Buddhism For Dummies

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Your hands-on guide to this widely practiced and ancient religion

Buddhism, one of the world's most widely practiced religions, is a fascinating yet complex eastern religion that is rapidly spreading throughout western civilization. What does it mean to be a Buddhist? What are the fundamental beliefs and history behind this religion? Buddhism For Dummies explores these questions and more in this updated guide to Buddhist culture. You'll gain an understanding of the origins of this ancient practice and how they're currently applied to everyday life. 

Whether you're a searcher of truth, a student of religions, or just curious about what makes Buddhism such a widely practiced religion, this guide is for you. In plain English, it defines the important terms, explains the key concepts, and explores in-depth a wide range of fascinating topics.

  • New and expanded coverage on all the schools of Buddhism, including Theravada, Tibetan, and Mahayana
  • The continuing relevance of the Dalai Lama
  • Updated coverage on daily observances, celebrations, styles, practices, meditation, and more 

Continuing the Dummies tradition of making the world's religions engaging and accessible to everyone, Buddhism For Dummies is your essential guide to this fascinating religion.

 

 

P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you're probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Buddhism For Dummies (9781118023792). The book you see here shouldn't be considered a new or updated product. But if you're in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We're always writing about new topics!

Author(s): Jonathan Landaw, Stephan Bodian, Gudrun Bühnemann
Series: For Dummies
Edition: 2
Publisher: For Dummies
Year: 2019

