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Secular Buddhism: Eastern Thought for Western Minds
In this simple yet important book, Noah Rasheta takes profound Buddhist concepts and makes them easy to understand for anyone trying to become a better whatever-they-already-are.
114 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2016
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979 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 31, 2019
Summarizes--in two hours--everything I've learned in the past twenty years. Funny that a man by the name of Noah would go about introducing a Judeo-Christian audience to Buddhist principles. Plenty of name dropping: Victor Frankl, the 5 Love Languages, Alan Watts, my favorite Daoist parable (the same which appeared in a recently released and highly commendable Netflix documentary about Bill Murray), Plato, and so on. The Nintendo Tetris metaphor for life has stuck with me.
Ironically, the book warns the reader that one cannot internalize the four noble truths nor the eight-fold path through reading, only by living. So you should only read this book if you have already learned certain ways of experiencing your existence and you would like a brief reminder.
Ironically, the book warns the reader that one cannot internalize the four noble truths nor the eight-fold path through reading, only by living. So you should only read this book if you have already learned certain ways of experiencing your existence and you would like a brief reminder.
December 17, 2017
4 stars because I enjoy the topic so much that I would have loved for the book to be longer and the philosophy and intellectual ideas to be deeper. It is very accessible to read and understand and to apply the teachings of buddhism to your everyday life. Has helped me a lot to realise some things about truths about myself and other people. I started reading this book after I have been listening to the podcast for a while, which I can recommend highly.
October 14, 2021
EDIT #1: Much removed here, then reduced to a truncated comment. Note to self: do not write a review if you're having a poor day, it may turn into a rant that's unfair to all.
As is my usual procedure, this review is marked as Contains spoilers simply because I treat these reviews as a memory aid during a memory vs. medications battle, that I'm not winning, As such, they're guaranteed to contain spoilers.
My rate/review system has been simplified to best suit my needs:
Reviews will simply consist of: "I like it"-"It's okay"-"I don't like it" (a good-neutral-bad, type of thing). Then the meat of my opinion is buried somewhere after that, but it'll mostly be for the memory stuff.
EDIT #2: As for stars, although I disagree with there being any validity in simply averaging a group of set-points...a person uneducated in the subject matter will likely under rate and vice versa, but I'll play the game, and these will represent MY genuine valuation of the title, based on MY base knowledge.
The actual spoiler (surprisingly, this review actually contains one-ish) is that Mr Rasheta also hosts a podcast, and virtually all the material in this book is orally presented there. So, depending on whether you enjoy reading over listening, then I'd recommend this book. If you prefer listening or already listen to the podcast, then I'd fully consider the value of the book to you. Podcasts are free, and when taken together, there's a redundancy that results in knowing what's going to be said or read beforehand.
My Kindle edition has no Copyright page so I don't know which predates the other. The book essentially outlines the podcasts...perhaps the book is where he organized his thoughts for the podcasts, which there are over 150 episodes.
'Nuf said, for whatever it's worth...it's a high Okay.
As is my usual procedure, this review is marked as Contains spoilers simply because I treat these reviews as a memory aid during a memory vs. medications battle, that I'm not winning, As such, they're guaranteed to contain spoilers.
My rate/review system has been simplified to best suit my needs:
Reviews will simply consist of: "I like it"-"It's okay"-"I don't like it" (a good-neutral-bad, type of thing). Then the meat of my opinion is buried somewhere after that, but it'll mostly be for the memory stuff.
EDIT #2: As for stars, although I disagree with there being any validity in simply averaging a group of set-points...a person uneducated in the subject matter will likely under rate and vice versa, but I'll play the game, and these will represent MY genuine valuation of the title, based on MY base knowledge.
The actual spoiler (surprisingly, this review actually contains one-ish) is that Mr Rasheta also hosts a podcast, and virtually all the material in this book is orally presented there. So, depending on whether you enjoy reading over listening, then I'd recommend this book. If you prefer listening or already listen to the podcast, then I'd fully consider the value of the book to you. Podcasts are free, and when taken together, there's a redundancy that results in knowing what's going to be said or read beforehand.
My Kindle edition has no Copyright page so I don't know which predates the other. The book essentially outlines the podcasts...perhaps the book is where he organized his thoughts for the podcasts, which there are over 150 episodes.
