I really enjoyed this book, the stories he tells of what life was like for people earnestly pursuing eastern ideas of spirituality in the USA during the ’60s … are pretty entertaining. Most interesting to me is that Bill Hamilton is cited as a major inspiration by both Daniel Ingram and Kenneth Folk, who I think are some of more interesting people talking about Buddhism and meditation at the moment.
His stories largely revolve around how to spot the difference between a true spiritual teacher and psychopath. I must say I laughed (and then sighed) at several points as I reflected back on my time in a yoga community in Thailand.
If you want practical advice on meditation, Daniel Ingram’s Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha covers similar territory in vastly more detail. It’s a pretty full on book so it might be overwhelming unless you already have some experience with meditation.
