Table Of ContentPSYCHOLOGY/SELF-HELP/STRESSMANAGEMENT
W “Offers a potential cure for the chronic distractibility
“Indispensable for anyone wanting to understand the mind.” A
L that has become the norm in modern life.”
—PaulEkman,authorof TellingLiesandEmotionsRevealed L
A
C —from the foreword by Daniel Goleman
E
Meditationoffers,amongotherbenefits,amethodforachievingpreviouslyinconceiv-
The
ablelevelsof concentration.AuthorB.AlanWallacehasnearlythirtyyears’practice
inattention-enhancingmeditation,includinganextendedretreatheperformedunder A t t e n t i o n
T
the guidance of the Dalai Lama. An active participant in the much-publicized dia-
h
loguesbetweenBuddhistsandscientists,Wallaceisuniquelyqualifiedtospeaktoboth
e
camps.TheAttentionRevolutionisthedefinitivepresentationof hisknowledge.
A
Afterpointingouttheilleffectsthatfollowfromaninabilitytofocus,Wallacemoves
on to explore a systematic path of meditation that deepens the capacity for sustained t
t R e vo l u t i o n
concentration.Alongtheway,Wallacealsoprovidesinterludes—complementaryprac-
e
ticesforcultivatinglove,compassion,andclarityinourlives.
n
Attentionisthekeythatmakespersonalchangepossible,andthegoodnewsisthat
t
itcanbetrained.Thisbookshowshow.
i
o
n
R
“Thisisthebestkindof practicalmanual:abalanceof clearinstruction,theoretical
e
background,andpersonalsharing.AlanWallacenevertalksdowntoyou;hiscalm
v
authority,bornof yearsof practiceunderthebestof teachers,shinesthrough.
o
U N L O C K I N G
Irecommendthisbooktothoseof anyspiritualtradition—ornone—whowish
l
togrowashumanbeings.”
u
—TheReverendAnthonyFreeman,
t
editorof theJournalof ConsciousnessStudies i T H E P O W E R O F
o
“Wallaceofferscogentobservationsongenuinehappiness n
asasymptomof ahealthy,balancedmind.”
—Spirituality&Practice T H E F O C U S E D M I N D
ISBN0-86171-276-5 US$16.95
ISBN13:978-0-8617-1276-2 B. ALAN WALLACE, PH.D.
WisdomPublications•Boston
wisdompubs.org
wisdom
MORE PRAISE FOR B. ALAN WALLACE
AND THE ATTENTION REVOLUTION
“Aboldlittlebook.Itssubtitleisaboastandalure,echoingthemuscular
self-helpbooksthatpromisetomakeyoubetter,stronger,faster.The
AttentionRevolutionfollowsarigorousten-stageframeworkformeditation
describedbyaneighth-centuryIndianBuddhistcontemplative,butWal-
lacerepeatsoftenthatyoudon’thavetosubscribetoanyparticularcreed
toexperiencethebenefitshere—youjusthavetodothework.”
—ShambhalaSun
“Analyticalyetpractical,Wallace’sstyleconveys
veryclearinstructionswithcalmauthority.”
—Mandala
“Attentionisperhapsourmostpreciouscommodity.AlanWallace
providesatutorialofarigorousformofattentiontraining,shamatha
meditation,describedinBuddhisttextsandpractices.Wallacenotes
thatcurrentinterpretationsofmeditationpracticessuchasmindful-
nessmaynotreflectthe[Buddha’s]originalintent.Inthecurrentrush
toapplymanyEasterntraditionstoourWesternculture,somevery
importantelementsoftheoriginalteachingsandpracticesrunthe
riskofbeinglost.Thiscarefulstudyislikelytolessensuchlosses.”
—SusanL.Smalley,Ph.D.,Professor,UCLASchoolofMedicine
“WallaceisoneofthegreatWesternBuddhistthinkersofourday.”
—HowardCutler,co-authorofTheArtofHappiness
“TheAttentionRevolutionisnotonlyforanyonewhoattemptsto
meditate,butforallofuswhoaspiretocultivatethequalityof
everyinstantofourlives.”
—MatthieuRicard,authorof
Happiness:AGuidetoDevelopingLife'sMostImportantSkill
“Splendid.Wecouldnotwishforawiser,morecompassionateandmore
experiencedguidethanAlanWallace.[…]Icannotrecommendthis
booktoohighly.Itisajoytoread.Havingpracticed(andstruggledwith)
meditationformanyyearsandwrittenaboutitonanumberofoccasions
myself,IfindthatAlananswersmanyofthequestionsandconfusionsI
stillcarrywithme.Thereislittlemoretosay.Buythebook,enjoyit
and—ifyouwill—allowyourselftobechangedbyit.”
