Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism

by Gary Gach

Enlightenment has never been easier—with this updated guide.

There’s more to Buddhism than meditation and mantras—and this fully updated guide is what every reader needs on the path to enlightenment. With expanded information on the practice of Buddhism in the United States and the West, a greater focus on the relationship between Buddhism and Islam, and the effects of Buddhism on Christianity and Judaism, this book explores the easy ways readers can make Buddhism a part of their daily lives.

• Includes expanded appendixes featuring a timeline showing the evolution of Buddhism through history
• Covers all four schools of Buddhism—Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land, and Insight Meditation
• Expanded section on “rites of passage” shows how a new generation has taken to Buddhism

Genres: Buddhism, Religion, Nonfiction, Reference, Philosophy, Spirituality

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2004

About the author

Generalist.

¿ Books ?
Clerk, 2nd-hand bookshop, 8 years. Book designer / typesetter, 3 years. Book editor, 1 year. Associated with a few books* with someone's name on them identical to mine; managed not to repeat myself, as yet.

Middle school years in Hollywood commemorated by classmate James Ellroy ("Let's Twist Again"). BA + 1 year (UCLA - SFSU). Moved to San Francisco 45 years ago, where have been living since, where facilitating weekly mindfulness practice ( ... stop ... breathe ... smile ... ... ... go slow ... ... ).
______________________________
*
E.G. ————— as author, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism; editor, What Book Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop; co-translator, Ten Thousand Lives, Flowers of a Moment, and Songs for Tomorrow: A Collection of Poems, 1961–2001, all by Ko Un.

_______________________________________

: swimming in the Bay, blue skies, calligraphy, cooking, generosity, bestfriends, awakening wisdom, the heart of love
__________________________
May all beings be well.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I buy a vowel and tout my own book here?

It's really two books in one: Living Buddhism (guide to the basics) and Buddhist Living (the second half of the book explores relations to various walks of life. I'll add it's the only book to include all four schools of practice in the West, rather than write from one point of view; never really done before, but since the book has been published seems to fit into an emergent trend which Joseph Goldstein dubs One Dharma.

May I add weblinks? — http://tinyurl.com/ykckcn opens the book out online (for free); [for blurbs: http://tinyurl.com/yo3oqr].

Have any questions? comments? criticism? Drop me a line ———

——— & please enjoy.

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is clearly a layman's book designed to help someone who is considering practicing Buddhism in a North America. The basic theology is explained as in the manner in which one lives the Buddhist faith in on our continent where it is a minority, proselytizing faith.

In this way the Complete Idiot's Guide clearly lets you know what you are getting yourself into or what their friends have gotten themselves into.

The author is an Adult convert from an ethnic community where Buddhism was historically absent. Again this choice is consistent with the philosophy of the publisher which wants to present the advantages of moving inside to someone who is initially positioned on the outside.

[Britany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great reference book!

It’s been a practice of mine over the past few summers to explore a religion I know little to nothing about. I decided this years pick would be Buddhism and it’s been a lot of fun!

I would recommend this for anyone with no knowledge about the structure of Buddhism and wanting to gain insight to its practices.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great primer for those of you wondering about Buddhism.

Especially recommended if you come from a Western Christian background. If you have some familiarity with Eastern thought already, this may be too much of a layman's book for you.

While it seems to play down the way that many sects (such as Tibetan and Pure Land) have turned Buddhism into a religion rather than a way of life, this book is useful for its accessible explanations and its practical applications.

It is divided into sections, first dealing with the history of Buddhism, its expansion, then a perhaps oversimplified explanation of its relationship to religions of the world. It then explains universal beliefs among the schools and has a primer on meditation before delving into the different sects. The last third of the book is dedicated to practical applications of the teachings.

This book set me on my path to Zen.

Finally, don't be discouraged. The vocabulary of Buddhism can sometimes be confusing, but that's why there is a glossary.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, and not as simplistic/touristy as you'd expect. Surprisingly broad and detailed where you'd want it to be. I'm particularly fond of the section on interfaith dialogue, which, at least for a western audience where Buddhism is a decided minority, is definitely important. The author doesn't offensively bias towards Theravada or Mahayana, and instead emphasizes similarities, which is oh-so important (and responsible, seeing how this is a beginner's book and most readers probably won't know which direction to head in yet). The Complete Idiot format is perfect for such a book, as the numerous Pali/Sanskrit terms benefit from sidebar definitions. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a robust primer on Buddhism.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gary Gach really delivers in this ambitious book. He goes broad, covering Buddhism from a zillion angles. You get the history. You get the important schools/variants. And you get solid coverage of the principles including the basics of a number of mindfulness meditation practices. It's kind of a short encyclopedia of Buddhism.

My only complaint, and the reason the book gets three stars instead of four, is that in the penultimate chapter Gach says something that is just patently false. He claims that scientific studies of intercessory prayer have proven that "prayer (works like) a miracle drug". Further he attempts to bolster his claim by stating that "there have been at least 150 such (successful) tests".

Gosh that's a pretty wacky interpretation of reality. Now I can't fault him for not going all Sam Harris on the topic but sheesh. Just to check my own facts I found this little summary of the studies on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer#E...

Oh and here's another page linking to some short surveys of the field:

http://www.davidmyers.org/Brix?pageID...

