The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart - Paperback

by B. Alan Wallace (Author)

An engaging explanation of a fundamental Buddhist practice--including guided exercises and meditations--from a scientist and former Buddhist monk

The Four Immeasurables--the cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity--is a rich suite of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others.

Alan Wallace presents a unique interweaving of teachings on the Four Immeasurables with instruction on meditative quiescence, or shamatha practice, to empower the mind. This book includes both guided meditations and lively discussions on the implications of these teachings for our life.

Author Biography

B. Alan Wallace has authored, translated, edited, and contributed to more than forty books on Tibetan Buddhism, science, and culture. With fourteen years as a Buddhist monk, he earned a BA in physics and the philosophy of science and then a PhD in religious studies. After teaching in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he founded the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies to explore the integration of scientific approaches and contemplative methods.