Maitreyabandhu started attending classes at the London Buddhist Centre (LBC) in 1986. He was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1990 and given the name Maitreyabandhu. Since then he has lived and worked at the LBC, teaching Buddhism and meditation, and leading retreats. He has written three books on Buddhism, Thicker than Blood: Friendship on the Buddhist Path, Life with Full Attention: A Practical Course in Mindfulness, and The Journey and the Guide: A Practical Guide in Enlightenment. Maitreyabandhu is also a prize-winning poet having written three poetry collections with Bloodaxe Books. Maitreyabandhu founded PoetryEast in 2010 where he interviews well-known artists and writers, including Antony Gormley, Wendy Cope, and Colm Tóibín. He is the co-founder, with Dr. Paramabandhu Groves, of Breathing Space, the LBC’s health and wellbeing project.
By Maitreyabandhu
To see a friend act out of a genuine desire to become more than he is, to see him speak truthfully, with integrity and kindness, is a sight of such beauty that it is almost unparalleled. This is a book about friendship - about the Buddhist ideals of spiritual friendship and the author's personal experience. By turns moving, funny, and inspirational, Maitreyabandhu's account is as compelling as a good novel.
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By Sangharakshita
There’s a lot of writing out there about mindfulness and meditation, but this book is really the place to start. Sangharakshita writes with a depth of clarity that manages to be inspiring, philosophical, and practical all at the same time. I can find books on mindfulness worthy and dull. This book is neither. My copy is covered with highlighter pen!
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By Paramananda
More and more people are drawn to meditation but it’s easy to be confounded by all those books and online teachings. This book is a great way to start. A simple guide to Buddhist meditation – to what it means, and how to do it – it’s practical, clear, helpful, and short.
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By Iain McGilchrist
This is far and away the most important book I’ve read in years. It’s destined to become a classic – Philip Pullman and John Cleese have been enthusiastic about it. I knew nothing about brain science when I started reading it, but I was deeply inspired by the book. An essential exploration, not just into brain science and consciousness but into culture, society and the arts.
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By George Saunders
Saunders’s Lincoln in the Bardo is the most exciting, enriching, and funny novel I’ve read in years. Told mostly by ghosts, Saunders’s book manages to be clever, witty, vivid, and deeply moving. I think of it as being the first major Buddhist modern novel – although you don’t need to know anything about Buddhism to read it. He’s even invented a new form to write it!
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By Urgyen Sangharakshita, Emily Stout
Buddhism is still misunderstood in the modern world. It can seem all fuzzy ‘being-in-the-moment’ meditation or a rather cold, analytical non-self philosophy. Sangharakshita is the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and my own teacher (I knew him personally). This book collects together some of his essential teaching and thought, illuminating ancient Buddhism wisdom for a modern world.
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