E-books by Tarchin Hearn
Foundations of Mindfulness: A Manual for Meditators
The Satipatthana Sutra is possibly the Buddha’s most succinct teaching for the cultivation of mindfulness and the realisation of right living. These notes were initially compiled while teaching a one month retreat at the Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre in New Zealand in the year 2000. At that time, I wanted to enter some of the essential definitions, lists of categories, correct spellings and references into my laptop in order to have them on hand as I traveled and taught. Gradually, with the encouragement of people studying with me, I have added some comments, fleshed out the grammar and this e-book has emerged.
Click here for the Introduction to Foundations of Mindfulness and a link to the entire 49 page PDF text.
Coming To Your Senses
Coming to Your Senses gives detailed instructions for cleansing and then exploring each of the five senses. This booklet was compiled after a cleansing of the senses retreat given in Tasmania in early 2002. I hope that it will serve as a practical manual for people wishing to explore this work on their own and that it will be a useful reminder for those wishing to share the work with others. It is not intended as something to just read. Rather it’s a guide to hands-on-direct experience. The heart of the booklet will be revealed in the experiences you have through actually doing the exercises and meditations.
Click here for the Prologue of Coming to Your Senses and a link to the entire 45 page PDF text.
Sangha Work
Essays, Contemplations and Practical Exercises
to Support a Community of Friends in Dharma
– Tools for a Healthy and Happy Community –
Do you have a sense of community, a sense of sangha? If you don’t, how can you find it? Assuming you have a community, does it work, does it function well? What can be done to get it working? How can we recognize sangha, heal sangha, unfold and strengthen sangha? All of these explorations come under the term, sangha work.
Click here for the Introduction and table of contents of Sangha Work and a link to the entire 68 page PDF text.
Loving Kindness
A collection of essays and articles written by a number of dharma teachers who teach regularly in NZ; compiled and edited by Tarchin Hearn.
Click here for the Introduction to Lovingkindness and a link to the entire 52 page PDF text.
Meditative First-Aid: A Doorway to Health
Ten simple exercises that will help balance your energies and bring more vitality into your life.
Click here for the Introduction to Meditative First-Aid: A Doorway to Health and a link to the entire 23 page PDF text.
Daily Puja (Fourth edition)
This booklet is a collection of reflections or mini-contemplations inspired or taken directly from the Buddhist tradition. They are presented in a way that will speak to the universal nature of everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs. Puja means to honour or to venerate. With these contemplations we honour the mystery of life and refresh our intention to live in a sane, healthy and compassionate manner.
Click here for an Orientation to Daily Puja and a link to the entire 23 page PDF text.
Cycle of Samatha
Cycle of Samatha is a simple yet rich practice for living with ease and insight in the midst of whatever is occurring. Based on five reminders; smiling breathing, present, appreciating, and offering, this little booklet has been a pocket mentor of sense and sanity for many people, ever since it was first published in 1996.
Click here to download the 23 page pdf in English
Click here to download the 20 page pdf in German. Translated by Peter Gerdes.
Commonsense Retreat
‘Commonsense Retreat’ is a small booklet introducing some of the broadly practical considerations that will help support a solitary retreat. It was originally written in 1984 to help introduce people to the use of retreat huts at the Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre in N.Z. Though based on general Buddhist principles, it speaks to people from a wide range of traditions and backgrounds. It touches on themes such as one’s motivation for retreating, basic preparation, the environment or place for retreat, physical health, diet, basic mindfulness practice, and how to smoothly emerge from retreat.
Click here to download the entire ‘Commonsense Retreat’ PDF (10 pages)