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Mindfulness in Action: Making Friends with Yourself through Meditation and Everyday Awareness
“One of the great spiritual leaders of all times” offers mindfulness meditations and guidance on how to bring awareness into everyday life with “an illuminating wisdom that dances through every page” (Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance) The rewards of mindfulness practice are well reduced stress, improved concentration, and an overall sense of well-being. But those benefits are just the beginning. Mindfulness in action—mindfulness applied throughout life—can help us work more effectively with life’s challenges, expanding our appreciation and potential for creative engagement. This guide to mindful awareness through meditation provides all the basics to get you started, but also goes deeper to address the questions that naturally arise as your practice matures and further insight arises. A distillation of teachings on the subject by one of the great meditation masters of our time, this book serves as an introduction to the practice as well as a guide to the ongoing mindful journey. “Mindfulness is the direct path to insight—and no one has ever illuminated that wonderful path more skillfully than Chögyam Trungpa.” —Pema Chödrön
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2014
181 people are currently reading
1014 people want to read
About the author
Chögyam Trungpa
132 books805 followersVidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (Tibetan: ཆོས་ རྒྱམ་ དྲུང་པ་ Wylie: Chos rgyam Drung pa; also known as Dorje Dradul of Mukpo, Surmang Trungpa, after his monastery, or Chökyi Gyatso, of which Chögyam is an abbreviation) was a Buddhist meditation master, scholar, teacher, poet, and artist. He was the 11th descendent in the line of Trungpa tulkus of the Kagyü school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was also trained in the Nyingma tradition, the oldest of the four schools, and was an adherent of the rimay or "non-sectarian" movement within Tibetan Buddhism, which aspired to bring together and make available all the valuable teachings of the different schools, free of sectarian rivalry.
Trungpa was a significant figure in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism to the West, founding Naropa University and establishing the Shambhala Training method, a presentation of the Buddhadharma largely devoid of ethnic trappings. In 1963, he moved to England to study comparative religion, philosophy, and fine arts at Oxford University. During this time, he also studied Japanese flower arranging and received an instructors degree from the Sogetsu school of ikebana. In 1967, he moved to Scotland, where he founded the Samye Ling meditation centre.
Shortly thereafter, a variety of experiences—including a car accident that left him partially paralyzed on the left side of his body—led him to give up his monastic vows and work as a lay teacher. In 1969, he published Meditation in Action , the first of fourteen books on the spiritual path published during his lifetime. The following year he married Diana Pybus and moved to the United States, where he established his first North American meditation centre, Tail of the Tiger (now known as Karmê-Chöling) in Barnet, Vermont.
In 1986, he moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, where hundreds of his students had settled. That Autumn, after years of heavy alcohol use, he had a cardiac arrest, and he died of heart failure the following Spring. His legacy is carried on by his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, under the banner of Shambhala International and the Nalanda Translation Committee.
Trungpa was a significant figure in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism to the West, founding Naropa University and establishing the Shambhala Training method, a presentation of the Buddhadharma largely devoid of ethnic trappings. In 1963, he moved to England to study comparative religion, philosophy, and fine arts at Oxford University. During this time, he also studied Japanese flower arranging and received an instructors degree from the Sogetsu school of ikebana. In 1967, he moved to Scotland, where he founded the Samye Ling meditation centre.
Shortly thereafter, a variety of experiences—including a car accident that left him partially paralyzed on the left side of his body—led him to give up his monastic vows and work as a lay teacher. In 1969, he published Meditation in Action , the first of fourteen books on the spiritual path published during his lifetime. The following year he married Diana Pybus and moved to the United States, where he established his first North American meditation centre, Tail of the Tiger (now known as Karmê-Chöling) in Barnet, Vermont.
In 1986, he moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, where hundreds of his students had settled. That Autumn, after years of heavy alcohol use, he had a cardiac arrest, and he died of heart failure the following Spring. His legacy is carried on by his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, under the banner of Shambhala International and the Nalanda Translation Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 27, 2015
This book contains edited works of Chogyam Trungpa. But even though Caroly Rose Gimian wrote/edited it, it sounds just like Chogyam Trungpa.
Mindfulness in Action starts off with basics and can appear at first read to be a simple presentation of mindfulness. No. It isn't. On second read, it gets down to some deep aspects of meditation and being mindful in daily life to know oneself and to love oneself and others. Great book.
Mindfulness in Action starts off with basics and can appear at first read to be a simple presentation of mindfulness. No. It isn't. On second read, it gets down to some deep aspects of meditation and being mindful in daily life to know oneself and to love oneself and others. Great book.
