Despite the widespread popularity of Buddhist practices (like meditation), there is little understanding of the complex philosophy behind Buddhism. The historical Buddha, Gautama, was a real person—a radical—who challenged the religious leaders of his day. Buddha For Beginners introduces the reader to the historical Buddha, to the ideas that made him change his life, and to the fascinating philosophical debates that engaged him and formed the core of Buddhism. Buddha For Beginners compares Buddha’s philosophy with those of his contemporaries, the later Buddhist schools, and Western Philosophy. The book includes a survey, distinguishing the philosophical differences among later schools of Buddhism, such as Theravada, Madhyamaika, Tantric, Zen, and others. Buddha For Beginners is not a book you read, it is a book you experience. It makes you stop and close your eyes. Through some magical combination of words, drawings, and intuitive wisdom, Buddha For Beginners conveys not only the facts of Buddhism, but the peace, the silence...the feel of it. It is historically accurate, spiritually challenging, and the white spaces mean as much as the words.

This easy-to-understand introduction to Buddhism is “written for people wanting to understand basic Buddhist principles and how to integrate them into their lives” (H.H. the Dalai Lama) This user’s guide to Buddhist basics takes the most commonly asked questions—beginning with “What is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings?”—and provides simple answers in plain English. Thubten Chodron’s responses to the questions that always seem to arise among people approaching Buddhism make this an exceptionally complete and accessible introduction—as well as a manual for living a more peaceful, mindful, and satisfying Life. Buddhism for Beginners is an ideal first book on the subject for anyone, but it’s also a wonderful resource for seasoned students, since the question-and-answer format makes it easy to find just the topic you’re looking for, such as: • What is the goal of the Buddhist path? • What is karma? • If all phenomena are empty, does that mean nothing exists? • How can we deal with fear? • How do I establish a regular meditation practice? • What are the qualities I should look for in a teacher? • What is Buddha-nature? • Why can't we remember our past lives?

What happens when 21 university students encounter the teachings and practices of Zen for the first time? Most writings on Zen have come from Zen masters, scholars, and experienced practitioners. Here, a cross-section of American students with no prior experience of Zen read contemporary Zen texts, engage in meditation practice, and participate in in-class inquiry, documenting their emerging understandings, challenges, doubts, and questions over the course of a fifteen-week semester in a college course titled Non-argumentative rhetoric in Zen. Despite the common framework of texts, meditation practice, and class discussion, each chapter is a unique and fresh account of this work.

This title introduces Buddhism from its origin to the present day. Readers will be introduced to the ancient Buddha and the monks and nuns of today. Buddhist symbols and rituals are explained in easy-to-understand text paired with bright colorful photographs and illustrations. QR Codes in the book give readers access to book-specific resources to further their learning. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. DiscoverRoo is an imprint of Pop!, a division of ABDO.

Philip Almond's engaging new book is the first to combine a history of early traditions about the Buddha's life with an account of how he and the philosophy inspired by him went 'global'. It shows how the enchanted mythological figure of Buddhism became the disenchanted historical Buddha of the West.

The collection of Burmese art housed at the Denison Museum in Granville, Ohio, USA, includes more than 1,500 objects dating from the late first millennium AD through the twentieth century. While particularly strong on textiles originating with minority groups in Burma, it also showcases Buddha images, lacquer objects, works on paper, manuscripts, wood carvings, and pieces made from bronze, silver, and ivory. Eclectic Collecting is both a catalogue of the collection and a scholarly examination of Burmese art.

Rational Buddhism for Beginners. This book is intended for beginning meditators and students, and for use by instructors during Buddhist retreats for beginners. It contains thirty lessons that lead progressively through the ancient and basic tenets of Buddhism and include instructions in compassion, virtue/morality, history and meditation. Instructors are free to copy the worksheets for student practice. The book is full of quotes with minimal commentary, and includes scholarly references, with a glossary and bibliography. This is a useful reference book that can also be used for "do it yourself" study and inspiration. The book has been used and refined from actual study group experience. The author is an experienced, certified secondary teacher, and incorporates best practices of lesson planning as a format for the text of each chapter. Since it derives from the needs and questions of new students, it is easy to access by and is relevant for beginners.

This book explores the modern relationship between religion and science, highlighting the public backlash over teaching evolution in U.S. public schools as an example of the conflict between religious faith and scientific reason. The author explores the middle ground between the two most extreme arguments, arguing that it is possible for science and religion to exist in harmony. The book also provides an analysis of 10 world religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, revealing how each finds compatibility with differing religions and scientific doctrine.