Idiots Guide to Buddhism?

[Sharky]

Firstly, i don't think i'll be becoming a buddhist any time soon. I'd just like to buy a cheap simple book from amazon.com or someething about buddhism, but a really easy to read one - it can be deep, but just not unenjoyable to read.

Any recommendations?

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[This message was edited by Sharky on 11-10-01 at 07:39 PM.]

[Ryu]

I like
"Taming the Monkey Mind"

That one was pretty good. And easy to understand.

Ryu

http://home.vobis.net/user/roy/anime/images/streetfighter15.jpg


"One who takes pride in shallow knowledge or understanding is like a monkey who delights in adorning itself with garbage."

[Sharky]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0893468932/qid=1005449133/sr=1-1/ref=sr_sp_re/026-7527785-7971663

it's only 6 quid or so, i might just get it now

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[Sharky]

anyone else?

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[Kung Lek]

How about the "big picture book of buddhism"?

Believe it or not, I am serious here :D

Ok, ok, it's not actually called "big picture book" but it does have a lot of pictures and a basic rundown of what it is, where it started, a little about the different schools and so on.

Great for anyone who is interested in a superficial look at Buddhism.

so, here's the skinny.

Title: Buddhism
Author: Bernard Faure
isbn:1-56852-188-x

it really is a pretty decent pictorial introduction.

peace

Kung Lek

Martial Arts Links (http://members.home.net/kunglek)

[Sharky]

hey, i'm not that thick!

All i wanted was some RICE CAKES! Now? WE MUST BATTLE.

[Kung Lek]

http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/OopBooks/UsedBook.asp?userid=6B2XEOZK5F&mscssid=9CXRRNH5P2C58KEUU59CRV3H8K015PX3&ean=2805262368718


Barnes and Noble usually has what they don't.

Anyway, Bernard Faure is a good writer on the subject of buddhism, has several publications that have been translated to english and even has a book about Northern Chan practice and some good pictures from inside the Shaolin temple that you don't normally see without 100 kids in a horse stance and instead, just day to day stuff from the temple and of course many other places that have temples and buddhist practices etc.

peace

Kung Lek

Martial Arts Links (http://members.home.net/kunglek)

[HuangKaiVun]

You don't need a book, you don't need instruction, you don't need anything.

Just sit.

[Kung Lek]

hahahahahaha, huang, now, you go tell that to your violin teacher and see what is said :D

everyone needs an introduction to anything, including their own life, the languages we speak and all else that is worthwhile.

now, what's up with the lemon routine? :D

peace

Kung Lek

Martial Arts Links (http://members.home.net/kunglek)

[Sam Wiley]

You can download the Dhammapada on the net, and that's a pretty good example of Buddhist teachings. Just do a search for it and you should find one soon enough.

I'd also say that the Dalai Lama's books should be a pretty good example of Buddhist teachings in relation to modern times. There are a couple of his books I rather like. You should be able to find his books in most good book stores.

*********

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

hey sharky,

read the tao of pooh.

i know you asked for books on buhdism, but this is a real simple book that says a whole fu cking lot.

take you two hours to read it if you read kinda slow like me and you'll read it more than once ... it's a cool fu cking book.

i'll say more about it when im not sloppy drunk.

where's my beer?

[soy]

Go to everything2.com and look under buddhism, zen, taoism etc. You'll find far better opinions and information in general on there than you will in some commie published book.

[HuangKaiVun]

Kung Lek, you don't understand.

[CLOUD ONE]

Do you understand???

[shaolinboxer]

You can read about methods for trying to practice, and you can read about the different sects, and different ways of breathing or sitting or walking.

But chances are, when you've been practicing, you've tasted it already. Meditation does not require sitting. It requires presence in the moment.

Anyway, I'll say Three Pillars of Zen as recommended reading that will draw you futher from the truth of it ;).

[Piccolo Junior]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GunnedDownAtrocity:
hey sharky,

read the tao of pooh.

i know you asked for books on buhdism, but this is a real simple book that says a whole fu cking lot.

take you two hours to read it if you read kinda slow like me and you'll read it more than once ... it's a cool fu cking book.

i'll say more about it when im not sloppy drunk.
[/quote]

I disagree, I've read the Tao of Pooh, it is about secular (as opposed to religious) Daoism, not Buddhism. Infact, the author insults Buddhism during the "vinegar tasters" metaphor. I know alot of people like that book, but I thought it was pretty juvenile and shallow.

"It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art of someone who is too serious has no flavour."- Choki Motobu

[Ryu]

There's also different kinds of Buddhism
Some put emphasis on sutra recitation more than meditation, etc.

the "be still in the moment" kind of things is a Theravada type teaching. Not that it's bad.
I'm very influenced by Theravada Buddhism. :)
But there's other schools, just like in Christianity.

