Here is a truly practical and direct step-by-step guide to insight meditation from a respected Sri Lankan teacher who has lived in the U.S. since 1968. Mindfulness in Plain English is a book that people give to everyone they know—a book that people talk about and return to repeatedly.

With his distinctive clarity and wit, “Bhante G”—as he is affectionately known—extends a hand to readers of all backgrounds; he takes us step by step through the myths, realities, and benefits of meditation and the practice of mindfulness. He reveals that we already have the foundation we need to live a more mindful, productive, and peaceful life. Bhante simply points to each tool of meditation, tells us what it does, and how to make it work. This expanded edition includes the complete text of its bestselling predecessor and a new chapter on the cultivation of loving-kindness, an especially important subject in today’s fractious world.

The purpose of meditation is personal transformation. The you that goes in one side of the meditation experience is not the same you that comes out the other side. It changes your character by a process of sensitization, by making you deeply aware of your own thoughts, words, and deeds. Your arrogance evaporates and your antagonism dries up. Your mind becomes still and calm. And your life smoothes out...

Meditation sharpens your concentration and your thinking power. Then, piece by piece, your subconscious mechanics become clear to you. Your intuition sharpens. The precision of your thought increases and gradually you come to a direct knowledge of things as they really are, without prejudice and without illusion. So is this reason enough to bother? Scarcely. These are just promises on paper. There is only one way you will ever know if meditation is worth the effort. Learn to do it right, and do it. See for yourself.

 “Wonderfully clear and straightforward.” —Joseph Goldstein, author of One Dharma