This practical commentary on one of the most important scriptures of the Pali canon will provide essential sustenance for Buddhist practitioners. Ayya Khema is a mountain of strength, encouragement, and love as she pours out down-to-earth practical instruction on the journey to enlightenment, following the framework set forth in the Samannaphala-sutta , the Buddha's discourse on the rewards of spiritual life.
The sutta contains the Buddha's teachings in response to questions posed by King Ajatasattu. Why, the king asked, should we give up the satisfactions of worldly life and devote ourselves to meditation? What are the tangible benefits - "visible here and now" - to be gained from following the Buddha's way? In answering this question, the Buddha provides a compact synopsis of the entirety of the spiritual path, and Ayya Khema expands on this with her characteristic approach - simple, direct, experiential, and loving.
An important aspect of the sutta is an account of the eight meditative absorptions, or jhanas - state of mind that bring joy, serenity, and peace and that open the way to clarity and liberation. Ayya Khema, who was herself adept at the eight absorptions, confidently leads the reader to, through, and beyond the jhanas, following the Buddha's plan. Her words have the effect of inspiring us to roll up our sleeves and get to work so that we may grasp the insights, accomplish the meditative goals, and become enlightened to the highest extent of our talents and efforts.

Visible Here & Now, Ayya Khema, Shambhala Publications, 214 pages, $14.95

Ven. Ayya Khema was born into a Jewish family in Berlin in 1923. After leading an active life in the world--including marriage and children in America and adventure in South America, Asia and Australia--she turned seriously to spiritual practice in her forties. In 1979, she was ordained a Theravadin Buddhist nun, receiving the name khema, meaning "safety and security" (ayya means "sister"). Ayya Khema established a forest monastery near Sidney, Australia; a training center for nuns in Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Buddha-Haus, a meditation center in the Allg�u, Germany. Among her books are When the Iron Eagle Flies; Being Nobody, Going Nowhere; and Who is My Self?; and an autobiography, I Give You My Life. She passed away in 1997.

	Preface			vii
	The Fruits of Spiritual Life: Samannaphala Sutta			1
		1.	The First Three Fruits of the Spiritual Life	39
		2.	The Fourth Fruit: Moral Behavior	47
		3.	The Fifth Fruit: Limiting and Guarding Sense Contacts	57
		4.	The Sixth Fruit: Mindfulness and Clear Comprehension	66
		5.	The Sixth Fruit: Mindfulness of Feeling, Mind, and Mental Objects	76
		6.	The Seventh and Eighth Fruits: Contentment and Patience (The First Jhana)	89
		7.	The Ninth Fruit: The First and Second Jhanas	100
		8.	The Ninth Fruit: The Third and Fourth Jhanas	108
		9.	The Ninth Fruit: The Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Jhanas	114
		10.	The Tenth Fruit: Insight, Cause, and Effect	122
		11.	The Four Highest Emotions: Loving-kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity	131
		12.	The Tenth Fruit: Fear, Danger, Urgency	143
		13.	Release from the Three Cravings: Sensuality, Existence, Ignorance	150
		14.	The Last Fruit: Letting Go of Cravings	159
		15.	The Eightfold Path: Morality and Concentration	169
		16.	Disenchantment and Freedom from Craving	179
		17.	Path and Fruit	189
		18.	Nibbana without Clinging	194
	Index			205