Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice: A General Exposition According to the Pāli Canon of the Theravāda School

The book opens with a preface and introduction explaining the purpose, sources, and doctrinal orientation of Buddhist meditation, then proceeds through thirty-five chapters and three appendices in a systematic progression from theory to practice and realization. The early chapters establish the theoretical foundation of Buddhist meditation, including its canonical basis in the Piṭakas, key technical terms, the relation between jhāna and samādhi, the classification of meditation subjects, moral purity, removal of impediments, the need for a teacher or spiritual friend, selection of a suitable kammaṭṭhāna, proper place, time, and posture for practice. The middle chapters examine major forms of samatha and preparatory cultivation, including bodhipakkhiya-bhāvanā, kasiṇa-bhāvanā, asubha-bhāvanā, anussati, maraṇasati, kāyagatāsati, ānāpānasati, upasamānussati, the brahmavihāras and their methods, āhāre paṭikūla-saññā, catudhātu-vavatthāna, and arūpasamāpatti. The later chapters shift toward vipassanā, explaining insight meditation, the three characteristics, the seven purifications, methods of vipassanā practice, vimokkha-mukha, magga-ñāṇa, full enlightenment, iddhi-vidhā, abhiññā, samāpatti, and finally Nibbāna or Nirvāṇa as the culmination of Buddhist training. The appendices add focused treatments of abhibhāyatana, vimokkha, and satipaṭṭhāna-bhāvanā, while the bibliography and indexes support the book’s value as a scholarly reference.