Ryu

http://home.vobis.net/user/roy/anime/images/streetfighter15.jpg


"One who takes pride in shallow knowledge or understanding is like a monkey who delights in adorning itself with garbage."

[Ryu]

LOL,
Piccolo you know I have to ask! ;)

After the down-to-earth, Buddhist, "don't wanna be juvenile and shallow" type of posts you do
(and that's not sarcastic, I do think your posts are like that. I like em :D )

What is up with your sig???????? LOL
Everytime I see that sig follow a good post of yours they almost seem to contradict one another! :D

I'm not insulting you or anything, I just thought it was kinda funny considering the quote gives little thought to the subjectivity of what someone might think is "fun"
;)

Ryu

http://home.vobis.net/user/roy/anime/images/streetfighter15.jpg


"One who takes pride in shallow knowledge or understanding is like a monkey who delights in adorning itself with garbage."

[HuangKaiVun]

Lyle understands - PERFECTLY.

[apoweyn]

Huang,

That may address attaining understanding. But it doesn't actually address the question.

The original poster said that he wasn't going to become a buddhist anytime soon. Just that he wanted to read about it. Just sitting doesn't answer that question.

With any body of wisdom, there's a difference between learning about it and doing it. Doing it is good, but it doesn't invalidate the desire to learn about it.

Take Daoism. Same argument could be made. Could we understand daoism by taking a nap under a tree? Perhaps. Would that satisfy the desire to learn about the people, places, and forces that contributed to its evolution? Nope.

Those are two very different questions. Experience vs. information. And I don't think you're answering the one at hand.

Respectfully,

Stuart B.

[Kung Lek]

Books are excellent introductions to any school of thought.

Sitting in itself teaches nothing. It is an act than can be regarded as beneficial, but sitting ha little to do with what Buddhism is.

Buddhism is a rich riligion and philosophy that serves as a guide to one's living and dying here on this plain. There are huge sutras (texts) that explain what to do for the novices and neophytes.

My one experienece regarding the teachinghs of the buddha is that to me, the entire essence is delivered in his very first sermon. All else that followed was details to fill in any gaps for those who failed to understand the original dissertation.

Buddhism evolved from Hinduism - can that be learned from sitting?

Buddhima has many schools of thought regarding it's own meaning and existance - can that be learned from sitting?

The patriarchs of these many schools contributed much to the overall practice of buddhism - can you learn what was contributed by sitting.

Huang, Jesus once was asked "why do you teach with parrabels?"
to which he replied "because you give meat to the strong and milk to the babes."

Understand? :D

peace

Kung Lek

Martial Arts Links (http://members.home.net/kunglek)

[Piccolo Junior]

I just like the quote.

"It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art of someone who is too serious has no flavour."- Choki Motobu

[Fish of Fury]

in all sincerity, i love the asiapac comic series for an easy to read intro to all aspects of eastern thought etc., by Tsai Chih Chung
eg. "sayings of buddha" and many others

(don't get the "shaolin temple" one though, it sux IMO)

i have another book which is like from a "100 key concepts of..." series.
unfortunately i've lent it out and cant remember the name etc., but it's a great overview with 100 pages, each with a summary of a concept in buddhism.so it's short and simple but not too shallow.
if i find the title i'll post it.

__________________________________________________ _________________________ "I'm just trying to lull you into a genuine sense of security!"

[prana]

This books covers many meditations from the very first practise of compassion to the highest level of Vajrayana in a very introductory way, and the reasons for practising them.

http://dharmatours.com/hbmc/Prwhbl1.gif

[kungfu cowboy]

Buddhism Made Plain
by Antony Fernando with Leonard Swidler
revised edition

Well written, and made buddhism plain! :)

[GeneChing]

It was highly recommended to me by a Zen nun during a retreat - She thought that it was all that a lay practitioner needed. It's definately a great starting point...

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

[shaolinboxer]

"Sitting in itself teaches nothing. It is an act than can be regarded as beneficial, but sitting ha little to do with what Buddhism is."

These teachings that you are advocating....all of the reading and different schools...are facts, opinions, expressions, beliefs...but not buddhism itself.

Buddhism is not buddhism.

Sitting does not teach anything, but there is nothing to learn.

[Kung Lek]

Yes well, let's get all metaphysical and esoteric about it then shall we?

yeesh.

That's the trouble with "mysticism". It is just a bunch of garbage for someone who wants to learn about a practice.

A basic rundown of the teachings and the seperate schools can be found in a book or in many books.

The actual action of becoming enlightened is completely in the realm of the individuals ability to do so. And most certainly one doesn't need to practice "Buddhism" to attain enlightenment, one merely has to understand themselves from the inside out and the outside in.

Now, where do you start? Hmmmmmn, I think I'll start by stopping. :D

peace

Kung Lek

Martial Arts Links (http://members.home.net/kunglek)