Turning the Mind Into an Ally

I've read multiple books by Sakyong Mipham and Chögyam Trungpa. Turning the mind into an ally is a book that has resonated with me and my own meditative path to enlightment so far. I think this is the best book on meditation and I would recommend.

This book and Sakyong Mipham's more recent "Ruling Your World," are permanent fixtures in my library. Sometimes Buddhist writings can be difficult to understand or relate to, but this author has a Western background and is able to communicate ideas in ways that are easy to identify with for people without a background in Buddhist thought. Our culture and the media encourage "monkey mind," and it's hard to gain control of inner thought processes in a world that constantly communicates "Buy More, Do More, Be More." This book offers a means of calming the internal turmoil and developing your mind to reach its potential. Especially helpful, was the practical information on meditation, such as how to sit, what posture to assume and when to meditate. Sometimes authors assume a certain level of sophistication of their readers that is unwarranted and the discussion starts out on an esoteric level and leaves the reader wondering how to proceed. If you are new to meditation practice, the materials at the end of the book will answer your practical questions, while the chapters on calming the mind and developing your meditation practice will point you in the right direction. I also got a great deal of benefit from the chapters dealing with the pitfalls and plateaus to expect when developing a practice. I'd give this book 6 stars if I could.

This is a good book for those who are beginning meditators, those looking for information on meditation, or those who have been practicing meditation for some time. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche uses more Western language versus Tibetan or Shambhala language, which makes this easier to read and understand. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche also has expanded the traditional Shambhala meditation practice to include "contemplation" meditation.

Sakyong Mipham's writing style is simple and to the point. Sometimes you don't even know you're being hit with deep wisdom until the 2nd or 3rd time you read it, which is the way most good books seem to work. His style is very different from his father Chogyam Trungpa's. What's great about this book is that he actually explains in precise detail, using simple but profound metaphors, exactly why somebody would want to do meditation, and exactly what the benefits are for you and the people around you. His instructions are never vague and mushy the way so many new-age teachers seem to be. He makes it all accessible and the barriers to actually starting to practice meditation seem to fall away in a hurry. It's not some ancient tradition of mystic-worshippers; it's something that can inform and aid our lives right here and right now, no matter what kind of lifestyle we lead.

Karen Armstrong's The Buddha is a beautiful exposition of the life of the Buddha, but has little to say about how to bring his wisdom and compassion into our lives. Turning the Mind into an Ally is a practical guide based on profound understanding of how to stabilize, clarify and strengthen the mind so that we can bring this wisdom and compassion into our lives. The author, Sakyong Mipham, writes with clarity, directness, and authority about how to live a life of true joy and deep compassion in our modern world. The book is a deceptively simple exposition of mind transformation through the meditation technique of calm abiding. The author is a direct intellectual and heart descendant of the wisdom teachings that go back more than 2500 years. Sakyong Mipham follows the Buddha's tradition of piercing honesty about our predicament as sentient beings. He does not shy from telling the truth of suffering, impermanence, and selflessness of our existence. In these troubled times, it is wonderful to know that there is a practical and doable path of personal transformation by which we can live without deception and with loving kindness to benefit ourselves and all beings.