Product Description

2,500 years after the passing of Buddha, his message continues to resonate. This compelling introduction explains the essential principles of the Buddhist way of life and what it means to be a Buddhist. Meditation is explained clearly and simply as a tool for developing qualities such as inner peace, love, and patience. Those developing an interest in Buddhism and meditation will find this book an ideal guide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3875 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-18
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 190 pages

Yoga & Health Magazine
"A brilliantly clear and concise introduction to this vast subject. Very highly recommended."

Chalice
"This book succeeds admirably... a highly commendable and deeply felt work that I can recommend without hesitation."

Shambhala Sun
"A perfect little journal of Buddhist education with material to challenge any student of Buddhist thought."

Customer Reviews

Maybe I missed the point, but I felt Gyatso was missing the point
I've seen some very positive reviews of this book, so maybe it gets better (or at least explains its bizarre and genuinely disturbing opening). I'm used to reading this kind of thing and I'm affriad I didn't get very far with this one before putting it down. Gyatso seems to be entirely missing the point, going off on a lengthy tangent about how he is convinced that he knows the exact person in which his mother has been reborn. He comes across as a man obsessed - not very Buddhist, I'd say.

Not consistent with the basic idea of Buddhism
My understanding of Buddhism is that it is about rejecting theorising and conceptualising and more about seeing what is before you and living in the moment (although this may be a more accurate description of Zen Buddhism). This book unfortunately is largely about the kinds of theories, ceremonial practices and idol worship that Buddhism is supposed to reject. You do not need to utter mantras and chants and read prayers to see what is before you and attain enlightenment. The book also claims that there are such things as reincarnation and clairvoyance, but these cannot be directly observed and may well cause suffering because such concepts are not necessarily consistent with what we see. There are some good ideas in the book however and a lot of things in it which make perfect sense, but I do not think it encapsulates the core of what Buddhism is about.

A very interesting read but perhaps a little cryptic.
I found this a very interesting read and difficult to put down. Definately worth reading if you are interested in the basic ideas of Buddhism.

Some of the ideas might have been easier to grasp quickly if explained more directly but I think this may have been intentional to encourage thought on the topics.