This essential meditation guide for the Western reader offers step-by-step guidance for enhancing meditation practice and discovering greater peace and insight. The Mind Illuminated is a comprehensive, accessible, and—above all—effective book on meditation, providing a practical, systematically organized framework that assists mediators of all levels in defining and deepening their practice.

Providing step-by-step guidance for every stage of the meditative journey, this uniquely comprehensive guide for a Western audience combines wisdom from the Buddha's teachings with the latest research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Clear and user-friendly, this in-depth practical guide is based on the nine-stage model of meditation originally articulated by the ancient Indian sage Asanga, crystallizing the entirety of the meditative path into 10 clearly defined stages.

The book also introduces a new and intriguing model for how the mind works and employs illustrations and diagrams to help the reader progress through each stage. This guide is an essential read for beginners as well as experienced meditators.