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Buddhish: A Guide to the 20 Most Important Buddhist Ideas for the Curious and Skeptical
An engaging, accessible introduction to Buddhism for those who are looking to explore a new spiritual tradition or understand the roots of their mindfulness practice.
Are you curious about Buddhism but find yourself met with scholarly texts or high-minded moralizing every time you try to pick up a book about it? Well, if so, relax. This is no ordinary introduction to Buddhism; there are none of the saccharine platitudes and dense pontification that you may have come to expect. Buddhish is a readable introduction for complete newcomers that provides an objective, streamlined overview of the tradition—from unpacking the Four Noble Truths to understanding what “nirvana” actually means. For those who have already dipped their toes into the tradition through the practice of mindfulness or meditation, this guide will help you create a more well-rounded and informed experience by delving into the history of the Buddhist traditions that shape a mindful practice.
Buddhist scholar Dr. Pierce Salguero analyzes the ideas and philosophy of the complex tradition through the eyes of both a critic and an admirer. He shares anecdotes from his time at a Thai monastery, stories from the years he spent living throughout Asia, and other personal experiences that have shaped his study of Buddhism. Through this guide, readers will have the opportunity to develop an approach to practice that is not quite Buddhist but Buddhish.
Through engaging and lighthearted stories, Dr. Salguero breaks down 20 central principles of the tradition,
• Awakening
• Suffering
• Doubt
• Karma
• Buddha Nature
Are you curious about Buddhism but find yourself met with scholarly texts or high-minded moralizing every time you try to pick up a book about it? Well, if so, relax. This is no ordinary introduction to Buddhism; there are none of the saccharine platitudes and dense pontification that you may have come to expect. Buddhish is a readable introduction for complete newcomers that provides an objective, streamlined overview of the tradition—from unpacking the Four Noble Truths to understanding what “nirvana” actually means. For those who have already dipped their toes into the tradition through the practice of mindfulness or meditation, this guide will help you create a more well-rounded and informed experience by delving into the history of the Buddhist traditions that shape a mindful practice.
Buddhist scholar Dr. Pierce Salguero analyzes the ideas and philosophy of the complex tradition through the eyes of both a critic and an admirer. He shares anecdotes from his time at a Thai monastery, stories from the years he spent living throughout Asia, and other personal experiences that have shaped his study of Buddhism. Through this guide, readers will have the opportunity to develop an approach to practice that is not quite Buddhist but Buddhish.
Through engaging and lighthearted stories, Dr. Salguero breaks down 20 central principles of the tradition,
• Awakening
• Suffering
• Doubt
• Karma
• Buddha Nature
192 pages, Paperback
Published March 8, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 11, 2024
I was raised in a rigid Catholic home and now mostly steer clear of all kinds of religion. However, I have put my toes into the waters of Buddhism over the last twenty years or so. I come and go, intrigued by the meditation practice and yet put off by the flowery language in that shelf of Buddhism related books that I have over there. I must own at least 20 books related to Buddhism and I have subscribed on and off to popular periodicals featuring Buddhist thought. But it all still remains murky to me. I can't wrap my mind around the language.
This delightful book by C. Pierce Salguero stands by itself on my shelf now. Salguero is not in the sales program. He is not trying to convince the reader that Buddhism is correct about everything nor is he trying to persuade the reader to adopt one version or another of Buddhism (yes, there are versions). His goal is to look at some (not all) Buddhist beliefs and practices in a neutral, non-objective way, without making the reader feel as if this is the only path in life. He is here, as the title suggests, for the curious and skeptical. I like his style.
Salguero is clear and articulate. He explains terms with ease and uses down to earth language. I appreciate the way that he gently infuses intelligent humor into the text. This is one of the most readable introductions to Buddhism that I have come across. As noted, he isn't about explaining everything there is to explain about the beliefs and practices but rather offers a tour of some of the more notable sites in the world of Buddhism. His description of "duhkha", for example, is one of the best I have encountered. He also puts the tradition into perspective. Yes, as with most institutions, Buddhism has its troubled leaders and there is conflict still over some views. It was informative for me, for instance, to read about Buddhist leadership in Japan during WW2. Did you think that Buddhism exclusively embraced non-violence? Think again.