'Nuf said, for whatever it's worth...it's a high Okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2017
I read the original manuscript prior to the book publishing and found this book to be a powerful and simple yet enlightening read. Lots of stories and concepts are made to be understandable and it felt like the classic "As a Man Thinketh" but from Eastern (Buddhist) wisdom minus any dogmatic claims. It is very compatible to any ideological view the reader may already hold and as the author often says (quoting the Dalai Lama) "Do not use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist, use it to be a better whatever you already are."
PS: I am the authors brother and I am so proud of the light his book will share into the minds of those who will read it. Thanks for all your great work Noah!
PS: I am the authors brother and I am so proud of the light his book will share into the minds of those who will read it. Thanks for all your great work Noah!
February 27, 2017
Great short secular introduction to Buddhism. I stumbled upon Secular Buddhism (the site) a few days ago, and I've been enjoying Noah's podcasts quite a lot, so I decided to give his book a try.
If you want a very short introduction to Buddhism from a secular point of view, without any of the religious and ritual aspects of it, this is a great little book.
If you want a very short introduction to Buddhism from a secular point of view, without any of the religious and ritual aspects of it, this is a great little book.
July 6, 2017
Great content, but severely needs a run through spell-check. It was difficult to read at times due to spelling and grammatical errors. However overall, I definitely took in the message and can appreciate it for what it is.
May 12, 2025
These principles from the secular Buddhism podcast have been so meaningful to my life and ongoing life view. So fun and happy to have them in a book form I can have on the shelf and keep with me and refer back to. I do have to say I feel like the number of typos in this short of a book is a little inexcusable and funny, but may be from being self-published or something. Could definitely use with a new edited version if they are going to print more, but wonderful principles all the same.
November 16, 2022
I’m new to a lot of this.
The concepts Rasheta teaches are fascinating to me. I see a lot of my own personal beliefs here. Excited to learn more after getting this nice introduction.
The concepts Rasheta teaches are fascinating to me. I see a lot of my own personal beliefs here. Excited to learn more after getting this nice introduction.
May 23, 2018
So I listen to the secular Buddhism podcast quite frequently and love it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its simplicity and succinct nature. I wish that it would actually had been longer and more in depth on the topics though. It's a great intro book and I will wait to hear from someone that I can pass the book on to. pay it forward :)
May 23, 2025
I enjoyed this book for the same reason that I enjoy the author's podcast. He just does a great job of making things straightforward and understandable.
December 10, 2017
Concise Introduction
Many of the teachings of the religion that I was born into seem to clash with my own reasoning and worldview. I have been intrigued by Buddhism because many of its core teachings appear to be progressive and universal. However, Buddhism is still very much a religion and a very varied one at that. I like the concept of secular Buddhism because it fits in with my modern(western) sensibilities. The author did a great job of reintroducing Buddhist concepts to me in a way that I found more accessible. The author also took time creating secular definitions of spirituality and faith to highlight that these ideas transcend religion and have universal relevance.
Many of the teachings of the religion that I was born into seem to clash with my own reasoning and worldview. I have been intrigued by Buddhism because many of its core teachings appear to be progressive and universal. However, Buddhism is still very much a religion and a very varied one at that. I like the concept of secular Buddhism because it fits in with my modern(western) sensibilities. The author did a great job of reintroducing Buddhist concepts to me in a way that I found more accessible. The author also took time creating secular definitions of spirituality and faith to highlight that these ideas transcend religion and have universal relevance.
April 8, 2020
Upon receiving the book in the mail I thought I was duped. A very thin book, a larger that usual font seize, a few spelling and grammar errors, and a text layout that does not appeal to my idea of an aesthetic appearance (I still have my hangups).
However the honesty, simplicity and clarity of the message overrode all misgivings I had concerning this book. It is a pleasure to read and sheds new light and perspective on many Buddhist concepts. I do not know how more orthodox and academic critics may view this text, but as a secular approach, and for a lay westerner like myself, I found the book very helpful. The book works perfectly well for what it aims to achieve. An excellent and basic introduction to Buddhist philosophy.
However the honesty, simplicity and clarity of the message overrode all misgivings I had concerning this book. It is a pleasure to read and sheds new light and perspective on many Buddhist concepts. I do not know how more orthodox and academic critics may view this text, but as a secular approach, and for a lay westerner like myself, I found the book very helpful. The book works perfectly well for what it aims to achieve. An excellent and basic introduction to Buddhist philosophy.
