Buddhist Book Reviews

Buddhist Book Reviews and Recommendations

Awakening the Buddha Within

Written by Buddhist Books

Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das was a game-changer when it was first published in 1997 and its ability to help people transform their lives hasn’t faded in the slightest. The book brings the wisdom of the Tibetan tradition to Western readers in a way that makes sense even if you are brand new to Buddhism. The fact that Lama Surya Das was born and raised in New York means that he has a down-to-earth style and practical approach that all Western readers will appreciate.

The subtitle of this book is Eight Steps to Enlightenment, and of course that refers to the Noble Eight-Fold Path. Part One of the book provides a broad introduction to Buddhism as the author describes his own journey from the streets of New York to becoming the most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition. Although this part of the book makes up less than a fifth of the whole, Lama Surya Das is careful to make sure that he provides practical instruction from the get-go, and he ends this section with over a dozen snippets of advice on Mingling Dharma with Your Daily Life.

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Part Two of the book largely adopts the Noble Eight-Fold Path as its structure. It begins with a chapter on the Four Noble Truths and then progresses logically with sections on Right View, Right Intentions, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

As you might expect, the sections listed a moment ago provide a detailed explanation of each step of the Noble Eight-Fold Path, but they don’t stop there. Instead, Lama Surya Das tells us exactly how we can apply these principles to our lives. Metaphors and anecdotes are employed to illustrate what the teachings mean in practical terms, and every section provides meditations and/or exercises that can help to turn your journey through this book into a personal journey of genuine transformation.

Whether you read this book as a general introduction to Buddhism, as a fascinating autobiography of Lama Surya Das or as detailed instruction on how to personally take the Eight Steps to Enlightenment, Awakening the Buddha Within will be a title you come back to again and again.

Special note: The reviewer would like to personally thank Lama Surya Das for writing this book because it was the one that introduced him to Buddhism in 2001, and if there had been no Awakening the Buddha Within then it is perfectly possible that there wouldn’t have been a Buddhist Book Reviews site either. _/|\_

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Buddhism Without Beliefs

Written by Buddhist Books

Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor is a relatively slim volume, but it packs a mighty punch. The author (who has been a monk in the traditions of both Tibetan Buddhism and Zen Buddhism) strips away much of the religiosity that has been added to the teachings of the Buddha and presents a clean, straightforward and refreshingly practical guide to applying those teaching to our lives.

First published in 1997, it is fair to say that Buddhism Without Beliefs is a key work in what has come to be known as Secular Buddhism, and because it has no particular tradition to promote, it is one that can be appreciated by anyone. That said, the people who will get the most out of it are probably those who are keen on Buddhism (or at least interested in the subject) but are not so keen on religiosity.

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The first section of this book, Ground, opens with a quote taken from the Kalama Sutta, where the Buddha warned his followers against accepting things purely because of hearsay, tradition or scriptures. The first chapter then discusses the Awakening of the Buddha and explains that it has taken on mystical connotations that weren’t originally there. Batchelor stresses that the four noble truths were – and still are – truths to be acted on rather than simply believed in. By reclaiming this practical perspective we can get back to pursuing awakening rather than simply believing in it as a remote possibility.

In the second chapter of this book the author looks at the important topic of Agnosticism. He explains that agnosticism isn’t a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude but a perfectly honest ‘I don’t know’ attitude that can serve us much better than blind faith. Of course, this agnostic stance also makes the Buddhist path much more appealing to modern seekers who quiver at the very thought of ‘getting some religion’, and it is good to remember that the Buddha himself refused to be drawn by questions that called for any kind of pointless speculation. If silence on such questions was good enough for the Buddha, it should certainly be good enough for us.

The next few chapters discuss Anguish, Death and Rebirth – all very big subjects that the author is happy to address head-on. Rather than argue for or against rebirth, Batchelor points out that there is also a middle way that allows you to admit ‘I don’t know’. This agnostic position is liberating because it enables us to continue on the path without wasting time pondering questions that are unanswerable. The fact is that Buddhism can benefit us in this life regardless of whether or not there is any kind of continuation after death, and that should be sufficient reason to practice.

Resolve, Integrity and Friendship are the titles of the next three chapters, and these discuss the resolve to awaken, having the integrity not to hurt anyone in the process and the cultivation of friendships.

