Jhanas Advice . com

What's New

-- The new version of our book, entitled Practicing the Jhanas, published by Shambhala Publications, is now available! Use this hotlink to read more or purchase a copy. http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/isbn/978-1-59030-733-5.cfm. We were nonored to able to present a copy to Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw in person in October.
-- We have received the first review of our book, from Wisdom Quarterly. It is a great review--check it out at http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.com/2009/11/practicing-jhanas-book-review.html.
-- Our next retreat will be held from Dec. 27-Jan. 10, 2010. This is a 2-week retreat, with a few 1-week spaces available. As of Nov. 1, the retreat was about 2/3 full and we expect it to sell out, so if you would like to attend we encourage you to register as soon as possible, at www.CloudMountain.org.
Our last retreat at Cloud Mountain retreat center in July 2009, had a full house of 40 people. We were very impressed with the yogis' dedication to practice and are looking forward to future retreats at Cloud Mountain.
We were honored to be asked by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw to teach to the Burmese Buddhist community here in the San Francisco Bay Area in November. The Sayadaw presided over the meeting, which included about 150 attendees. For a photo, please see our Events page.
Our original book, Jhanas Advice from Two Spiritual Friends, is sold out. It was purchased by more than 550 people in 31 countries on six continents. Our new book contains one new chapter, "First Sit to First Jhana", as well as an expanded section on Purification of Mind.
Our talks from when we taught with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw at the Forest Refuge last year are available for download on www.DharmaSeed.org.

What is the Jhana Practice?

The jhana practice is an ancient type of concentration meditation that predates written history as a method to purify the mind. It was taught to the Buddha by his teachers, and he practiced and taught the jhanas throughout his life. This practice was so important to him, that jhana meditation was his last act before he died.

Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw of Burma is considered by many to be the leading Buddhist jhana teacher alive today. Tina Rasmussen and Stephen Snyder were taught personally by the Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, who has authorized them as the first Western lay people to teach these practices as the Sayadaw taught them. Their book, Practicing the Jhanas, is an accessible and direct experiential account of jhana practice. Their book has been endorsed by the Sayadaw, Joseph Goldstein, Guy Armstrong, Richard Shankman, Rick Hanson, and others, and is published by Shambhala Publications.

They now offer several services to practitioners interested in the jhana practice. Their services are for both experienced meditators interested in deepening their concentration practice, as well as new meditators beginning a concentration practice. They offer:
- Daylong intensives
- Dharma talks at your location
- One-on-one spiritual guidance
- Free downloads of dharma talks on the jhanas practice

Click here for more information About Us or the Services we offer.

Click here to download the Anapanasati Meditation Instructions Card

Stephen & Tina with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw August 2009

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