March 17, 2020
Summary: A nice way of thinking about the self and mindfulness. It's not about clearing the mind, but about getting to know oneself through the actual act. Through that there is both control and a need not to control. There is greater access to joy.
Please consider checking out my vlog on Instagram: WhereIsMayLing or on Youtube: Diary of a Speed Reader
p. 13 - "Friendship with yourself is the basis and the goal of the practice of meditation.
p. 32 - "The purpose of the practice of meditation is to experience the gaps. We do nothing essentially and see what that brings - either discomfort or relief, whatever the case may be.... The peace we experience in meditation is simply this state of doing nothing, which is experiencing the absence of speed."
p. 41-42 - They talk about aloneness and our constant escape from it, but in truth we all are born and die alone. The constant escape from aloneness and not being comfortable with being alone can cause massive discontent. There is wisdom in that loneliness. You can understand your connection to other people's loneliness.
p. 47-48 - On indecisiveness. He talks about the fact that only you can answer that. When you ask for advice you ask for someone else to hear it the way you are presenting it and help you reflect. Interesting to think of the component of that. It is not pure logic or some sort of subjectivity that you are asking for. Also, there are 4d, the past, the present, the future and the gap. Decisions can come from the gap. The gap is the bordo. it's the true self that exists outside of those 3.
p. 53 - "The practice of meditation is about trusting yourself." "Compassion is not logical. It's basically spacious and generous. A compassionate person might not be sure whether he is being compassionate to you or whether you are being compassionate to him, because compassion creates a total environment of generosity. Generosity just happens, rather than you making it happen. It's just there, without direction, without me, with out "for them."
p. 55 - "Action without compassion is like planting a dead tree. It will never grow."
p. 93 - Being mindful is both being there without really being so engulfed that you're there. It's like stroking a kitten. Gentle, not so invested, but also completely there in loving kindness.
Please consider checking out my vlog on Instagram: WhereIsMayLing or on Youtube: Diary of a Speed Reader
p. 13 - "Friendship with yourself is the basis and the goal of the practice of meditation.
p. 32 - "The purpose of the practice of meditation is to experience the gaps. We do nothing essentially and see what that brings - either discomfort or relief, whatever the case may be.... The peace we experience in meditation is simply this state of doing nothing, which is experiencing the absence of speed."
p. 41-42 - They talk about aloneness and our constant escape from it, but in truth we all are born and die alone. The constant escape from aloneness and not being comfortable with being alone can cause massive discontent. There is wisdom in that loneliness. You can understand your connection to other people's loneliness.
p. 47-48 - On indecisiveness. He talks about the fact that only you can answer that. When you ask for advice you ask for someone else to hear it the way you are presenting it and help you reflect. Interesting to think of the component of that. It is not pure logic or some sort of subjectivity that you are asking for. Also, there are 4d, the past, the present, the future and the gap. Decisions can come from the gap. The gap is the bordo. it's the true self that exists outside of those 3.
p. 53 - "The practice of meditation is about trusting yourself." "Compassion is not logical. It's basically spacious and generous. A compassionate person might not be sure whether he is being compassionate to you or whether you are being compassionate to him, because compassion creates a total environment of generosity. Generosity just happens, rather than you making it happen. It's just there, without direction, without me, with out "for them."
p. 55 - "Action without compassion is like planting a dead tree. It will never grow."
p. 93 - Being mindful is both being there without really being so engulfed that you're there. It's like stroking a kitten. Gentle, not so invested, but also completely there in loving kindness.
May 7, 2018
Polska okładka jest w stanie odstraszyć niemal każdodniowego od lektury. A szkoda, bo książka jest bardzo wartościowa. To kompendium wiedzy na temat medytacji dla ludzi i zaawansowanych w praktyce, ale też dla żółtodziobów. :) Można się z niej wiele dowiedzieć i o tym, jak medytować, i o tym, co daje medytacja i jak się zmienia jej proces w trakcie praktyki, i w końcu o tym, jak wpływa na nasz rozwój i jak wspaniałym jest wynalazkiem. Dlatego zachęcam do czytania, studiowania i praktykowania.
March 4, 2018
Truly enlightening. Great insightful guidance. This is a very important book for each and every one who are on the path of mindfulness.
May 14, 2016
I am still not great friends with myself, but I really must take this back today. I have been trying hard to take this author's words to heart, but I've been finding such a concrete barrier. What is it? Do I really still just need to relax? Am I that hard-hearted?
I'll keep trying every day, but this is the day I ought to give this back.
I'll keep trying every day, but this is the day I ought to give this back.
March 24, 2020
Meditation in action or mindfulness in action is a treasure trove of Chogyam Trungpa.
To his credit, Trungpa, a meditation master, is the first person who introduced the teaching and practicing meditation and mindfulness in the West including Europe and North America.
