The Story of Buddhism

The Story of Buddhism
Author: Donald S. Lopez
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2002-08-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0060099275

How and when did the many schools of Buddhism emerge? How does the historical figure of Siddartha Guatama relate to the many teachings that are presented in his name? Did Buddhism modify the cultures to which it was introduced, or did they modify Buddhism? Leading Buddhist scholar Donald S. Lopez Jr. explores the origins of this 2,500-year-old religion and traces its major developments up to the present, focusing not only on the essential elemenmts common to all schools of Buddhism but also revealing the differences among the major traditions. Beginning with the creation and structure of the Buddhist universe, Lopez explores the life of the Buddha, the core Buddhist tenets, and the development of the monastic life and lay practices. Combining brilliant scholarship with fascinating stories -- contemporary and historical, sometimes miraculous, sometimes humorous -- this rich and absorbing volume presents a fresh and expert history of Buddhism and Buddhist life.

THE BOOK OF BUDDHA

THE BOOK OF BUDDHA
Author: Arundhati Subramaniam
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 98
Release: 2009-06-16
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 8184750919

Around 2500 years ago a thirty-five-year-old man named Siddhartha had a mystical insight under a peepul tree in north-eastern India; in a place now revered as Bodhgaya. Today; more than 300 million people across the globe consider themselves beneficiaries of Gautama Buddha’s insight; and believe that it has irrevocably marked their spiritual commitment and identity. Who was this man who still remains such a vital figure for the modern-day questor? How did he arrive at the realization that ‘suffering alone exists; but none who suffer; the deed there is; but no doer thereof; Nirvana there is; but no one seeking it; the Path there is; but none who travel it’? The Book of Buddha traces the various stages of the spiritual journey undertaken by a man who started out as Siddhartha the Seeker; achieved understanding as Shakyamuni the Sage and attained supremacy as Tathagata the Master—finally reaching transcendence as Jina the Victor when he was transformed into the Buddha and became the Enlightened One. Combining personal insight with a deep understanding of Buddhist philosophy; Arundhathi Subramaniam gives the reader a sensitive and revealing portrait of the Buddha and his role in shaping and transfiguring the course of history. In this passionate and deeply felt rendition of the Buddha’s life she explores his enduring impact; and affirms that though he promised no quick-fix solution to life’s problems; Buddhism has remained truly democratic because it holds out the promise of self-realization for all.

Buddha

Buddha
Author: Deepak Chopra
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2009-10-13
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0061807133

Deepak Chopra brings the Buddha back to life in this gripping New York Times bestselling novel about the young prince who abandoned his inheritance to discover his true calling. This iconic journey changed the world forever, and the truths revealed continue to influence every corner of the globe today. A young man in line for the throne is trapped in his father's kingdom and yearns for the outside world. Betrayed y those closest to him, Siddhartha abandons his palace and princely title. Face-to-face with his demons, he becomes a wandering monk and embarks on a spiritual fast that carries him to the brink of death. Ultimately recognizing his inability to conquer his body and mind by sheer will, Siddhartha transcends his physical pain and achieves enlightenment. Although we recognize Buddha today as an icon of peace and serenity, his life story was a tumultuous and spellbinding affair filled with love and sex, murder and loss, struggle and surrender. From the rocky terrain of the material world to the summit of the spiritual one, Buddha captivates and inspires—ultimately leading us closer to understanding the true nature of life and ourselves.

Waking the Buddha

Waking the Buddha
Author: Clark Strand
Publisher: Middleway Press
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2014-05-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1938252527

Is there more to Buddhism than sitting in silent meditation? Is modern Buddhism relevant to the problems of daily life? Does it empower individuals to transform their lives? Or has Buddhism become too detached, so still and quiet that the Buddha has fallen asleep? Waking the Buddha tells the story of the Soka Gakkai International, the largest, most dynamic Buddhist movement in the world today—and one that is waking up and shaking up Buddhism so it can truly work in ordinary people’s lives. Drawing on his long personal experience as a Buddhist teacher, journalist, and editor, Clark Strand offers broad insight into how and why the Soka Gakkai, with its commitment to social justice and its egalitarian approach, has become a role model, not only for other schools of Buddhism, but for other religions as well. Readers will be inspired by the struggles and triumphs of the Soka Gakkai’s three founding presidents—individuals who staked their lives on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and the extraordinary power of those teachings to help people become happy.

