Understanding Buddhism: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places

by Malcolm David Eckel

A wonderful portrayal of the Buddhist faith as it traces its development from the origins in ancient India to modern day. One of the world's great religious traditions, Buddhism is an increasingly potent spiritual force in the West, having attracted thousands of followers. This concise volume provides an accessible and lavishly illustrated introduction to the key themes of the Buddhist faith - the life of the Buddha, spiritual and ethical teachings, ritual and ceremony, art and architecture, sacred writings, karma, meditation and enlightenment, death and the afterlife. It traces the course of Buddhism, from its origins in ancient India to its place in Western society today, providing a unique distillation of this richly varied tradition - a marvellous introduction for all those who wish to move one step closer to the spirit of the Buddha.

Genres: Religion, Buddhism, Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Cat]

Good basic grounding in Buddhism. It's easy to read, had great pictures, and is easy to understand. Perfect for someone who knows little to nothing about Buddhism.

[Azzam Syafiq]

A great book if you want to learn a bit about Buddhism. Basic philosophies of the religion is taught here, along with brief history of its expansion.

[Sarah Curtis]

“It is not enough merely to call for freedom, democracy and human rights. There has to be a united determination… to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influence of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear.”

This book gave a good overview of Buddhism and the various schools of Buddhism. It did not have much philosophy included but had a lot of facts and history. Could be a but dry at times but otherwise it was a quick and interesting read.

[Tara Haskins]

A lot of history of Buddhism, which important yes, I just don’t feel like I gained a much better understanding of the practice. Perhaps this was not the read for that. Didn’t take long to read though. I did learn something though.

[Danny]

No God, no holy men (excluding the Tibetan sect) and no self. Desire and aversion are the roots of suffering. These are just a few of the things I'll be mulling over for weeks, maybe years. Too soon for an opinion. I'm very happy I read it. I'll say that.

[Robyn]

decent. provides basic information about the background and history of buddhism. i would’ve liked to read more about the actual principles, meditation, spiritual practices. but this was still informative.

[Luca Dell'Oca]

Un buon libro per farsi una prima idea di cosa sia il buddismo, da un punto di vista da puro studioso, quindi molto asettico (il che è un bene) e non di parte.

[Eugenio Ghirlanda]

Elenco noioso che non entra mai in profondità. Utile per uno studio superficiale, non per chi vuole cominciare

[Nicola Maledetta Primavera]

Ottimo libro se si vuole iniziare a conoscere il mondo buddhista o orientale in generale. Avrei preferito una parte riguardante l'aldilà più approfondita e curata, ma va bene lo stesso:D .

[Nexusjio]

this is a very beginner and short details of Buddhism. fairly straight forward on the basics. did a fine job, albeit very breathe.

[A. B.]

A good, very short introduction to the diversity of Buddhist thought, practice, history, and tradition.

[Elise Ravenclaw]

This book is divided in 9 short chapters that aim to clarify the key concepts of Buddhism and its development. Such a task is accomplished in a succinct and easy to understand fashion. It did help me to understand some concepts better, such as "boddhisattva", the role of deities in Buddhism, the different kinds of Buddhism, and where the written teachings come from.
It is very basic, but that is what I need, since I have had little contact with this belief system.

[Fredrick Danysh]

Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha, also know as Budda. The author gives a background on the development of this Eastern religion as well as on the sacred texts, spaces, and times. The afterlife is also explored.

[Liza]

This is the first book on Buddhism that I have ever read. It is informative and appears to be a concise introduction to Buddhist religion and culture. I will continue to read other books on Buddhism to expand my knowledge

[Tina]

The book concentrated mainly enthusing the basics of Buddhism, there was little more than just the main concept of karma and the history of Buddhism, I was expecting more.

[Ray]

Meh.