This book is the result of rigorous textual scholarship that can be valued not only by the academic community, but also by Buddhist practitioners. This book serves as an important bridge between those who wish to learn about Buddhist thought and practice and those who wish to learn from it. . . . As a monk engaging himself in Buddhist meditation as well as a professor applying a historical-critical methodology, Bhikkhu Analayo' is well positioned to bridge these two communities. . . . Exploring the meditative practices of compassion and emptiness, Analayo' casts fresh light on their earliest sources in the Buddhist tradition.--17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje

Arising from the author's long-term, dedicated practice and study, this book provides a window into the depth and beauty of the Buddha's liberating teachings. Serious meditation students will benefit tremendously from the clarity of understanding that Venerable Analayo's efforts have achieved.--Sharon Salzberg

In this study, Venerable Analayo' brings a meticulous textual analysis of Pali texts, the Chinese Agamas and related material from Sanskrit and Tibetan to the foundational topics of compassion and emptiness. While his analysis is grounded in a scholarly approach, he has written this study as a helpful guide for meditation practice.--Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Bhikkhu Analayo' completed a PhD on the Satipatthanasutta at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, in 2000, published in 2003 by Windhorse Publications under the title Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization. At present Analayo' is a professor of Buddhist studies at the Sri Lanka International Academy in Pallekele.