Language: English
Pages: 400

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
How This Book Is Organized
Part 1: Embarking on a Journey: The Basics of Buddhism
Part 2: A Short History of Buddhism
Part 3: Behaving Like a Buddhist
Part 4: Exploring the Buddhist Path
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Part 6: Appendixes
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Embarking on a Journey: The Basics of Buddhism
Chapter 1 Entering the World of Buddhism: The Basics
Figuring Out Whether Buddhism Is a Religion
Recognizing the Role of the Buddha
Understanding the Function of Philosophy in Buddhism
Appreciating Buddhist Practices
Living an ethical life
Examining your life through meditation
Practicing devotion
Dedicating Your Life to the Benefit of All Beings
Chapter 2 Understanding Your Mind: The Creator of All Experience
Recognizing How Your Mind Shapes Your Experience
Contrasting the Body and Mind
Approaching the Mind from Three Different Buddhist Perspectives
Recognizing the six major types of consciousness
Seeing how certain factors affect mental consciousness
Feeling around for your emotions
Appreciating the Fundamental Purity of Your Mind
Seeing that delusions can be remedied
Finding the sun behind the clouds
Tracing the Path of Wisdom and Loving Compassion
Wisdom: Removing the veils of misconception
Loving compassion: Opening your heart to others
Part 2 A Short History of Buddhism
Chapter 3 Surveying the Life and Teachings of the Historical Buddha
Revealing the Buddha’s Early Life
A miraculous birth
An overprotective father
The prince marries: Imprisoned in palaces of pleasure
Forbidden knowledge revealed: The four visions
Beginning the Quest
Renouncing the royal life
Going to extremes and discovering the middle way
Sitting in the Shade of the Bodhi Tree: The Defeat of Mara
Benefiting Others: The Buddha’s Career in Full Gear
Providing spiritual guidance: Turning the wheel of Dharma
Founding the community
Listening to the Buddha’s final message: All things must pass
Understanding the Four Noble Truths
The truth of suffering
The truth of suffering’s cause
The truth of suffering’s cessation
The truth of the path
Envisioning the Future
The advent of Maitreya
Degeneration, followed by hope
Chapter 4 The Development of Buddhism on the Indian Subcontinent
Convening the First Buddhist Council
Gathering the council
Categorizing the teachings: The three baskets
Spreading the Teachings — Peacefully
A Fork in the Road: Managing a Developing Split in the Buddhist Community
Convening the Second Council
Advancing the teachings in different ways
Making Buddhism a Religion of the People: The Emperor Ashoka’s Influence
Transforming his approach
Promoting Buddhism beyond India
Two Levels of Practice in Early Buddhism
Witnessing Shifting Allegiances and New Ideals
Turning to the stupas
Taking a ride in the Great Vehicle: Mahayana Buddhism
Recognizing the Major Mahayana Themes
Chronicling the Rise of the Mahayana Teachings
White Lotus of the Good Dharma Sutra
Exposition of Vimalakirti Sutra
Perfection of Wisdom Sutras
Descent into Lanka Sutra
World-Array Sutra
Land of Bliss Sutras
Looking at the Decline and Reappearance of Buddhism in India
Disappearing act
Reappearing in India
Moving Mountains: Buddhism in Nepal
Delving into Buddhist traditions of Nepal
Narrowing in on Newar Buddhism
Chapter 5 Watching Developments Continue to the Present Day
Tracing the Two Routes of Buddhism
Spreading the Way of the Elders Across Southeast Asia to the West
Theravada Buddhism takes root in Thailand
Vipassana meditation gains popularity in the West
Driving the Great Vehicle to China and Beyond
Watching Mahayana Buddhism evolve in China
Examining Flower Ornament and Tiantai: The great unifying systems
Chronicling Pure Land and other devotional schools
Zen: Taking root in the Far East — and the West
From Tibet to the West: Charting the movement of the Diamond Vehicle
Part 3 Behaving Like a Buddhist
Chapter 6 Turning to Buddhism
Proceeding at Your Own Pace
Taking responsibility for your own life
Determining your level of involvement
Getting Acquainted with the Teachings of Buddhism
Reading books on Buddhist teachings
Choosing a tradition
Receiving meditation instruction
Developing a meditation practice
Finding a teacher
Formally Becoming a Buddhist
Focusing on the importance of renunciation
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels
Receiving the precepts
Exploring further stages of practice
Entering the Monastic Way
Renouncing the world
Ordaining as a monk or nun
Dedicating your life to Buddhist practice
Chapter 7 Meditation: A Central Practice of Buddhism
Dispelling Some Meditation Myths
Defining Meditation
Exploring the Benefits of Meditation
Examining how neuroscientists see it
Recognizing the condition you’re in
Cultivating equanimity
Turning an old phrase upside down: Don’t do something — just sit there
Appreciating your life
Understanding the Threefold Nature of Buddhist Meditation
Developing mindful awareness
Deepening concentration
Developing penetrating insight
Developing the Three Wisdoms As the Foundation for Insight
Cultivating wisdom from listening to the teachings
