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Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional Happiness

Reviewing meditation books is hard, for reasons I've mentioned before. So, I'll be brief. Our Pristine Mind is a western-friendly view into Dzogchen Buddhism. The technique is exceedingly simple: remain uninvolved with what arises during meditation, remaining in the present moment. You can get this instruction from many books, so why this one? The writing is clear, and it presents a non-woo explaination into why and what's happening. It's an easy read that doesn't get bogged with with Pali, Tibetan, or tradition. However, this presents a difficulty where some people will understand what it's talking about—and this book may potentially be life changing—and others will have a hard time following. The instruction is indeed good, but is incredibly dependent on where the reader is at, what techniques resonate with them, and their meditation goals.

This is a part of my Media Diet. Learn more about this project here.

Ratings

These are entirely subjective, and roughly try to capture my personal enjoyment and usefulness, and how likely I'd recommend it to others. Don't read too much into this unless you love my judgement. Rough guidelines:

A: Top quartile. Changed the way I think about something.

B: Worthwhile. I took away something useful.

C: Didn't hit, wouldn't directly recommend. Likely won't revisit.

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