First, I wish to thank New World Library for kindly agreeing to publish this work; Jason Gardner for guiding the book along; and Jeff Campbell for patiently and thoughtfully editing.
No meditative practice happens without a lot of support and guidance from teachers, colleagues, and centers that preserve and nurture the teachings and practice of mindfulness and wisdom. For that, I have deep respect and appreciation for the teachers and practitioners in the Buddhist tradition who have carefully preserved, taught, and developed the body of mindfulness teachings these past 2,600 years. And of course, profound appreciation for Siddhartha Gautama, who originally birthed this revolutionary practice of mindfulness in the forests of northern India.
In particular, I have much gratitude for my teachers who have taught me the range and depth of mindfulness practice as a path of wisdom and awakening. They include my Insight Meditation teachers Christopher Titmuss, Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Sharon Salzberg; my teachers from the Thai Forest tradition; Stephen Batchelor for his original perspectives on the teachings; Analayo for his lucidity around Satipatthana practice; and Sangharakshita, who first opened the door to meditation practice for me. Lastly, deep appreciation for Martin Aylward, my dear friend and cocreator of the Mindfulness Training Institute, for his friendship and for creating with me a worldwide teaching community that has guided my understanding of the needs of mindfulness teachers and students in the United States, Europe, and beyond.
Many thanks to those who supported me to write this book, giving suggestions and guidance along the way as well as reading earlier drafts, including Hugh Delaney, Lori Schwanbeck, Sharda Rogell, Dawn Mauricio, Gokce Bulgan, Kelly Boys, Bob Licht, Leslie Butterfield, and others.
Special thanks to my beloved partner, Lori, most of all for her love and generous heart, but also for her suggestions and continuing support, wisdom, and guidance as I walk this path of teaching, writing, and training.
Finally, I’d like to express my ongoing appreciation for all the students who have studied with me around the world — from the wilderness of Baja, Mexico, to the tranquil abode of meditation centers, to hospitals, clinics, prisons, and boardrooms. Some of their stories of how mindfulness has supported them in life are peppered throughout this book, and I wish to thank all those who shared anecdotes. It is for these students that I have written these words, and I hope that this book will both serve their deeper understanding of mindfulness and support their fuller awakening.