June 27, 2019
I found Noah’s book through his podcast. He insightful delivery through personal experiences, the anecdotes, and his illustrations make this book so completely accessible. I’ve done a lot of reading and listening on Buddhist philosophy and Noah’s wisdom has been the most relatable by far. I’ll be keeping this in my library and listening frequently. I hope as he continues to learn and grow, that he will write more to share with us. Thank you for keeping it real, humble and vulnerable, Noah. Your genuine curiosity is what makes you good at sharing in the way you do. What you share shows you as a beautiful human.
July 27, 2020
Very basic introduction of Buddhist philosophy, catered to a western audience. Probably only read if you are not familiar with this already and want a very quick summary of the main ideas. It is like SparkNotes for Buddhism. The writer also has a podcast and this book repeats the same examples and descriptions as the first few episodes. I listened to those podcast episodes first, so reading the book didn't add anything.
April 16, 2022
This is less about Buddhism and more a self-help book. It was okay overall, but something that really bothered me about is that there’s a ton of quotes and not a single citation used. He claims to know the secrets of Buddhism, but he doesn’t have any credentials. There are much better books to learn about Buddhism from in my opinion.
December 14, 2018
This book should be titled, "for beginners" as its a basic introduction to a few Buddhist concepts. Don't buy if you've already been introduced to secular Dharma elsewhere. It will just be a review.
January 21, 2022
Good information, but not super organized, and there are many typos. Read No-Nonsense Buddhism For Beginners instead--it's the author's better published version of this book. The information repeats so no need to buy both.
January 22, 2023
Loved the concepts and stories in this book, and would love to read more about Buddhist teachings. However this book needed better proofreading, as it had a surprising number of grammar and spelling errors
December 13, 2025
I came to know about the author through his podcast, also called Secular Buddhism. This short book covers the core concepts that Noah discusses there.
I enjoyed the simplicity and clarity with which he explains Buddhist philosophy here. I found it more accessible than some books written by more traditional Buddhist authors. The Western lens and language he adopts here were helpful to me in digesting the information.
I suspect that his interpretation of karma and rebirth are indeed his secular interpretations. For instance, he says that karma isn't a system of cosmic justice but rather the law of cause and effect. I doubt that the average Buddhist views it that way, but I'm uninformed on the Buddha's teachings on this. Similarly for rebirth, he essentially sees it as the natural cycle where you come from nature and go back to it. He writes that Buddhism doesn't believe in the transmigration of a soul or in the existence of a soul or self to begin with. In that sense it is different to reincarnation. Again, I am not well read on the Buddhist canon, so I may be misunderstanding this, but if there is no soul/self/essence that is being reborn, how is it re-birth? Wouldn't it just be birth?
Also, at least in the edition I read, there were many typos and grammatical errors, which were a bit disappointing. He may have published the book himself, but that doesn't justify the lack of proofreading.
All said, I enjoyed reading this book and found Noah's perspective immensely helpful in helping me learn about Buddhism and how to navigate my life skilfully. I have already bought his other book, No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners, and am looking forward to reading it.
I enjoyed the simplicity and clarity with which he explains Buddhist philosophy here. I found it more accessible than some books written by more traditional Buddhist authors. The Western lens and language he adopts here were helpful to me in digesting the information.
I suspect that his interpretation of karma and rebirth are indeed his secular interpretations. For instance, he says that karma isn't a system of cosmic justice but rather the law of cause and effect. I doubt that the average Buddhist views it that way, but I'm uninformed on the Buddha's teachings on this. Similarly for rebirth, he essentially sees it as the natural cycle where you come from nature and go back to it. He writes that Buddhism doesn't believe in the transmigration of a soul or in the existence of a soul or self to begin with. In that sense it is different to reincarnation. Again, I am not well read on the Buddhist canon, so I may be misunderstanding this, but if there is no soul/self/essence that is being reborn, how is it re-birth? Wouldn't it just be birth?
Also, at least in the edition I read, there were many typos and grammatical errors, which were a bit disappointing. He may have published the book himself, but that doesn't justify the lack of proofreading.
All said, I enjoyed reading this book and found Noah's perspective immensely helpful in helping me learn about Buddhism and how to navigate my life skilfully. I have already bought his other book, No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners, and am looking forward to reading it.