Cultivating wisdom from reflecting on what you heard
Cultivating wisdom from meditating on what you understand
Chapter 8 A Day in the Life of a Buddhist Practitioner
Surveying the Role of Monasteries in Buddhism
Renouncing Worldly Attachments: A Day in the Life of a Western Buddhist Monk
Following a day in the life
Punctuating the calendar with special events
Growing a Lotus in the Mud: A Day in the Life of a Zen Practitioner
Following a day in the life
Attending silent retreats
Gathering for special events
Devoting Yourself to the Three Jewels: A Day in the Life of a Vajrayana Practitioner
Trusting the Mind of Amida: A Day in the Life of a Pure Land Buddhist
Chapter 9 Walking in the Buddha’s Footsteps
Visiting the Primary Places of Pilgrimage
Lumbini: A visit to the Buddha’s birthplace
Bodh Gaya: Place of enlightenment
Sarnath: The first teaching
Kushinagar: The Buddha’s death
Seeing Other Important Pilgrimage Sites
Rajgir
Shravasti
Sankashya
Nalanda
Going on Pilgrimage Today
Part 4 Exploring the Buddhist Path
Chapter 10 What Is Enlightenment, Anyway?
Considering the Many Faces of Spiritual Realization
Reviewing the Theravada Tradition’s Take on Nirvana
Defining nirvana
Revealing the four stages on the path to nirvana
Getting a Handle on Two Traditions of Wisdom
Realizing the Mind’s Essential Purity in the Vajrayana Tradition
Taking the direct approach to realization
Understanding the complete enlightenment of a Buddha
Standing Nirvana on Its Head with Zen
Tuning in to the direct transmission from master to disciple
The ten ox-herding pictures
Finding the Common Threads in Buddhist Enlightenment
Chapter 11 A Matter of Life and Death
Taking Death Personally
Recognizing Your Life As a Rare and Precious Opportunity
Facing Reality: The Nine-Part Death Meditation
Understanding that your death is definite
Realizing that the time of your death is uncertain
Using death awareness as your spiritual ally
Reaping the Result of the Death Meditation
Dealing with the Death of a Loved One
Surveying Attitudes toward Death in Buddhist Traditions
Theravada: Getting off the wheel of existence
Vajrayana: Turning death itself into the path
Zen: Dying the “great death” before you die
Chapter 12 Minding the Concept of Karma
Appreciating the Law of Karmic Cause and Effect
Experiencing Karmic Consequences
Following the Buddha’s Ethical Guidance
Exploring the Buddhist Precepts
Arranging the precepts behind three doors
Taking a deeper look at the ten nonvirtuous actions
Dealing with Transgressions
Atoning for mistakes
Purifying negative karma
Chapter 13 Breaking Free of the Cycle of Dissatisfaction
Feeling Like Life’s a Big Rat Race
Spinning the Wheel of Life: The Meaning of Wandering in Samsara
Identifying the root delusions
Surveying the six realms of existence
Understanding the 12 links
Cutting through Suffering: The Three Trainings
Chapter 14 Fulfilling Your Highest Potential
Ordering a Round of Happiness for Everyone and Everything
Dedicating Your Heart to Others
Keeping it all in the family
Figuring out what all beings desire
Nurturing the Four Divine Abodes
Extending loving-kindness
Developing compassion
Nurturing sympathetic joy
Establishing equanimity
Cultivating the Six Perfections of a Bodhisattva
Practicing open-hearted generosity
Following the self-discipline of ethical behavior
Developing patience
Practicing with enthusiastic effort
Sharpening your concentration
Cultivating the ultimate perfection: Insightful wisdom
Chapter 15 Life Stories of Four Buddhist Masters
Dipa Ma (1911–1989)
Spending her early years as a wife and mother
Overcoming physical ailments through meditation
Sharing her story with others
Ajahn Chah (1918–1992)
Finding his way in the forest of life
Blazing the monastic trail
Thich Nhat Hanh (Born 1926)
Working for peace in times of war
Forging new beginnings from classic ideals
The Dalai Lama (Born 1935)
Understanding the legacy of reincarnation
Reviewing the early life of the present Dalai Lama
Dealing with the Chinese
Finding freedom in exile
Appreciating his interest in science
Embracing the role of Buddhist ambassador to the world
Part 5 The Part of Tens
Chapter 16 Ten Common Misconceptions about Buddhism
Buddhism Is Only for Asians
To Buddhists, the Buddha Is God
Buddhists Are Idol Worshippers
Because Buddhists Think Life Is Suffering, They Look Forward to Dying
Buddhists Think That Everything Is an Illusion
Buddhists Don’t Believe in Anything
Only Buddhists Can Practice Buddhism
Buddhists Are Interested Only in Contemplating Their Navels
Buddhists Never Get Angry
“It’s Just Your Karma; There’s Nothing You Can Do about It”
Buddhists Don’t Know How to Count
Chapter 17 Ten Ways Buddhism Can Help You Deal with Life’s Problems
Affirming the Basic Principles
Applying the Basic Principles
Turning the page on your great expectations
Accepting change gracefully
Breaking up the concrete
Pretending to Be a Buddha
Watching your car rust
Seeing that what’s yours isn’t really yours
Feeling sorry for a thief
Tendering your resignation to pain
Turning off the projector
Dealing with uninvited houseguests
Part 6 Appendixes
Appendix A Explaining Buddhist Terms
Appendix B Additional Buddhist Resources to Check Out
Index
EULA