Buddhism for Beginners: A Guide to Enlightened Living

by C Alexander Simpkins, Annellen Simpkins

For those searching for mindful moments or for a more engaged way of navigating life in the twenty-first century, Buddhism for Beginners opens the door to understanding Buddhism's key concepts and practices. The authors tap into their years of training and study in meditation, martial arts and Eastern philosophy to bring readers a comprehensive introduction to the spiritual tenets and attainments that mark the pathway to enlightenment.In this new hardcover edition, the authors explain in clear and simple The history of BuddhismThe key themes and belief systems (the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Mahayana, nirvana and more)Ways of integrating Buddhist principles and philosophy into the everydayThe organizing notions and overarching thesis of to live fully aware in the moment, to see things as they truly are, and to recognize yourself as part of the wholeBuddhism's relevance todayBuddhism for Beginners then completes this introduction to meditation and mindful moments by offering simple exercises, practices and prompts reflective and supportive of the Buddhist teachings and tenets laid out in the volume, including filling- and clearing-the-mind meditations, performing acts of compassion and inner-peace and conflict-resolution exercises.An essential purchase for people looking to integrate Buddhist principles into their lives or for those seeking a more meaningful, mindful or meditative path.

Genres: Spirituality, Self Help, Buddhism, Nonfiction

132 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 19, 2021

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a light watered-down version of explaining Buddhism. The information was very broad overview style and didn't go into much depth. It did explain the history of Buddha, the evolution in the schools of Buddhism and teaching themes, (the Greater & Lesser Vehicle, the Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path), the spread of Buddhism, and the daily practices of Buddhism (meditation, mindfulness, and psychotherapy). Overall this was a decent basic book on Buddhism. Thanks!

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay for a zoomed out view of Buddhism and its history.

I thought it was kind of strange that the author put in poetry written by himself...it felt a little self-aggrandizing to me. I also think the organization and structure of the book was kind of odd. When I think of writing an informational book I think of giving the basics first and then building on them from there into more complex ideas and thought. I'm not sure that the author actually accomplished this in this book.

My final issue with this book was that some of the information felt unnecessary and in other places felt like it could have been elaborated on more. I'm not sure that this book was actually Buddhism for beginners so much as it was mansplaining about Buddhism and justifying it through Western philosophy (which isn't necessary).

[Collin Hartland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, lightweight overview and easy to read.

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been wanting a little grounding in Buddhism, not so I can practice (probably) but so I can understand Buddhist art, temples, and culture a bit better. I picked this up on a whim at the library, because it was nice and short and introductory, even though I suspected it was going to be very little beyond that. I was right, it did help me get started, and hopefully it'll prove to be enough of a structure that I can hang further reading on it. Even my ignorant ass caught some issues, though.

- Copyediting: At least 3-4 times names were spelled two different ways in neighboring paragraphs or headings, and some of the differences were clearly uncaught typos.

- Misusing pop science: There were several "ehhh" moments, but because I'm a math person this was the one that I remember. While discussing the chair the author is sitting in vs. the concept of chairs, "...as the renowned philosopher Bertrand Russell explained, a category is not a member of itself." Bruh, that was a debate about whether you could build a perfect logical foundation for mathematics that didn't allow ambiguity or paradoxes, and the paradox is that "the set of all sets that do not contain themselves" can't contain itself and can't not! It does sound like a Zen koan, but you have to explain it and use it correctly.

[Mischa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gutes Buch und eine gute Einführung in den Buddhismus - konnte einige meiner Fragen beantworten. Ich wünschte nur er würde in einige Themen etwas tiefer einsteigen und die Selbstzitate sowie gelegentlich auftretenden Cross-Regferenzen zur Mystik und Psychotherapie unterlassen.

Anfangs gibt's einen Abschnitt, der die Geschichte sowie die einzelnen Untergruppierungen des Buddhismus vorstellt. Dann werden diese über eine Beschreibung der Grundpfeiler des Buddhismus wieder zusammengeführt und anschließend erzählt der Autor wie man das gelesen ins eigene Leben einbauen kann. Also sehr gut aufgebaut

[Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat informative, with a surprising amount of history and technicality around Buddhism’s origins and spread, which feels like the wrong type of content to cover in an introductory book. Overall, it feels rushed, sometimes with odd jumps between paragraphs, like this was originally a longer book that got haphazardly compressed. Still some value, but I suspect there are better alternatives around.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about Bussism. It got me thinking about religion, and I liked how it explained some of the meditation techniques like a dummies book This meditation now something I am going to try when I go to my guide will now be. This book explains that there are two types of meditation It is short and informative.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems to cover many aspects of Buddhism, from historical highlights to key ideas and practices. The reason I gave it three stars instead of four is that much of the content is covered too briefly. The last section on faith, for instance, states the importance of faith without defining it or fleshing it out with examples.

[JDK1962 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good surface intro, marred by a bit of authorial intrusion. The middle section (ironically?) was the most helpful; the first section on the historical roots and sectarian squabbling was perhaps more inside baseball than I wanted, and the last section on applications seemed a bit high level.

As long as you've got the Eightfold Path down, you're good to go.

[Clearani Luh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the tittle written on the book, this book can be the book for people who start to learn about buddhism. But, if you expect that you'll get the information about buddhism in detail, this is not the right book for you. This book give you a brief history about how buddism exist and their learning brances. So yeah, good for beginner in level 0, with no knoledge of buddhism. 👍🏽

[Kaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This book is perfect for someone who knows nothing about Buddhism, like me. That seems to align with the title!

I learned the history, some good practices, and ways it should be carried through daily life. I thought the religion and how it was presented in this book was very interesting.

[Claire Botman · Rating 3 out of 5]

mmm! A relatively easy little read, and I liked the meditations & exercises. But, I found it strange that there was barely any mention of Tibetan Buddhism, given the impact that the 14th Dalai Lama has had on our world, being left in the dark as to its place in the big picture seems strange.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, short book for someone that is intrigued by Buddhism. I enjoyed the brief history given, and will definitely put the meditation practices to use. I would enjoy a bit more depth in the different Buddhist paths, but overall this is a good beginner's introduction to Buddhism.

[Putri Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was brief, simple, and easy to understand. I like that the book covers different ways to meditate, and each explanation is followed by examples from everyday life. However, I found the last chapter somewhat shallow

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, short, and to the point read.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to start to learn about Buddhism.

[Roslynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

good basics

[Nicole Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book

[Aiden Clarage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good but much more of a self help vibe, which I could've probably foreseen. and the help often devolved into repetitive, yet unexplained phrases and ramblings

[Joe Archer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite what I was looking for, which is my own fault. More useful if you’ve had zero exposure to Buddhism.

[Nick Raposo]

DNF.