If you are curious about Buddhism and want to tag along on a double decker bus tour of the religion, give this guide book a try. Oh wait. Is Buddhism a religion or is it a philosophy? Hmmm - read the book and find out.
This delightful book by C. Pierce Salguero stands by itself on my shelf now. Salguero is not in the sales program. He is not trying to convince the reader that Buddhism is correct about everything nor is he trying to persuade the reader to adopt one version or another of Buddhism (yes, there are versions). His goal is to look at some (not all) Buddhist beliefs and practices in a neutral, non-objective way, without making the reader feel as if this is the only path in life. He is here, as the title suggests, for the curious and skeptical. I like his style.
Salguero is clear and articulate. He explains terms with ease and uses down to earth language. I appreciate the way that he gently infuses intelligent humor into the text. This is one of the most readable introductions to Buddhism that I have come across. As noted, he isn't about explaining everything there is to explain about the beliefs and practices but rather offers a tour of some of the more notable sites in the world of Buddhism. His description of "duhkha", for example, is one of the best I have encountered. He also puts the tradition into perspective. Yes, as with most institutions, Buddhism has its troubled leaders and there is conflict still over some views. It was informative for me, for instance, to read about Buddhist leadership in Japan during WW2. Did you think that Buddhism exclusively embraced non-violence? Think again.
If you are curious about Buddhism and want to tag along on a double decker bus tour of the religion, give this guide book a try. Oh wait. Is Buddhism a religion or is it a philosophy? Hmmm - read the book and find out.
April 11, 2022
Highly recommended. As someone interested in Buddhism for 20-some years, as a meditator, reader, and someone who took an Asian Religions class in college, I truly clarified and learned so much from this well-written and informative book!
July 26, 2022
I’ve been interested in Buddhist philosophy since I first got into mindfulness and meditation years ago. It’s helped me a ton with my sobriety and mental health, and there are such great lessons from Buddhism, so I love to learn more about it. Salguero nailed it with this short book by covering 20 Buddhist ideas but also discusses much more. He offers a fair, balanced view of what Buddhist practices can and can’t do, and he doesn’t shy away from the bad things that have come from the religion and some of its people. He also discusses how some have capitalized off of Buddhist teaches in Western society.
Salguero is extremely knowledgeable due to his decades of research as well as his own journey that he took years ago. If you’re interested in learning more about Buddhism but want an honest perspective, you should check this book out.
Salguero is extremely knowledgeable due to his decades of research as well as his own journey that he took years ago. If you’re interested in learning more about Buddhism but want an honest perspective, you should check this book out.
July 30, 2022
Very readable intro to Buddhism, and not just secular Buddhism.
January 25, 2024
“Buddhism says that if you get better and better at concentrating on your constant changing mental experience, you’ll find at the bottom of it not a permanent self, but only a constant stream of impermanent ever-changing phenomena”
I loved this book. It provided a well-rounded introduction to Buddhism as a religion and a philosophy, told in an easy-to-read and down-to-earth manner. Although the author included many of his views on the topic, he does so in an matter-of-fact and objective way, inviting the reader to think about their own viewpoint. I greatly enjoyed learning about the topic from someone who has deeply explored the religion, and is so well educated in it.
The author isn’t afraid to point out the misgivings Buddhism has as well. He provides both the positive and negatives. He admits how paradoxical it is and ways the reader can navigate this.
I felt I could take away so much from this book, and enjoyed learning from this author.
I loved this book. It provided a well-rounded introduction to Buddhism as a religion and a philosophy, told in an easy-to-read and down-to-earth manner. Although the author included many of his views on the topic, he does so in an matter-of-fact and objective way, inviting the reader to think about their own viewpoint. I greatly enjoyed learning about the topic from someone who has deeply explored the religion, and is so well educated in it.
The author isn’t afraid to point out the misgivings Buddhism has as well. He provides both the positive and negatives. He admits how paradoxical it is and ways the reader can navigate this.
I felt I could take away so much from this book, and enjoyed learning from this author.