July 16, 2023
I feel bad, I don't tend to write bad reviews but I don’t quite understand how this is rated so strongly here on GR. Hopefully someone finds this helpful.
Many reviews praise the simplicity of the text, I found it so simple that it almost misses the point. Or any point.
Imagine you met someone at a BBQ who talked your ear off about something they love but who also used examples that were (harmlessly) wrong, which make you wonder how solid the rest of their concepts were. This book is sort of like that.
At one point Rasheta says, "the death of a caterpillar is the birth of a butterfly." I know he means metamorphosis, and not a caterpillar that may have been crunched underfoot along a walking path, but unfortunately that sort of imprecise use of language is very common throughout.
Also, this "book" (it's soooo short) is peppered with spelling, grammar, and formatting errors, which added to the feelings of "low-value" that I was already getting from the text. The font is huge, the justification is poor, there are double indents everywhere (sometimes quadruple ones) and parts of paragraphs in boldface. It has the feel of a Zine, or maybe a manifesto.
Maybe an editor is needed for the next edition? And more words, too?
Many reviews praise the simplicity of the text, I found it so simple that it almost misses the point. Or any point.
Imagine you met someone at a BBQ who talked your ear off about something they love but who also used examples that were (harmlessly) wrong, which make you wonder how solid the rest of their concepts were. This book is sort of like that.
At one point Rasheta says, "the death of a caterpillar is the birth of a butterfly." I know he means metamorphosis, and not a caterpillar that may have been crunched underfoot along a walking path, but unfortunately that sort of imprecise use of language is very common throughout.
Also, this "book" (it's soooo short) is peppered with spelling, grammar, and formatting errors, which added to the feelings of "low-value" that I was already getting from the text. The font is huge, the justification is poor, there are double indents everywhere (sometimes quadruple ones) and parts of paragraphs in boldface. It has the feel of a Zine, or maybe a manifesto.
Maybe an editor is needed for the next edition? And more words, too?
June 26, 2023
I want to give it five stars but there were a few typos(missing closing brackets for parentheses, a spelling error or two) and I feel like all the info in this book can be listened to in the first five episodes Noah's podcast Secular Buddhism.
Nitpicking aside, this is one of the best beginner's buddhism books I've read thus far. It's only rival is Noah's other book"No nonsense Buddhism for beginners". The info in it is stellar and great for any and all people looking to learn about Buddhism. This book just felt less.... put together than what I would expect. Almost felt like a self-published quality book. The errors I mentioned before, the oversized font, it just felt a bit....off.
Again, the content is comprehensive and easy to read and everything I've ever wanted in a beginner's buddhism book. It's just the actual book quality that made this fall short of a perfect 5/5.
Nitpicking aside, this is one of the best beginner's buddhism books I've read thus far. It's only rival is Noah's other book"No nonsense Buddhism for beginners". The info in it is stellar and great for any and all people looking to learn about Buddhism. This book just felt less.... put together than what I would expect. Almost felt like a self-published quality book. The errors I mentioned before, the oversized font, it just felt a bit....off.
Again, the content is comprehensive and easy to read and everything I've ever wanted in a beginner's buddhism book. It's just the actual book quality that made this fall short of a perfect 5/5.
January 3, 2025
2💫 Yeah… This wasn’t quite what I expected.
The text was clear and easy to understand. There were also some nice quotes. That’s about it for the pros.
Now for the cons. The text, just the way it is, could have been fitted to half the amount of pages. But, I guess the 114 p. was just right for the author. The font size was big, the font itself not very pleasing, and the margins humongous. Also, somebody should have taught this guy where the button for justifying paragraphs is, because now it’s all levelled to the left and it looks real bad.
This felt like an essay by, at most, a high schooler. And not a great one at that, but one written the last night before deadline. The chapters were full of filler and spelling errors and the message could’ve easily been condensed to yet another half.
(¬⤙¬ )
The text was clear and easy to understand. There were also some nice quotes. That’s about it for the pros.
Now for the cons. The text, just the way it is, could have been fitted to half the amount of pages. But, I guess the 114 p. was just right for the author. The font size was big, the font itself not very pleasing, and the margins humongous. Also, somebody should have taught this guy where the button for justifying paragraphs is, because now it’s all levelled to the left and it looks real bad.