Born in 1940 in Tibet where he also served as governor of Tibet, he moved to India after communist Chinese takeover of Tibet government. He walked for 10 months on foot reaching India where he lived for some years. Then, he journeyed to Europe and studied at Oxford University for several years. He set up the first meditation center in Scotland in 1967. In early 1970s, he traveled to North America where he delivered his talks on meditation and mindfulness in Canada and USA until his breath last in 1987. He with others established Naropa University where he taught meditation. Amongst his students many leaders benefitted from his teachings. Prominent amongst them is Daniel Goleman, who pioneered EQ 1990s.
Editor, Carolyn Rose Gimian compiled this book from audio and video sources of talks delivered by Chogyam Trungpa.
The book is replete with treasure ideas on meditation beautifully arranged from early stages for beginners from single meditation to group from sitting to walking and from meditation to post-meditation practice.
A worth read and recommended book for anyone interested in mindfulness and meditation.
To his credit, Trungpa, a meditation master, is the first person who introduced the teaching and practicing meditation and mindfulness in the West including Europe and North America.
Born in 1940 in Tibet where he also served as governor of Tibet, he moved to India after communist Chinese takeover of Tibet government. He walked for 10 months on foot reaching India where he lived for some years. Then, he journeyed to Europe and studied at Oxford University for several years. He set up the first meditation center in Scotland in 1967. In early 1970s, he traveled to North America where he delivered his talks on meditation and mindfulness in Canada and USA until his breath last in 1987. He with others established Naropa University where he taught meditation. Amongst his students many leaders benefitted from his teachings. Prominent amongst them is Daniel Goleman, who pioneered EQ 1990s.
Editor, Carolyn Rose Gimian compiled this book from audio and video sources of talks delivered by Chogyam Trungpa.
The book is replete with treasure ideas on meditation beautifully arranged from early stages for beginners from single meditation to group from sitting to walking and from meditation to post-meditation practice.
A worth read and recommended book for anyone interested in mindfulness and meditation.
September 21, 2023
3.5 Stars
I feel like it's not the most accessible book I've read on mindfulness. Trungpa seems to have little patience for practicing Westerners, which comes through in the writing. In the first half of the book, the breakdown of the practice is great, and really easy to follow. He's obviously a master, and if you follow this guidance you will see a difference in your life. In the 2nd half of the book, the metaphors are long and hard to follow, and there's quite a bit of negativity (meditation won't do this, don't expect that, etc.) that kind of gave me a headache. You may come away being more confused about your thinking than when you went in.
I recommend reading books by Pema Chödrön (who learned from Trungpa) first. She's direct but with a more relatable, kinder touch.
I feel like it's not the most accessible book I've read on mindfulness. Trungpa seems to have little patience for practicing Westerners, which comes through in the writing. In the first half of the book, the breakdown of the practice is great, and really easy to follow. He's obviously a master, and if you follow this guidance you will see a difference in your life. In the 2nd half of the book, the metaphors are long and hard to follow, and there's quite a bit of negativity (meditation won't do this, don't expect that, etc.) that kind of gave me a headache. You may come away being more confused about your thinking than when you went in.
I recommend reading books by Pema Chödrön (who learned from Trungpa) first. She's direct but with a more relatable, kinder touch.
March 20, 2021
Things I noted:
- We often approach life as though we were defending ourselves from an attack. Many of us, when we were growing up, were frequently reprimanded in ways that made us feel bad about ourselves. Whether the criticism came from our parents a teacher at school, or someone else, it tended to reinforce a feeling that there was something wrong with us. Criticism often produced a feeling of isolation, a feeling of you and me, separated by a great divide. We learned many defense mechanisms at an early age, thinking that a good defense would be the best protection from further reproach.
- The term ego can be used to describe ego-mania, which is self-indulgence and a style of self that is looking for security and survival, trying to establish the certainty of one's existence.
- You may view your practice as overcoming obstacles that appear on the path, or you may regard the obstacles themselves as the path.
- Learn to look at things from an existential point of view - allowing things to exist - rather than trying to even them out or bulldoze the whole landscape. With this view, fighting or resisting isn't necessary.
- We often approach life as though we were defending ourselves from an attack. Many of us, when we were growing up, were frequently reprimanded in ways that made us feel bad about ourselves. Whether the criticism came from our parents a teacher at school, or someone else, it tended to reinforce a feeling that there was something wrong with us. Criticism often produced a feeling of isolation, a feeling of you and me, separated by a great divide. We learned many defense mechanisms at an early age, thinking that a good defense would be the best protection from further reproach.
- The term ego can be used to describe ego-mania, which is self-indulgence and a style of self that is looking for security and survival, trying to establish the certainty of one's existence.
- You may view your practice as overcoming obstacles that appear on the path, or you may regard the obstacles themselves as the path.
- Learn to look at things from an existential point of view - allowing things to exist - rather than trying to even them out or bulldoze the whole landscape. With this view, fighting or resisting isn't necessary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2025
Mindfulness in Action is simple, clear, and piercing in the best way. It’s not an abstract book, it meets you right where you are, in the middle of your everyday life, and offers a way to be more awake in it, not apart from it. Chogyam Trungpa doesn’t present mindfulness as some lofty practice to master but as a way to relate to life in an honest, open manner. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to bring more awareness into the small, often-overlooked moments that actually make up a life.
July 14, 2017
Simple but not simplistic. This is a very powerful book. Knowing that he was Pema Chödrön's teacher made it all the more wonderful. I can see where she gets some of her wisdom and style and sense of humor.
A fantastic book for anyone curious in how to get started with meditation and where it can take you.
A fantastic book for anyone curious in how to get started with meditation and where it can take you.
December 10, 2017
An edited compilation of Trungpa’s teachings spanning the late 70s and early 80s. Insightful, and clear describing how through the process of meditation we can develop mindfulness which over time and practice will lead to an expanded awareness. Also clearly teaches that nobody can do the work for you, you must put your own time and energy into the cushion!
May 25, 2019
Bought this book a couple of years ago from the bargain shelves at Barnes and Noble but just recently read it because I've just recently begun incorporating mindfulness techniques into my daily meditation practice. Very informative....
March 10, 2020
2.5 stars. I was expecting more from this book. I found it rather boring and the examples pretty silly and unrelatable. I didn't really get anything from it besides how to hold my mouth during meditation.
March 30, 2023
Love the first chapter of the book. Very good for someone who wants to start meditation and doesn't know where or how to start.
The second chapter is kind of depressing. Very vague. Honestly I feel a bit lost. It sounds like there is nothing wrong and nothing right.
The second chapter is kind of depressing. Very vague. Honestly I feel a bit lost. It sounds like there is nothing wrong and nothing right.
July 9, 2017
Slow to finish because my Yoga Training ended. I'm glad I put in the time to complete this. I wish he expanded a bit more on the 4th moment/gap. Easy to read and understand.
March 12, 2019
I prefer Meditation In Action, but there is much to appreciate in this collection as well.
May 16, 2019
Wasn't feeling this one.
Read
August 22, 2022Cool 😁
November 14, 2023
This book reinforced my understanding and practice of meditation. I like the analogy of making friends with myself.
March 17, 2019
This book was a lifesaver for me.
I was struggling with the problem of forcing my breath during mindfulness.
I found my answers in this book.
Chogyam Trungpa is a fine teacher.
His instructions will set you on the right path.
Do read !
I was struggling with the problem of forcing my breath during mindfulness.
I found my answers in this book.
Chogyam Trungpa is a fine teacher.
His instructions will set you on the right path.
Do read !
September 2, 2016
Mindfulness in Action is my first introduction to Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's teachings and I couldn't be more delighted--sometimes startled--by the fresh metaphors, lucid explanations, and Westerner-friendly examples he slings around. I have a renewed appreciation for the potency of mindfulness practice. The editing was so well done that it was never apparent that these chapters were cobbled together from informal dharma talks, articles, and public speeches. None of the stitching shows. I understand now why CTR was highly regarded for his ability to speak authentically to Westerner audiences. Which book should I read next?
May 11, 2016
This book HAS helped me a great deal. I am still not very chummy with myself, though, so I think that this book has not helped me as much as it possibly could have.
Then again, it probably gave me the best it could offer after how much I considered its words.
Then again, it probably gave me the best it could offer after how much I considered its words.
October 25, 2016
Ornithologists have David Sibley; Buddhist practitioners have Chogyam Trumpa -- pack this handy field guide to the exploration of the self in your carry-on suitcase. And blessings for good travels.
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June 2, 2015Overall OK but was dry in spots.
July 9, 2015
great for both beginning and experienced mindfulness meditators!
May 12, 2016
Superb.
November 1, 2016
I can see why Trungpa still has such a devoted following, he was gifted with a way with words. Will be rereading this multiple times.
Reread sept - oct 2016
Reread sept - oct 2016
January 8, 2017
A pastiche of various talks, mostly given in the early 1970s. Some interesting insights but the language isn't very readable. The afterword by the editor was clearer than most of the chapters.
May 1, 2017
Not a great fan of this one. a couple of great ideas, but the writing style made it difficult for me to benefit from the ideas.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews