Notes
Hundreds of books on Buddhism have been published in recent years, but Wake Up To Your Life is one of the first written by a traditionally trained Western teacher to offer a detailed and well explained curriculum of practice. With deep insight, clear instructions, and entertaining stories, McLeod provides a comprehensive manual for a lifetime of spiritual work. Read by the author himself, the book is even clearer in audio form - a virtual course of private instruction by one of the senior teachers in America today. Please note: because of the size of the book and the length of the recording, the actual CDs contain MP3 files, which make it possible to offer the whole book on just two CDs (instead of 16). The CDs will play on newer CD players but may not on older ones. Beginning with the context and motivation for spiritual practice, McLeod covers basic topics such as the four noble truths, the three disciplines of morality, meditation, and understanding, and the cultivation of mindfulness. He continues with contemplations on death and impermanence, karma, reactive emotions, and loving kindness and compassion, leading up to the most profound practices of the Tibetan tradition - mind training, mahamudra and dzogchen. '...remains rooted securely in the practical immediacy of direct experience and hews closely to the time-tested methods and teaching of Tibetan masters through the centuries.' (LA Times) Ken McLeod is one of the more innovative teachers of Buddhism today. Known for his ability to explain difficult and subtle teachings, "he distills the nature and purpose of Buddhism to make it accessible for any newcomer without dumbing it down." (Phil Catalfo, Yoga Journal, July 2001 in a review of Wake up to Your Life). Formerly a translator for Kalu Rinpoche and other lamas, Ken consistently goes beyond standard terminology to express the essence of Buddha's teachings in clear, precise, contemporary English. His private practice model of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the '90s, only to become an accepted way of working with students. He has pioneered new retreat formats, integrating daily individual interviews and practical application exercises with traditional meditation and teaching. And, recently, he set up a development program for teachers who are working outside established centers and institutions. Ken began his studies in 1970 under the tutelage of the late Kalu Rinpoche. After completing two three-year retreats, he was appointed to teach in Los Angeles. In 1990, he established Unfettered Mind, through which he teaches classes and retreats and sees people individually. In recent years, he has worked as a corporate consultant, advising senior executives at the highest levels of corporate America. With degrees in mathematics, training in martial arts, and years of experience in traditional Tibetan Buddhism, Ken is uniquely able to bridge the gap between contemporary life and traditional approaches to spiritual practice. Books The Great Path of Awakening, by Jamgon Kongtrul, translation and footnotes by Ken McLeod, Shambhala 1987 Wake Up To Your Life, HarperSanFrancisco, 2001 An Arrow to the Heart, translation and commentary on The Heart Sutra, Trafford, 2007.
