Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Audiobooks

Mindfulness in Plain English: meditation stripped of jargon by a Theravada monk

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Who is Bhante Henepola Gunaratana?

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana – known affectionately to students around the world as Bhante G – is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk and one of the most trusted voices in the teaching of meditation. In 1985 he founded the Bhavana Society, a monastery and meditation retreat centre in High View, West Virginia, where he serves as abbot to this day.

To general readers he is best known for Mindfulness in Plain English, first published in 1992, which became a best-selling guide to meditation and remains a standard recommendation for anyone beginning a practice. The title is the philosophy: no mystification, no jargon, just clear instruction from a monk who has spent a lifetime inside the tradition he explains.

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana in audiobooks

Mindfulness in Plain English is the Bhante G title in our catalogue, and it may be one of the most naturally audio-suited books we list. Meditation instruction gains enormously from being heard: guidance absorbed by ear, eyes closed, sits about as close to the practice itself as a book can get. His approach – patient, direct and free of ornament – makes this an ideal listen for beginners and a useful refresher for anyone whose practice has drifted. For UK listeners curious about meditation but wary of the vaguer end of the wellness industry, this is the sensible place to start: plain English, plainly written, from an authority of rare standing.