October 9, 2022
As far as books for school go this one is pretty slay! An introduction to basic Buddhist concepts explained in a friendly and approachable way. It really helped reinforce what we were learning in class. Sometime the author comes off as a little judgmental towards Buddhists who learn more into the faith-based aspects of the religion rather than the philosophical/logical side of it but overall he encompasses everyone's points of view very well.
December 6, 2024
Read for my Buddhism class, pretty interesting! It was also very accessible content wise and broke the religion down into understandable pieces
June 6, 2023
The claim is not that the Four Noble Truths are going to change the realities around us but rather that they will change the way that we experience those realities. The doctrine offers us a means whereby we might experience those calamities and disasters without being adversely affected psychologically. To weather unpleasant situations and conditions without experiencing them negatively. As many Buddhist teachers have put it, we can learn to separate pain from suffering—that is, to feel the nerve endings fire when we are hurt, but to meet them with acceptance and equanimity without adding our own mental reactions, anxiety, and woe on top of them.
If I had to choose a religion, I have always been interested in Buddhism, and some of it is because it made more sense to me than the Catholicism of my childhood, and I truly found vast benefits in meditation and mindfulness practices. I appreciate the practical nature of this book, and think it really captures the essence of the wisdom tradition.
Take a moment to think about it before moving forward: Are people incapable of changing who they fundamentally are? Are our personality traits and mental patterns essentially fixed once we reach adulthood? Is human nature essentially bad? Are we slaves to our animal nature, perhaps controllable with carrots and sticks but at the end of the day simply out for ourselves? Is it hubris to think that any human might know what the reality of the universe is? That any human might see and know the ultimate truth? If you answered yes to any of those questions, most forms of Buddhism disagree with you. The Eightfold Noble Path is, at its core, a doctrine based on the idea that human beings are malleable. That no matter what your age, no matter what your biographical history, no matter what your characteristics, you can always become a wiser, more enlightened person.
Truth be told, it’s actually a small minority of Buddhists who take up hardcore meditation practice in order to make a serious push forward on the Path to Awakening. For the vast majority of Buddhists, practice is much simpler, usually not even involving all of the eight aspects of the Eightfold Path. Most Buddhists, historically and today, have not seen Awakening as a terribly urgent matter because of their belief in karma.
Acts of generosity, kindness, and care for others can earn us good karma. In this simplified view, karma works sort of like a bank account: positive karmic merit can be stored up in order to offset negative karma that was accumulated earlier in this life or in previous lives. In most traditions of Buddhism, this karmic merit is also transferrable from one person to another. It is therefore quite common for people performing good deeds to dedicate the merit they earn to another person. You might, for example, dedicate merit to someone who is ill or who has very recently died and who is seen as needing a quick shot of good karma to ensure birth in a fortunate destination. (When someone dies, they are often thought to be stuck for a period of weeks in a limbo state—in English usually known by the Tibetan term bardo—during which gifts of karmic merit can make a difference for their future.)
This view of karma as something like a cosmic bank account with credits and debits is extremely widespread among Buddhists. In most times and places throughout history, becoming a monk or nun, seriously following the Path, practicing meditation, and following in the Buddha’s footsteps toward Awakening was undertaken only by a very small number of people. Most Buddhists have thought these ideals are far too difficult to actually put into practice in this lifetime. It’s not at all a stretch to say that the vast majority of Buddhists who have ever lived—including most Buddhists throughout the world today—have taken merit-making as their main practice over and above anything listed in the Eightfold Path.
In English, we use the word “meditation” to translate a variety of different words from various languages—including jhana, bhavana, dhyana, chan, zen, and gom—that have different shades of meaning within different Buddhist schools and cultural traditions.
Mindfulness, however, is a form of meditation that is directed toward understanding the mind, deconstructing the sense of self, and seeing “reality as it is.” When Buddhists talk about mindfulness, they are normally referring to the practice of focusing your attention on a particular object and trying to remember to pay attention to it. In fact, the word “mindfulness” is a translation of the Buddhist term sati or smriti, which literally means “to remember,” “to recollect,” or “to bear something in mind.” Always present, available, and free, the breath is in many ways an ideal meditation object. You breathe tens of thousands of time per day, and although you almost never pay any attention to it, you can learn to.
