This book is an engaging collection of essays, reflections and practices on the Five Hindrances, the primary obstacles to mindfulness and serenity in the teachings of the Buddha. With his characteristic clarity, born from decades of meditation practice and teaching, Gil Fronsdal demonstrates how to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones on the path of freedom.

Unhindered: A Mindful Path Through the Five Hindrances, Gil Fronsdal, Tranquil Books, Paperback, 2013, 118 pages, $12.00

As a meditator and Buddhist teacher Gil Fronsdal has been studying the forces of mind his entire adult life. Starting Zen practice in 1975 as a young man Gil quickly learned that he did not need to define himself by the hindrances. In particular he learned there are better ways of living than being ordered around by sensual desire, ill will and doubt. In 1984 Gil started Vipassana practice which taught him to look more carefully into his mind and heart. He then discovered peaceful alternatives to sloth and restlessness. Wishing to help anyone and everyone who suffers, Gil became a Zen priest in 1982, started training to be a Vipassana teacher with Jack Kornfield in 1989, and entered a doctoral program in Buddhist Studies at Stanford University in 1990. His doctoral thesis was on the Indian origin of the bodhisattva ideal. Inspired by those devoted to the practices of meditation, integrity, compassion, and inner freedom Gil founded the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA and, in 2012, the Insight Retreat Center in Santa Cruz, CA. Through his writings and his recorded talks available at Audiodharma.org, many people have appreciated the clarity of his teachings. Gil has authored a number of books. His teachings on mindfulness are published in "The Issue at Hand," the teaching tales he composed to provoke deeper reflection are found in "A Monastery Within" and his careful and elegant translation of the "Dhammapada," the much loved collection of early Buddhist verses, is published by Shambhala Publications. Gil is a husband and father of two boys. Through family life he has refined his understanding of the hindrances as well as the ease and love found when they no longer hinder.