This takes us nicely into the second main section of the book, where the author discusses the Path. This section comprises four chapters on Awareness, Becoming, Emptiness and Compassion, and we won’t summarise any of them because they are written to be experienced, not simply read. Each chapter contains at least one exercise that will enable you to make your own discoveries as you consider the topics concerned, and for many readers this will be a part of the book that they will return to again and again.

The third section of the book, Fruition, talks about Freedom, Imagination and Culture. Here the author shows us where the Path leads, not in terms of religious fairy stories but in terms of real-world benefits for both individuals and society at large. At this point the jigsaw pieces are snapped together and we see how a Buddhism Without Beliefs can positively shape the world we live in as well as deliver personal liberation from suffering.

In conclusion, Buddhism Without Beliefs is a book that everyone should read at least once. Approach it with sincerity and you will get a great deal from it, regardless of whether you belong to a particular tradition or to no tradition at all.

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The Buddha Walks Into a Bar

Written by Buddhist Books

The Buddha Walks Into a Bar sounds like the opening line to a joke, but it is in fact the title of a brilliantly accessible book by Lodro Rinzler. The subtitle of this book – A Guide to Life for a New Generation – identifies its purpose and intended audience from the outset, and it has to be said that non-Buddhist readers are likely to get just as much out of it as Buddhists will.

Written in a cheerful, humorous and down-to-earth style, The Buddha Walks Into a Bar helps readers to understand exactly how the Buddha’s teachings can be applied to life right here in the 21st century. Forget renouncing the world and living in a cave (for now, at least), this book is about bringing Buddhism into your normal everyday life – a life in which you work, play, have sex and are likely to encounter plenty of difficult people and situations along the way.

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With chapter titles like Your Life is a Playground, Being Gentle With Your Incredible Hulk Syndrome, Sex, Love and Compassion, Rejoicing in the Coconuts of Wakefulness and Singing a Vajra Song (in the Shower), you might assume at first glance that this book lacks substance, but you would be very wrong. The author is simply presenting solid Buddhist ideas and principles in a way that members of ‘Generation Y’ will find easy to relate to. This approach extends to the anecdotes that are used throughout the book, which are far more likely to take place in a bar or at a workplace than at a three-month retreat.

The author sets the tone straight away with the opening paragraph of his Introduction:

‘This isn’t your grandmother’s book on meditation. It’s for you. That is, assuming that you like to have a beer once in a while, enjoy sex, have figured out that your parents are crazy, or get frustrated at work. It’s a book that doesn’t put Buddhism on some pedestal so that you have to look up to it. It’s about looking at all the nooks and crannies of your life and applying Buddhist teachings to them, no matter how messy that may be.’

If that opening came across like a breath of fresh air to you then The Buddha Walks Into a Bar should definitely be on your reading list.

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Mindfulness in Plain English

Written by Buddhist Books

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana (affectionately known as ‘Bhante G’) is one of those rare Buddhist books that will be of great benefit to non-Buddhists, new Buddhists and seasoned practitioners alike. It’s the kind of book that you will refer to again and again, and every time you turn to it you will discover something new that you didn’t appreciate in quite the same way previously.

As the title suggests, this book is a plain English how-to guide to developing greater levels of mindfulness by practicing vipassana meditation. Whether you are brand new to the subject, have tried meditating before on your own but come unstuck, or would simply like a fresh perspective that can help you to improve and deepen your practice, Mindfulness in Plain English delivers the goods.

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The first chapter sets the tone very nicely with Meditation: Why Bother? Here the author explains the various benefits of meditation and by the time you have finished the chapter you will be thoroughly motivated to get started. The next three chapters debunk commonly held misconceptions about meditation, provide an accurate explanation of what meditation really is, and discuss the kind of attitude that you should adopt for best results.

After laying that foundation, the author moves on to focus on the practice of meditation itself. Every aspect of mindfulness meditation is discussed, including what to do with your body, what to do with your mind, how to structure your meditation and how to deal with problems and distractions.

In addition to all of that information, the author then presents a good discussion about mindfulness and how it relates to concentration. The final two chapters focus on Meditation in Everyday Life and What’s in It for You, and there is also a chapter-length afterword entitled The Power of Loving Friendliness that talks about mindfulness in relation to the development of metta.

A 20th Anniversary edition of Mindfulness in Plain English was published in 2011, which says a lot about how popular this book is. Jon Kabat-Zinn has described it as ‘a masterpiece’ and we echo that verdict wholeheartedly.

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