Buddhist trainings that emphasize concentration often focus on generating what in the Pali language is called jhana, advanced states of absorption in which you become so concentrated on the object of meditation that the rest of the world melts away. When everything else disappears, you’re left with states of deep bliss, rapture, or stillness. Trainings emphasizing insight, on the other hand, focus on perceiving your chosen object of meditation as a manifestation of suffering, impermanence, and non-self—which in Buddhism are called the “three marks of all existence.”
This kind of work is more deconstructive, breaking down your mental and physical experience into increasingly finer phenomena. Many training systems call for you to practice both concentration and insight sequentially or simultaneously. Normally, the goal of all of these kinds of advanced practice is to experience “cessations,” moments during which the whole self and the world drop away. In other words, Nirvana.
The notion that we all have a Buddha-nature does not mean that there is a tiny speck of the Buddha floating around inside our minds or bodies. Rather, it is that underneath, behind, or within all of the ordinary activity of our minds, Awakeness is always already present. Whereas most forms of Buddhism are designed to lead you to Awakening along an arduous Path of mental purification, according to Mahayana Buddhists who embrace the concept of Buddha-nature, we just need to turn our attention around and see what has been going on right under our noses all along.
Perhaps the most common advice for getting along in everyday life found in Buddhist texts is a set of ten virtues that they say all people—monastic and lay—should be working on cultivating. These ten “perfections” (paramita) include generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, diligence, patience, honesty, determination, loving kindness, and equanimity.
Buddhists differentiate between four different positive mental states that might all be part of the ordinary English notion of compassion. Collectively known as the “immeasurable states of mind” (si wuliang xin) in Chinese or the “heavenly dwellings” (brahma vihara) in Pali, they are as follows: ■ Loving kindness (metta in Pali): a feeling of universal friendliness, goodwill, and love toward all beings. ■ Empathetic compassion (karuna): a feeling of wanting to remove the suffering experienced by other beings. ■ Altruistic joy (mudita): a feeling of joy at the happiness and success of other beings, untinged by jealousy or pride. ■ Equanimity (upekkha): a feeling of tolerance, peace, and tranquility in the face of annoyances, including those caused by other beings.
These four immeasurables were understood to go together as a set in Indian culture long before the Buddha’s time, and they appear in other Indian religious traditions as well. However, they were absorbed into Buddhism and came to be among its central ideas. The main idea behind the Buddhist discourses on this subject is that we can and should cultivate these positive states of mind. As is true with mindfulness or concentration, the brain can be trained in the immeasurables.
Also influenced by Daoism is Zen’s deep appreciation of the natural world. In this regard, Zen seems to move in the opposite direction of many other types of Buddhism, which often can seem quite disconnected from nature. In my own experience learning meditation in the Theravada tradition, for example, I was taught that if my mind wandered away from the breath or body sensations for any reason, including even pleasant aspects of nature, it was a distraction. If the goal is to remain constantly, single-mindedly focused on a meditation object, then a chirping bird outside the meditation hall can never be anything more than a source of interference. Several Theravada meditation centers I frequented even had isolation cells, tiny pitch-black soundproofed rooms, where I would spend ten days in almost total sensory deprivation in order to avoid such disruptions and concentrate more deeply
If I had to choose a religion, I have always been interested in Buddhism, and some of it is because it made more sense to me than the Catholicism of my childhood, and I truly found vast benefits in meditation and mindfulness practices. I appreciate the practical nature of this book, and think it really captures the essence of the wisdom tradition.
Take a moment to think about it before moving forward: Are people incapable of changing who they fundamentally are? Are our personality traits and mental patterns essentially fixed once we reach adulthood? Is human nature essentially bad? Are we slaves to our animal nature, perhaps controllable with carrots and sticks but at the end of the day simply out for ourselves? Is it hubris to think that any human might know what the reality of the universe is? That any human might see and know the ultimate truth? If you answered yes to any of those questions, most forms of Buddhism disagree with you. The Eightfold Noble Path is, at its core, a doctrine based on the idea that human beings are malleable. That no matter what your age, no matter what your biographical history, no matter what your characteristics, you can always become a wiser, more enlightened person.