This felt like an essay by, at most, a high schooler. And not a great one at that, but one written the last night before deadline. The chapters were full of filler and spelling errors and the message could’ve easily been condensed to yet another half.
(¬⤙¬ )
August 11, 2022
This is a book I greatly enjoyed. I do listen to the author’s podcast and will say that some material covered in the book is also stated in the podcast. It only really losses a star due to the fact I was expecting a lot more new material to be discussed. Yet, at the end of the day he covers ideas and topics very clearly. They are not overly complex and the book is a great way to get a feel for Buddhism without being overwhelmed with theories and concepts. If you are interested in looking to Buddhism from a western point of view then this is a great start.
June 30, 2023
Having listened to every episode of Noah's podcast, Secular Buddhism, not much was gained in reading this book. All examples used are his go-to examples in his podcast. All outlined topics within Buddhism are broken down really well in his podcast.
If you haven't tried out Noah's podcast (which I highly recommend) then this would be a great book and introduction to Secular Buddhism. It's clear, concise, and covers all the bases. If you had to choose though, I'd recommend the podcast over the book.
If you haven't tried out Noah's podcast (which I highly recommend) then this would be a great book and introduction to Secular Buddhism. It's clear, concise, and covers all the bases. If you had to choose though, I'd recommend the podcast over the book.
May 29, 2021
An excellent summary of essential Buddhism
Noah was gifted with the skills to explain and describe Buddhism in a quite simple yet powerful way. And he has have the wisdom to share this knowledge with everybody who empties first his or her cup, to be able to receive new views without prejudice. An excellent summary of essential Buddhism with enough ideas to start applying it to the lives of those that want to mitigate the heavy burden of unnecessary suffering.
Noah was gifted with the skills to explain and describe Buddhism in a quite simple yet powerful way. And he has have the wisdom to share this knowledge with everybody who empties first his or her cup, to be able to receive new views without prejudice. An excellent summary of essential Buddhism with enough ideas to start applying it to the lives of those that want to mitigate the heavy burden of unnecessary suffering.
January 15, 2022
Stunned and speechless.
A beautiful use of words concepts creating joy and happiness and than repeating the cycle over and over as my own happiness and joy expands in reading his words. This makes me realize that when by he contributes to my happiness he is contributing to his own happiness. Like him, if in my joy an life I CD am contribute to the happiness of others I will better realize happiness for myself.
A beautiful use of words concepts creating joy and happiness and than repeating the cycle over and over as my own happiness and joy expands in reading his words. This makes me realize that when by he contributes to my happiness he is contributing to his own happiness. Like him, if in my joy an life I CD am contribute to the happiness of others I will better realize happiness for myself.
March 30, 2025
A great introduction to secular Buddhism
I really enjoyed this short introduction to secular Buddhism. It's an easy read but the ideas are huge. I started listening to Noah's podcast shortly after beginning this book and while the concepts are the same in the first five episodes I found it helpful to listen to them in this way and get a strong grounding in the basic principles before moving on to The Plum Village teachings.
I really enjoyed this short introduction to secular Buddhism. It's an easy read but the ideas are huge. I started listening to Noah's podcast shortly after beginning this book and while the concepts are the same in the first five episodes I found it helpful to listen to them in this way and get a strong grounding in the basic principles before moving on to The Plum Village teachings.
January 25, 2018
Good, but....
This book presents some great teachings and concepts of Buddhism in a secular fashion. For these teachers, the book is great. The only problems is that he leaves out other key teachers, or doesn't go deep enough, for fear that he might not sound separated enough. Still, a good and helpful read.
This book presents some great teachings and concepts of Buddhism in a secular fashion. For these teachers, the book is great. The only problems is that he leaves out other key teachers, or doesn't go deep enough, for fear that he might not sound separated enough. Still, a good and helpful read.
September 14, 2018
Another Worthwhile Read
Having just two days ago finished reading the author's first book, I found Secular Buddhism to be a slightly deeper look at topics covered in the beginner's book. A few short sections were duplicated in both books. Although I was not as touched by Secular Buddhism...I do have many underlined passages for review later.
Having just two days ago finished reading the author's first book, I found Secular Buddhism to be a slightly deeper look at topics covered in the beginner's book. A few short sections were duplicated in both books. Although I was not as touched by Secular Buddhism...I do have many underlined passages for review later.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews