cover image La Meditacion Deconstruida

La Meditacion Deconstruida

Juan Ignacio Iglesias. Editorial Kairos, $15.95 (133pp) ISBN 978-84-7245-650-1

A frequent contributor to Cuadernos de Budismo, Iglesias here writes a philosophy of meditation (not a meditation manual) that transcends the differences among the individual schools of Buddhism while indicating where some of them diverge. He begins with a central thesis of Buddhist meditation: that suffering is an illusion resulting from the confusion of our true nature with ego, and meditation is the means by which we can become aware of our true nature. Part 1 provides little new information while treating perennial themes, while Part 2 endeavors to reveal the true nature of reality and the self. The first appendix suggests essential Buddhist and spiritual titles for the neophyte, and the second is dedicated to a discussion of the ""art of meditation,"" or meditation as a creative process rather than a product. Exhibiting the vocabulary of an academic philosopher with a penchant for paradoxical statements, such as ""Nothing has changed. Everything has changed,"" this is not light reading and is best suited to the reader who wants to apprehend meditation intellectually before actually engaging in it. Recommended for bookstores and libraries where interest in New Age or Eastern spirituality is high.-Carolyn Kost, Stevenson Sch. Lib., Pebble Beach, CA