Review of 'The importance of Vedanā and Sampajañña' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Structured as a collection of papers, essays, and articles, this book is a bit difficult to review as a "book." It's very thoughtfully put together and examines the material in question (sampajanna) from a number of angles. Like most technical Theravada literature, the contents will really only make sense to someone who has practiced the specific techniques referenced in the book. At a minimum, one 8-Day Satipatthana Sutta course, in the Goenka/U Ba Khin tradition, will be required for the reader to get much value out of the read. Given this prerequisite, however, this is a very worthwhile read for all serious Vipassana meditators.
If someone is interested in the contents but unsure if it yet applies to their practice, reading any one essay at random will give you a flavour for the rest of the book. It is highly repetitive — intended more for the purposes of inspiration than …
Structured as a collection of papers, essays, and articles, this book is a bit difficult to review as a "book." It's very thoughtfully put together and examines the material in question (sampajanna) from a number of angles. Like most technical Theravada literature, the contents will really only make sense to someone who has practiced the specific techniques referenced in the book. At a minimum, one 8-Day Satipatthana Sutta course, in the Goenka/U Ba Khin tradition, will be required for the reader to get much value out of the read. Given this prerequisite, however, this is a very worthwhile read for all serious Vipassana meditators.
If someone is interested in the contents but unsure if it yet applies to their practice, reading any one essay at random will give you a flavour for the rest of the book. It is highly repetitive — intended more for the purposes of inspiration than intellectual stimulation.