Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

“Chasing pigeons was Ziji’s favorite thing”—Book review of Ziji: The Puppy Who Learned to Meditate
Review by Sarah Mist

Ziji is an active little puppy that is taught meditation from his new next-door neighbor in the park below their apartments.

Simple and clear meditation instructions for kids (and adults) framed around a sweet story about a puppy and family. The story has an ordinary, familiar quality that makes it all easy to relate to. My active seven-year-old son likes this book and I think it helped him to appreciate meditation in a wider context. The meditating puppy is a lovely analogy for young children.

The authors included four pages at the end entitled, “On Using this Book—A Guide for Parents and Teachers” which includes direct instructions for adults on what meditation is, and what it is not. They speak of how practical and beneficial meditation can be for children in our increasingly stressful world, and that it’s a great time to introduce when their minds are pliable and ready to learn new ideas. These instructions can take what is already an inspiring children’s book if only read aloud to a child, and transform it into a multi-faceted tool for skillfully helping children learn meditation.

★★★★ 4 stars from my seven-year-old son… (mer)

The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret & Science of Happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is fascinating. One must be familiar with the tenets of Buddhism to grasp its fullest meanings and benefits. Much of Mingyur’s discussion was focused on understanding how the mind works. As a world-renowned Buddhist, he was able to bring to bear his Tibetan background, and that of the neurosciences practiced at some American universities.
Underlying his framework, this monk taught his followers the correct ways to meditate. His teachings were based on Buddha’s philosophy, and years of personal experiences. He stressed “object” and “objectless” meditation. How to quiet one’s mind, and observe the thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and images that arise. Mention was made of an individual’s correct posture, and what it means to experience “emptiness” that doesn’t mean void.
The pictures in our head are unreal. They appear mainly through five senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. The sixth sense proprioceptive sensations are considered a mystery, for people are largely unaware of them. Mingyur stressed that many tend to rely more on a particular sense when they meditate. But regardless, his advice was to take things slowly, and be patient. He wrote that because of individual differences people tend to progress at different rates. The key was to start meditation with brief moments throughout the day, and gradually build up. Its benefits will nurture better health, peace of mind, a greater understanding of sentient beings, lovingkindness, and more compassionate living.… (mer)