Buddhism for Beginners

by Thubten Chodron

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1559391537
• ISBN13: 9781559391535
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Snow Lion Publications
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Introduction to Buddhism

Great Introduction to BuddhismThis book was written in response to many - "can I ask you a question about Buddhism?"I really enjoyed the question and answer style that this is written in - for example in chapter one the question is asked - "What is the essence of Buddha's teachings?" and an excellent and easy to understand answer given. "What is the goal of the Buddhist path?" and again another easy to understand and terrific answer given etc - These and other great questions throughout the book are questions that someone looking into Buddhism would be asking.Some of the questions I hadn't really considered before, but was really glad they were asked and fully interested in the answers and learned new things.This is an easy and enjoyable book to read. Great for the beginner or someone just curious about Buddhism. Great for someone further along the path to sit, smile and enjoy.

Buddhism 101

I was looking for a good beginner's book on Buddhism, and found it with this one. Thubten Chodron did an excellent job in teaching the basics of Buddhism, it's history, and the difference in interpretations by various nations. She breaks down the chapters into various topics, from "Meditation" to "Social Activism & Ethical Issues." Each chapter is composed of Q & A's, like "What is karma? How does it work?" After reading this book, I got a great idea of how Buddhists view their world. This book is rather brief (150 pages) but it accomplishes it's intended purpose well.

A Flawed Materpiece

These are questions and then their answers by a Tibetan Buddhist nun. And they are very very good. Because they are questions that students rarely ask. Some issues seem remote from Buddhism.But they are not. So this book is a real gem. But it should have included a really good prelude to each of the 21 chapters.One feels a little like one missed the main discussion and arrived only for the question and answer period. Please buy"Open Heart, Clear Mind" by the author and make these two books a dynamic duo.

Perfect for those new to Buddhism & their families!

Venerable Thubten Chodron is a wonderful writer - she explains things simply and sometimes humorously, and always holds the reader's interest. If you are beginning to practice Buddhism or are contemplating doing so, this book is a great place to start. It is the perfect book to give to friends or family members who are not familiar with Buddhism but want to understand your newfound spirituality.

A Breath of Fresh Air.

A beautifly simple book for the curious, beginner, or anyone who has ever thought about practicing. This book allows the reader to go from cover to cover, or skip to the chapters that truly interest them. There are no mystical words, no vague references or language problems. It's simple, basic english that will answer almost all the questions you have ever wanted to ask about Buddhism, but diddn't know which book to read or who to ask.