—ProfessorDavidFontana,inNetwork:TheScientificandMedicalNetworkReview
“Thisbookisabrilliantcomprehensiveanalysisonthestagesofthe
developmentofattentionalbalanceandwillbeaclassicinthefield.”
—JoanHalifax,abbotofUpayaZenCenterandauthor
ofTheFruitfulDarkness
“You’llputitdownfeelingthatmeditationisn’taboutsomeexistential
leaptoanotheretherealplane,butratherthegradualandincremental
developmentofwhatisourstobeginwith.”
—Elephant
“Wallaceisexceptionallyqualifiedtoengageintheemergingresearch
collaborationsbetweenneuroscientistsandBuddhists.Inthisnewbook,
heinstructsreadersinaten-stagecourseofattention-enhancingmedita-
tion,whichincludestheoreticalbackgroundandWallace’spersonalsto-
ries.Thebookisshort—butundertakingthepracticesandreapingtheir
benefitsarealifelongendeavor.”
—Shift
THE ATTENTION REVOLUTION
The
Attention
Revolution
UNLOCKING
THE POWER OF
THE FOCUSED MIND
B. ALAN WALLACE, PH.D.
foreword by Daniel Goleman
WisdomPublications •Boston
WisdomPublications,Inc.
199ElmStreet
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www.wisdompubs.org
©2006B.AlanWallace
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includingphotography,recording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystemor
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Wallace,B.Alan.
Theattentionrevolution:unlockingthepowerofthefocusedmind/B.AlanWallace.—
1stWisdomed.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0–86171–276–5(pbk.:alk.paper)
1. Samatha(Buddhism)2. Attention—Religiousaspects—Buddhism. I.Title.
BQ7805.W332006
294.3’4435—dc22 2005037195
ISBN0–86171–276–5
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•••
CONTENTS
ForewordbyDanielGoleman ix
Preface xi
Introduction 1
THE BEGINNING STAGES: MINDING THE BREATH
Stage1:DirectedAttention 13
Interlude:Loving-Kindness 23
Stage2:ContinuousAttention 29
Interlude:Compassion 39
Stage3:ResurgentAttention 43
Interlude:EmpatheticJoy 57
Stage4:CloseAttention 59
Interlude:Equanimity 69
THE INTERMEDIATE STAGES: SETTLING THE MIND
Stage5:TamedAttention 77
Interlude:Tonglen—“GivingandTaking” 95
Stage6:PacifiedAttention 99
Interlude:LucidDreaming—DaytimePractice 111
Stage7:FullyPacifiedAttention 117
Interlude:LucidDreaming—NighttimePractice 125
CONTENTS CONTENTS
VVIIIIII
THE ADVANCED STAGES: ILLUMINATING AWARENESS
Stage8:Single-PointedAttention 131
Interlude:DreamYoga—DaytimePractice 139
Stage9:AttentionalBalance 143
Interlude:DreamYoga—NighttimePractice 149
Stage10:Shamatha 155
Conclusion:ALookAhead 167
Appendix:SynopsisoftheNineStages 174
Notes 177
Bibliography 185
Index 191
•••
FOREWORD BY DANIEL GOLEMAN
very contemplative tradition has had its guidance manuals, the pre-
E
cious directions that seasoned practitioners pass on to future genera-
tions.AlanWallacehasdoneusallagreatservice,distillingcenturies
ofpracticalwisdomonthepathofshamathaintoanaccessible,ready-to-use
format,ahandbookforaprofoundinnerjourney.
Alan is uniquely suited to this task: he holds a remarkable intellectual
andcontemplativepedigree.WhenheandIfirstcrossedpaths,Alanwasa
monkintheTibetantraditionofBuddhism,practicingunderthepersonal
tutelageoftheDalaiLama.Whenwenextmet,Alanwasstudyingphilos-
ophyofscienceandquantumphysicsatAmherstCollege.Bythetimehe
gothisdoctorateincomparativereligionatStanfordUniversity,Alanhad
long been publishing a steady stream of scholarly books, ranging from
inquiriesintothemetaphysicsofsciencetotranslationsofcomplexTibetan
philosophicaltexts.
ButthroughallthisintellectualpilgrimageAlanwaspreparingforwhat
may be his true calling: as meditation practitioner and teacher. Over the
years he would disappear for months at a time, to practice meditation on
retreatinthefoothillsoftheHimalayasorinthehighSierrasemi-desertof
California’sOwensValley.AlongthewayAlanbegantosharewhathehad
practiced,teachingretreatsonshamathameditation.
And since leaving his academic post at the University of California at
SantaBarbaratoheadtheSantaBarbaraInstituteforConsciousnessStud-
ies, Alan has been catalyzing a landmark research program: he will lead a
largegroupofmeditatorsinamonths-longretreatdesignedtohonetheir