The Historical Buddha

The Historical Buddha
Author: Hans Wolfgang Schumann
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2004
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9788120818170

No man has had a greater inflience on the spiritual development of his people than Siddartha Gautama. Born in India in the sixth century BC into a nation hungry for spiritual experience, he developed a religious and moral teaching that, to this day, brings comfort and peace to all who practise it. This comprehensive biography examines the social, religious and political conditions that gave rise to Buddhism as we now know it.

The Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path
Author: Bhikkhu Bodhi
Publisher: Buddhist Publication Society
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2010-12-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 955240116X

The Buddha's teachings center around two basic principles. One is the Four Noble Truths, in which the Buddha diagnoses the problem of suffering and indicates the treatment necessary to remedy this problem. The other is the Noble Eightfold Path, the practical discipline he prescribes to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying causes of suffering. The present book offers, in simple and clear language, a concise yet thorough explanation of the Eightfold Path. Basing himself solidly upon the Buddha's own words, the author examines each factor of the path to determine exactly what it implies in the way of practical training. Finally, in the concluding chapter, he shows how all eight factors of the path function in unison to bring about the realization of the Buddhist goal: enlightenment and liberation.

The Life of the Buddha

The Life of the Buddha
Author: Patricia M. Herbert
Publisher: Pomegranate
Total Pages: 108
Release: 2005
Genre: Illumination of books and manuscripts, Burmese
ISBN: 0764931555

Pronunciation, but no index. Annotation 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

The Life of the Buddha

The Life of the Buddha
Author: Heather Sanche
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 25
Release: 2020-04-14
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 0834842793

“In the full bloom of spring, in a beautiful garden, in a place called Lumbini, a prince was born.” So begins the extraordinary story of the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the prince who would become the enlightened Buddha, the Awakened One. This classic tale follows Prince Siddhartha’s journey of truth-seeking and discovery, including his life-altering encounters with human suffering and his realization of the Four Noble Truths. Today, millions of people all over the world follow the Buddha’s teachings on meditation, selflessness, and compassion. Rendered here in exquisite original watercolor illustrations, this inspiring story is brought to life for young readers curious about one of history’s most monumental and influential figures.

How the Swans Came to the Lake

How the Swans Came to the Lake
Author: Rick Fields
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 587
Release: 2022-02-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1611804736

A modern classic unparalleled in scope, this sweeping history unfolds the story of Buddhism’s spread to the West. How the Swans Came to the Lake opens with the story of Asian Buddhism, including the life of the Buddha and the spread of his teachings from India to Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and elsewhere. Coming to the modern era, the book tracks how Western colonialism in Asia served as the catalyst for the first large-scale interactions between Buddhists and Westerners. Author Rick Fields discusses the development of Buddhism in the West through key moments such as Transcendentalist fascination with Eastern religions; immigration of Chinese and Japanese people to the United States; the writings of D. T. Suzuki, Alan Watts, and members of the Beat movement; the publication of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki; the arrival of Tibetan lamas in America and Europe; and the influence of Western feminist and social justice movements on Buddhist practice. This fortieth anniversary edition features both new and enhanced photographs as well as a new introduction by Fields’s nephew, Buddhist Studies scholar Benjamin Bogin, who reflects on the impact of this book since its initial publication and addresses the significant changes in Western Buddhist practice in recent decades.

Buton's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet

Buton's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet
Author: Buton Richen Drup
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 465
Release: 2013-08-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834829525

This fourteenth-century Tibetan classic serves as an excellent introduction to basic Buddhism as practiced throughout India and Tibet and describes the process of entering the Buddhist path through study and reflection. It begins with setting forth the structure of Buddhist education and the range of its subjects, and we’re treated to a rousing litany of the merits of such instruction. We’re then introduced to the buddhas of our world and eon—three of whom have already lived, taught, and passed into transcendence—before examining in detail the fourth, our own Buddha Shakyamuni. Butön tells the story of Shakyamuni’s past lives and then presents the path the Buddha followed (the same that all buddhas must follow). After the Buddha’s story, Butön recounts three compilations of Buddhist scriptures and then quotes from sacred texts that foretell the lives and contributions of great Indian Buddhist masters, which he then relates, concluding with the tale of the eventual demise and disappearance of the Buddhist doctrine. The text ends with an account of the inception and spread of Buddhism in Tibet, focused mainly on the country’s kings and early adopters of the foreign faith. An afterword by Ngawang Zangpo, one of the translators, discusses and contextualizes Butön’s exemplary life, his turbulent times, and his prolific works.