Book excerpt: In this refreshingly simple but wise little book, former Trappist monk George Fowler writes eloquently and persuasively about the many benefits to be gained from meditation: peace, lightheartedness, self-respect, fulfillment, a deep feeling of wholeness, freedom from guilt, and release from anxiety. He focuses on the why, rather than the how, and explains that meditation happens best when it begins with a clear focus on spiritual understanding.