So that flaw of course calls into question the authors objectivity in general. That's a pity because it really is a good book otherwise.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously, a beginner's guide to Buddhism. The book is over 400 pages, so it is comprehensive enough for the reader to "get it." The author tries, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, to throw in the witticisms expected in the Dummies/Idiots books. There are too many sidebars for my taste and the author's personal experiences and advice are predictable. (The author walks down the streets of San Francisco hugging trees. Every day. I mean, when you read the book you will understand why he does this, but still . . .) Overall, I thought it was informative and a good first step (or first stop) if you want a good overall picture of what Buddhism is all about.

[Christian]

This might be better titled "Beginner's Buddhism", in that it does more than just attempt to make Buddhism understood, but gets you started with many techniques and insights, particularly in meditation. Also, a great collection of histories of the major Buddhist players, from the Man himself, to many lesser known, but highly influential Buddhists.

While this book was obviously written by an American for the American public, the message is universal. If there is but one thing I will take away from this experience, it is the line that I will be carrying around from this day forward;



"There is no path to peace, peace IS the path"

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book by Gary Gach and he's pretty good. In his book about buddism talks about what is buddhism and how do you learn buddhism. Buddhism was orginally developed in India then spread to many other places. In his book, talks about Zen and Tibetan. Many people practice nowadays and whoever wants to start practicing it, it's a good thing to read this book. It tells you about buddhism work, buddhism meditation, buddhism everything. Basically it teaches you how to really become a true buddhism person.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm kind of embarassed to say I read a "Complete Idiot's Guide" to anything, but I did. At least I read most of it -- it was due back to the library so I skimmed the last chapters. I found it very informative. I wanted to cut to the chase and know what Buddhism's all about rather than wade through different essays and books to piece it together myself. I found the constant corny jokes and puns a little distracting, but all in all it was a good read. I'll probably go back to it.

[Dennis Schvejda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the student is ready... Well, I've been meaning to learn more about Buddhism for some time, and then this book was given to me. A great introduction, I enjoyed each chapter. The book has had a tremendous impact on my outlook on life, mindfulness, etc.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to compare something written in a more layman style to other books on Buddhism, that I've read which are more theological or philosophical based.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting so far. I needed this!

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

probably my third favorite buddhism book. after thinking i'd gotten way over my head with the book of living and dying, this was a welcome, western relief in layman's terms.

[Heather]

Each time I pick up this book I learn something new about myself. I usually just open to a page and start reading

[Darren]

I can't say I read this cover to cover , but it is a cool reference book I pick at. I read some of it to Hayden because he was scared of a budda head on our Dresser.

[Edward Viljoen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it very helpful. I enjoyed the humor in the side bars. I find myself going back to it now and then to reread sections.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a light-hearted and fun way to learn about something. I've had this book since 2002 and have tried so many times to finish it because it was so much fun. Now I can cross that off my list.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few too many bad jokes and sidetrails I wasn't looking for (like a lot about Art) but overall what I wanted.

[Noreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Complete Idiot series is a 50,000 foot view of a subject. Great overview of types, traditions, practices and history of Buddhism. Read a chapter at a time.

[Jared · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok here is the skinny on the Complete Idiots guide to Understanding Buddhism. He first starts out with a lot of postmodernism stuff. Then he actually explains Buddhist principles, and the four different branches of Buddhism (this is the part of the book actually worth reading). After that he writes about how Buddhism affects the arts and sciences and it just feels like a whole lot of stuff that any liberal would say. I also found a lot of the Buddhist beliefs difficult to understand and wish he would have defined his terms better (but I have a feeling this is common in Buddhist literature). He also took time to bash Christians in underhanded, backhanded ways, which I found annoying. I also wish he spent more time referencing other Buddhist literature (which I hope explains the religion better then he does). I hope to understand Buddhism but I do not think this book has quite led me there.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I see it (and this is my opinion alone), you can't truly believe in anything (religion, fairy tales, spirituality, etc.) without first knowing thyself. In what I have read from this book so far, Buddhism is the means of guiding a person to that fulfillment without dogmatic rules, dos & don'ts, and all the hype we may face in so many concepts of life. If you want to enlighten the surrounding people of your community or nation, spend all your energies doing so for yourself. That will do all the work as individuals learn who you are or pass you by each day. There is a quote of mine I love to share when I can, "Find the light from within yourself and allow it to flow through you." That is Buddhism.

[Candace Haskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific, entertaining, informative no-stress way to learn more about Buddhism. It is a little silly (as the Idiot books are), but I loved just reading it front-to-back and getting a broader understanding of what Buddhism is all about. I especially liked the glossary where you could learn more about a specific aspect of interest and then follow it up with a trip to the index to get more information. This was especially helpful as I read along and when I realized I hadn't grasped a term, I could refresh easily.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a requirement for my next class "Buddhism and Culture", and althought at times it is a little corny, for the most part, it is helpful in understanding Buddhism.

[Torine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just want to get an overview of Buddhism. I think once I finish more, it'll get better.

[Kevin J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not quite get it finished.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a great piece of mind and a new way of looking at things. This tempts me to visit the Omaha Buddhist temple and get more information

[Annaleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to Buddhism. Especially interesting for Jews interested in Buddhism, I think.

[Riana · Rating 5 out of 5]

an informational and easy to read book that told me everything i wanted to know about buddhism.

[Judih Weinstein Haggai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary Gach is brilliant, funny, personable and eases the way into understanding Buddhism and what it has to offer a modern human being.