Three Steps to Awakening

A unique three-phase model for meditation practice that ties together elements of the various Buddhist traditions and that is remarkably adaptable to modern life and changing situations. This book represents the distillation of Larry Rosenberg's more than forty years of teaching. Drawing on the various Buddhist traditions in which he has practiced, he describes three subtly different but complementary forms of meditation practice: (1) breath awareness, (2) breath as anchor, and (3) choiceless awareness. Having the three methods in one's repertoire gives one meditation resources for any life situation. In a time of stress, for example, one might use breath awareness exclusively. Or on an extended retreat, one might find choiceless awareness more appropriate. The three-step method has been taught to Larry's students at the Cambridge Meditation Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for many years. After teaching the three-step method, Larry goes on to show how to bring the awareness gained in meditation to the world off the cushion, into relationships and into all areas of daily life.