Review\nI first met Bhante Punnaji in 1975 in Sri Lanka, where I was recently ordained and living as a novice monk. Bhante Punnaji invited me to visit him where he was living, and he talked to me on many occasions explaining his understanding and reflections on the Buddha's teachings that you will read in these books. Most of the popular books and Dhamma teachings about Buddhism I had heard and read up to this point were pretty much reiterations of the basic teachings of the Buddha by scholar monks or other persons and did not have much original thought in them. I was immediately impressed by Bhante Punnaji's novel and profound interpretation of these very complex subjects, especially concerning the perceptual process of the mind. He also came up with new translations of key and important Pali words that made clearer sense of abstruse concepts. 
I wound up helping Bhante Punnaji set up a meditation center in the Kurunegala district, where many westerners came to learn meditation. Every day, Bhante would give these wonderful Dhamma talks that contrasted Buddhist and Western ideas of psychology and philosophy that appealed to the Western-educated mind. What I learned from Bhante Punnaji during this time helped inform and mold my understanding of these deep teachings when I began leading meditation retreats and teaching the Dhamma many years later. 
Anyone who wants to gain a direct and clearer understanding of the teachings of the Buddha and the psychology of the mind, and the process of meditation should definitely read these books, starting with LETTING GO OF 'Self.'\nBhikkhu Yogavacara Rahula 
Director and Principal Teacher 
Pannasiha Lion of Wisdom Meditation Center 
Gaithersburg, MD, USA\nAuthor of, 
Breaking Through the 'Self'-delusion, a guide to Vipassana meditation 
The Way to Peace and Happiness, a penetrating study of the Buddha's Dhamma teachings 
Meditation: The Body/Mind Connection, Yoga is compatible with Buddhist meditation\nLetting Go of 'Self': Lessons in Buddhist Psychology\nAt its core, the book reveals an uncomfortable truth most of us are unaware of – our false ‘notion of self.’ 
The Buddha stated clearly, and precisely that the ‘self’ is the primary source of mental and physical suffering – our anxieties, fears, worries, and insecurities. The Buddha saw the ‘self’ as a burden that we carry throughout life. Freedom is found by letting go of the ‘self’ and is called ‘laying down the burden’ in Buddhism. The Buddha and his Awakened disciples let go of the ‘self’-identity, and it is what all Buddhists attempt to do in their practice. It involves sacrificing what one cherishes most, the feeling of ‘being.’ 
The author shows us the mental processes that create this ‘self’-identity and gradually letting go of it. He explains how we can turn our lives into a joyful existence by gaining freedom from the ‘notion of self.’ Those who feel their ‘self’-identity crushed or rejected struggle the most with letting go; they can be defensive and anchored to their ‘notion of self.’ Yet freedom lies only in letting go of one’s false ‘self.’ 
Letting Go of ‘Self’: Lessons in Buddhist Psychology comprises ten lectures by the author on Buddhist Psychology at the Washington Buddhist Vihara. It is written in simple spoken English, within reach of anyone who seeks to understand the Buddha’s profound psychology. Wherever new terminology is introduced, it is explained in the text with further clarification in a glossary. After each lecture, question and answer sessions expand on lecture concepts, dispel myths, and challenge the audience to examine how their western culture and beliefs influence their thinking. An expanded, user-friendly, and intuitive index provides a roadmap for readers. The book relays the author’s sense of humor and his flair for enriching his lectures with stories. It also contains some of the author’s insights revealed for the first time in print. Martin A. Barroll, Ph.D., professor of sociology and an

Letting Go of 'Self': Lessons in Buddhist Psychology

Religion & Spirituality

Punnaji, Madawela

Buddhism

Puremind Publishers

Life Examined: Lessons in Buddhist Philosophy

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Richardo Ortega

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Books by Punnaji, Madawela