his own experiences and doses of self-deprecating humor. One shouldn't listen to this audio while driving because Kornfield guides listeners to reflect on inner states (often with closed eyes), but otherwise this is a strong introduction to meditation for those in any tradition. The one weakness is that because the production comprises several presentations, there is some repetition of jokes and stories. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine