Description
Book SynopsisHow to tune in to our own biology in pursuit of spiritual awakening• Provides a practical program, complete with enjoyable, even playful meditations, for realizing greater self-awareness, increased wisdom, and happiness
• Shows how recent discoveries in physics, evolutionary biology, and psychology express in scientific terms the same insights the Buddha discovered more than 2,500 years ago
• Reveals the origins of attachments, desires, emotions, and thoughts in our own bodies
Taking us on an evolutionary journey to find the origins of emotions, desires, and thoughts in our own bodies, Wes “Scoop” Nisker shows not only how cutting-edge science is proving the tenets of the Buddha but also how we can interpret the traditional practices of Buddhism through this scientific lens for more personal freedom and peace of mind.
Using the traditional Buddhist meditation series of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as a framework, Nisker offers a witty narrative along with practical meditations and exercises to train the mind to overcome painful conditioning and gain greater self-awareness, increased wisdom, and happiness. He shows how recent discoveries in physics, evolutionary biology, and psychology express in scientific terms the same insights the Buddha discovered more than 2,500 years ago, such as the impermanence of the body, where thoughts come from, and how the body communicates within itself.
Presenting a variety of new ways to harness the power of mindfulness to transform our understanding of both ourselves and the world, Nisker teaches us how to put our understanding of evolution in the service of spiritual awakening.
Trade Review“Wes Nisker is one of my all-time favorite teachers. With tremendous warmth and wit, he shows us a path to profound inner peace that is grounded in both science and the liberating insights of the Buddha. Each page of this timeless classic shines with humor, beautiful and clear writing, fascinating research--and the heartfelt invitation to find lasting love and happiness right in the middle of life itself.” * Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Buddha’s Brain *
“A brilliant and inspirational weave of Buddhist teachings and current science. Not only that, it’s a delightful read--fascinating, humorous, and profoundly engaging. Highly recommended!” * Tara Brach, Ph.D., author of Radical Acceptance *
“This book brings to life an ancient meditative wisdom that has the deepest of relevance to our lives as individuals and as a species. It is a masterful look at who we are and how great our potential is to realize our true nature here and now, before this fleeting moment we call ‘our’ life dissolves back into all life and the opportunity of a lifetime is missed.” * Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction *
“A milestone in contemporary Buddhism. Nisker grounds the Buddha’s teachings in discoveries made by the neural and evolutionary sciences. I dare you to find a book on science that is so personal or a book on meditation that is so funny and forgiving.” * Joanna Macy, Ph.D., environmental activist, Buddhist scholar, and author of A Wild Love for the Worl *
“One of the best efforts yet to bring together meditators and scientists. It is an instrument for our greater joy and achievements.” * Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022), Zen master and author of Peace Is Every Step *
“With careful and heartfelt reflections, Wes Nisker, drawing upon Buddhist practices, lays out a path whereby humanity can ride the truths of science into a sublime and joyful freedom. This book is truly a healing and historic achievement.” * Brian Swimme, Ph.D., professor of evolutionary cosmology at the California Institute of Integral Stu *
“A joy to read--an illuminating and often humorous synthesis of ancient Buddhist understanding and present-day discoveries in biology and cognitive science. Wes Nisker grounds the theory in his own deep experience of meditation, offering a wealth of practical mind-exploring exercises that transform knowledge into wisdom. It is a wonderful book.” * Joseph Goldstein, cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and author of One Dharma: The Emerging *
“What delight and illumination are contained in these pages! Science (particularly evolutionary biology) and religion have lacked a common language in which to converse--Wes Nisker’s book manages to articulate a new dialect that not only syncretizes a host of important principles but also is music to the ear.” * Ajahn Amaro, abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery and author of An Introduction to the Life and Tea *
“Nisker’s prose has always been engaging, but here he writes with greater maturity, without sacrificing the impishness that has characterized his earlier work. In time, people will consider
Being Nature as groundbreaking a work as an earlier classic of interdisciplinary synthesis,
The Tao of Physics.” * Yoga Journal *
“…in
Being Nature: A Down-to-Earth Guide to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Inner Traditions) Wes 'Scoop' Nisker has created a playfully genuine, thoroughgoing program of meditations, drawing from fields of physics, evolutionary biology, and psychology. With tender wit, Nisker provides exercises and scientific extracts to help the reader step outside of conditioned patterns. For the spiritual skeptic, he explains with curiosity and awe how recent research in science-based disciplines is increasingly offering us the same insights the Buddha experienced and taught more than 2,500 years ago. Nisker’s book is a friendly but nevertheless unflinching set of reflections and body-awareness exercises that may help the reader reframe scientific thinking and spiritual awakening as threads of the same fabric.” * Lion's Roar *
“…in
Being Nature: A Down-to-Earth Guide to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Inner Traditions) Wes “Scoop” Nisker has created a playfully genuine, thoroughgoing program of meditations, drawing from fields of physics, evolutionary biology, and psychology. With tender wit, Nisker provides exercises and scientific extracts to help the reader step outside of conditioned patterns. For the spiritual skeptic, he explains with curiosity and awe how recent research in science-based disciplines is increasingly offering us the same insights the Buddha experienced and taught more than 2,500 years ago. Nisker’s book is a friendly but nevertheless unflinching set of reflections and body-awareness exercises that may help the reader reframe scientific thinking and spiritual awakening as threads of the same fabric.” * Lion’s Roar magazine *
Table of ContentsForeword by Jack Kornfield, PhD
PROLOGUE Who Goes There?
PART ONE
To Study the Self
CHAPTER ONE
A Case of Mistaken Identity
CHAPTER TWO The Buddha Was a Biologist
PART TWO The Gift of Mindfulness
CHAPTER THREE Mindfulness: The Opposable Thumb of Consciousness
CHAPTER FOUR
The First Foundation of Mindfulness: The Body and Breath
CHAPTER FIVEThe Second Foundation of Mindfulness: The First Impression
CHAPTER SIX The Third Foundation of Mindfulness: States of Mind
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness: Thinking about Thinking
EPILOGUE
Evolving toward Enlightenment Acknowledgments
References
Index
About the Author
