Buddhism For Dummies
by Jonathan Landaw, Stephan Bodian
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Book Reviews of Buddhism For Dummies
Book Review: Mosquitoes are people, too!
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm one of the "dummies" referred to in the title. What I knew about Buddhism I'd learned while studying the transcendental writers, Emerson, Thoreau etc. while in college.This book is written by Stephan Bodian, an American Buddhist monk, and Jonathan Landaw, who has led meditation courses at Buddhist centers for over twenty-five years.
Despite its cheesy title, this book answered most of the questions I had about Buddhism:
Why the heck does the Buddha have so many names? He was born Prince Siddhartha, but once he became enlightened, he was called Shakyamuni Buddha. Bodhi, the tree under which he meditated, means enlightenment. Shakyamuni means enlightened sage of the Shakyas, the clan to which he belonged.
Was Buddha God? No, he was a real human thought to have lived between 563 and 483 BCE. When you see Buddhist monks prostate before a statue of Buddha, they are praying to their inner Buddha. They believe each of us has the ability to achieve enlightenment (nirvana).
What is karma? Sort of credits you build up, both bad and good. Buddhists believe in reincarnation; karma credits transfer from life to life. So if you're dealt a bad hand; it's because you were naughty in a previous life.
What's the difference between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism? The way I understand it, Theravada emphasizes individual enlightenment; whereas, the Mahayana's proponents are more worried about helping everyone achieve spiritual awakening. A Buddha becomes a Bodhisattva, sort of a savior like Shakyamuni. Theravadas also emphasize compassion and kindness which is pretty much the same thing. Zen Buddhism and Vajrayana (Tibetan) are offshoots of Mahayana Buddhism.
What about heaven and hell? This is where they lost me. Shakyamuni taught that suffering resulted from something called the "Wheel of Life." A diagram shows a pig (ignorance) giving birth to a rooster (desire or attachment) and a snake (aversion or hatred). There are also six realms of existence: God, anti-God, Human, Animal, hungry ghost, and hell being. Primarily through meditation and compassion, an entity can build up enough karma to work its way up to God. But the gods can be demoted if they run out of karma and they are always fighting the jealous anti-gods, so apparently they are not Buddhas. This wheel of life has existed in infinity; one of the authors says to remember that an enemy was probably at one time your mother, so it should be easy to forgive.
At times Landaw and Bodian take their transcendental philosophy a bit too far. The last section deals with "uninvited house guests." By this they mean insects. According to Buddha killing mosquitoes and other pests is bad karma. If a mosquito makes its way into your house, you're supposed to catch it and take it outside. Obviously these guys haven't experienced a humid, Minnesota evening in July down by the lake.
Book Review: Changed My Life Forever
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not going to write what's in this book; instead, I'm going to tell you about how reading this book changed my life for the better.
I was born and raised in a Catholic family, and for over 30 years I considered myself one, but I wasn't very good at it and I didn't like it; whenever I sinned, I was filled with despair and self-loathing. But then sometime in early 2008, I picked up this book and my life was changed forever. Within a few months my mind, my perceptions and my attitude toward myself had irrevocably changed.
What I took from this book was the lesson that the physcial world is impermanent, it is always changing, and from this I took so much more from it. I have come to believe that looking outside yourself for lasting happiness--whether it is food, money, power, possessions, even love from others--is impossible; these things can only bring temporary happiness. True happiness come from within.
Accepting this idea means you become much more accepting of the inevitable curve balls that life throws at you. You realize that the situation, while not to your liking, is only temporary, so just accept it and ride it out.
This acceptance of events also applies to people as well. I used to be very hung up on what others thought of me. I did everything I could to make them happy, but in the end only drove myself crazy when they didn't give me that approval I so desperately needed. But now I accept that no matter what I do, some people just won't like me and I don't try to win them over.
What also appeals to me about Buddhism is that you are allowed, even encouraged, to question the teachings of masters past. Even Buddha himself said not to follow what he said or did simply because he did it. Think for yourself on these practices, and if they work for you, then embrace them, but if not, then don't and don't lose any sleep over it.
If any of these points I have raised appeal to you, then I encourage you to buy this book and I hope you find what you are looking for within these pages. But if my words go in one ear and out the other, that's okay too; Buddhism isn't for everybody.
Book Review: Great intro to the Dharma
Summary: 5 Stars
Why do people from Tibet fly colored flags? What is Zen and why is it everywhere? What is a Theravada?
This book answers all of that and more!
If you are interested in finding out about Buddhism, or have a loved one that is a Buddhist this is the book for you. It quite adeptly describes the basics of Buddhism and lays them out in a friendly manner. You will learn about the different sects and find out just how much Buddhism is NOT a cult. That is an important one to me because I have been accused by a neighbor of spreading my cult juice all around. Considering I never talk to anyone about this unless they ask its a bit challenging.
Back to the book, inside you get information about the Buddha, where he came from, what his message was and most of all how he was NOT a deity. He never was and never expected to be treated as one. It was not until the Greeks invaded India that the first statues of Buddha came around, (notice the knotty hair you will see on most statues of Buddha, its very Greek in origin).
This is a great primer for students too. If you have a world religions class, you cannot pass this book up. Its like cliff notes on steroids.
Summary:
If you are interested in Buddhism you cant pass this book up. Its easy to digest and fun at the same time!
Book Review: Buddhism For Your Brain - Buddha 101
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're looking for a general overview or a refresher on Buddhism this is the place to goRemember - this is Buddhism For Dummies - and it delivers exactly that - as the book itself says "Your easy-to-understand guide to Buddhist traditions, beliefs and practices"
This is a perfect book for the person looking into Buddhism for the first time - it gives a general overview - and a closer look into specific areas - from history to practices to traditions to a general understanding of the what, how's and why's of Buddhism - in easy to read and understand steps - nothing too "out there" or overwhelming
This is also a great book for the person revisiting Buddhism - it reminds you of what you found interesting or drawn to in the first place and I found it to be refreshing through the eyes I have now
Most importantly - this is a book for your head - on a spiritual scale - it's not particularly moving or spiritual - again this is Buddhism For Dummies - it's more for your brain - it's a general look and explanation geared towards an intellectual understanding (Buddhism 101) - not the heart/mind understanding - there is some of that, but Buddhism For Dummies is for your brain
Book Review: A good start, but not that simplistic
Summary: 4 Stars
Like most of the books for "Dummies" this one is neither simplistic nor easy. It's a fairly comprehensive guide to Buddhism, including a lot of its various myths, schools and competing dogmas. The title of the series has always been a bit off-putting for me.In fact, its attempt to be comprehensive is a bit of a drawback. It might be easier for the newcomer had the authors chosen to promote a specific line or school, rather than offer a meandering potpourri of all aspects of Buddhist thought, hisotry and practice.
This book requires the reader pay attention and sift through this material more carefully than many of the practical guides - Awakening the Buddha Within, the Art of Happiness, etc. It's quetionable whether the novice reader needs to work through various myths surrounding the Buddha's life or the details of monastic practices in order to understand the basic concepts of Buddhism.
This is a somewhat encyclopedic approach, and less of a hand-on roadmap for core belief and practice. It's a good book, but the depth may easily overwhelm the person seeking some basic information or answers to simple questions. It would work best when read in parallel with other works.