Mindful Communication
Speaking and Listening with Wisdom and Compassion
by Frits Koster, Jetty Heynekamp and Victoria Norton (editors)
Published by Routledge UK in 2023
Skillful communication and warm connection are needed today more than ever before. This book explores the potential of mindfulness skills, and how they can be applied to communication in a range of settings.
Frits Koster, Jetty Heynekamp, and Victoria Norton (editors) provide an outline of the mechanisms underlying mindful communication while a selection of experts present a concise overview of six communication programs that are becoming well known in the mindfulness world. They describe the background and structure of each course and offer tasters in the form of short exercises and online audio downloads. Each chapter is followed up by further resources, reading lists, and web addresses.
This book can be of interest to professionals in mental health, social care, education and to anyone who wishes to listen and speak with more wisdom and compassion.
The Web of Buddhist Wisdom
An Introduction to the Psychology of the Abhidhamma
Published by Silkworm Books in 2015
Long before people in the West started to study the workings of the human mind, Buddhism was trying to understand body and mind through introspection and meditation. This knowledge has grown to be a very thorough and detailed classification and analysis of mental and physical phenomena. This refined study is known as the Abhidhamma (literally: ‘Higher Teachings’). In Southeast Asia students normally spend more than seven years studying these teachings.
Frits Koster has lived as a Buddhist monk in Thailand and Burma, where he had the privilege to study parts of the Abhidhamma. In The Web of Buddhist Wisdom he explains important themes such as consciousness, mental concomitants, physicality and the experience of Enlightenment in a clear and accessible way. In addition, he addresses the law of kamma, the process of dying and rebirth, the four Noble Truths and the value of the Abhidhamma.
The Web of Buddhist Wisdom, which is illustrated with drawings by Fop Smit, offers a rich and accessible guide for anyone who is interested in the working of the human mind. It offers a clear and simple acquaintance with the world of the Abhidhamma and an old yet very accurate mirror of our existence.
Liberating Insight
Introduction to Buddhist Psychology and Insight Meditation.
Published by Silkworm Books in 2004
This book introduces the reader to the psychology of Theravada Buddhism, the cradle of all later Buddhist schools and traditions. In simple and clear language Frits Koster describes the fundamental teachings of Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths, karma and rebirth. He also introduces various forms of meditation, in particular vipassana or insight meditation. After a practical explanation of the method and practice of insight meditation, he elaborates on the fruits of this practice, namely wisdom and purification of the mind. In the final section of the book, Koster applies the principles and benefits of insight meditation to Western society in the areas of health, therapy, relationships, communication and stress. The book offers a rich and authentic introduction to Buddhist psychology and insight meditation.
‘Frits Koster has written a succinct overview and introduction to the practical teachings of the Buddha. His accurate presentation of the theory, practice and substantial benefits of liberating insight is informed by his years as a Buddhist monk in Thailand and Burma. The practical applications of mindfulness in our modern, busy lifestyle are immense to the point of being essential for same living. Frits’s writing is a generous gift to others who wish to live with wisdom and compassion in the twenty-first century.’
– Steve Armstrong, co-founder and guiding teacher of the Vipassana Metta Foundation, Maui, Hawaii.
Buddhist Meditation
in Stress Management
Published by Silkworm Books in 2007
This book gives insight into the many aspects of stress, and shows how we can develop skillful ways to deal with stress and prevent burnout and other stress-related complaints. Frits Koster examines the various forms of stress we experience at work and in our private lives, giving particular attention to the causes of stress. The author also explains the important role that awareness plays in managing and preventing stress, then looks at insight meditation as a practical method of mindfulness training and a way to inner freedom. After describing the benefits of insight meditation, he reveals how it can improve our energy management and help us recover from or prevent burnout.
Our new book ‘Going on a Meditation Retreat’ will be published in Spring 2025.
Click here for more information.
Visit our new international website for information about Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Living (MBCL), an advanced course in 8 sessions for those who did MBSR/MBCT
Click here for a podcast with Frits Koster about the value of compassion and about MBCL