Truth be told, it’s actually a small minority of Buddhists who take up hardcore meditation practice in order to make a serious push forward on the Path to Awakening. For the vast majority of Buddhists, practice is much simpler, usually not even involving all of the eight aspects of the Eightfold Path. Most Buddhists, historically and today, have not seen Awakening as a terribly urgent matter because of their belief in karma.
Acts of generosity, kindness, and care for others can earn us good karma. In this simplified view, karma works sort of like a bank account: positive karmic merit can be stored up in order to offset negative karma that was accumulated earlier in this life or in previous lives. In most traditions of Buddhism, this karmic merit is also transferrable from one person to another. It is therefore quite common for people performing good deeds to dedicate the merit they earn to another person. You might, for example, dedicate merit to someone who is ill or who has very recently died and who is seen as needing a quick shot of good karma to ensure birth in a fortunate destination. (When someone dies, they are often thought to be stuck for a period of weeks in a limbo state—in English usually known by the Tibetan term bardo—during which gifts of karmic merit can make a difference for their future.)
This view of karma as something like a cosmic bank account with credits and debits is extremely widespread among Buddhists. In most times and places throughout history, becoming a monk or nun, seriously following the Path, practicing meditation, and following in the Buddha’s footsteps toward Awakening was undertaken only by a very small number of people. Most Buddhists have thought these ideals are far too difficult to actually put into practice in this lifetime. It’s not at all a stretch to say that the vast majority of Buddhists who have ever lived—including most Buddhists throughout the world today—have taken merit-making as their main practice over and above anything listed in the Eightfold Path.
In English, we use the word “meditation” to translate a variety of different words from various languages—including jhana, bhavana, dhyana, chan, zen, and gom—that have different shades of meaning within different Buddhist schools and cultural traditions.
Mindfulness, however, is a form of meditation that is directed toward understanding the mind, deconstructing the sense of self, and seeing “reality as it is.” When Buddhists talk about mindfulness, they are normally referring to the practice of focusing your attention on a particular object and trying to remember to pay attention to it. In fact, the word “mindfulness” is a translation of the Buddhist term sati or smriti, which literally means “to remember,” “to recollect,” or “to bear something in mind.” Always present, available, and free, the breath is in many ways an ideal meditation object. You breathe tens of thousands of time per day, and although you almost never pay any attention to it, you can learn to.
Buddhist trainings that emphasize concentration often focus on generating what in the Pali language is called jhana, advanced states of absorption in which you become so concentrated on the object of meditation that the rest of the world melts away. When everything else disappears, you’re left with states of deep bliss, rapture, or stillness. Trainings emphasizing insight, on the other hand, focus on perceiving your chosen object of meditation as a manifestation of suffering, impermanence, and non-self—which in Buddhism are called the “three marks of all existence.”
This kind of work is more deconstructive, breaking down your mental and physical experience into increasingly finer phenomena. Many training systems call for you to practice both concentration and insight sequentially or simultaneously. Normally, the goal of all of these kinds of advanced practice is to experience “cessations,” moments during which the whole self and the world drop away. In other words, Nirvana.
The notion that we all have a Buddha-nature does not mean that there is a tiny speck of the Buddha floating around inside our minds or bodies. Rather, it is that underneath, behind, or within all of the ordinary activity of our minds, Awakeness is always already present. Whereas most forms of Buddhism are designed to lead you to Awakening along an arduous Path of mental purification, according to Mahayana Buddhists who embrace the concept of Buddha-nature, we just need to turn our attention around and see what has been going on right under our noses all along.
Perhaps the most common advice for getting along in everyday life found in Buddhist texts is a set of ten virtues that they say all people—monastic and lay—should be working on cultivating. These ten “perfections” (paramita) include generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, diligence, patience, honesty, determination, loving kindness, and equanimity.
Buddhists differentiate between four different positive mental states that might all be part of the ordinary English notion of compassion. Collectively known as the “immeasurable states of mind” (si wuliang xin) in Chinese or the “heavenly dwellings” (brahma vihara) in Pali, they are as follows: ■ Loving kindness (metta in Pali): a feeling of universal friendliness, goodwill, and love toward all beings. ■ Empathetic compassion (karuna): a feeling of wanting to remove the suffering experienced by other beings. ■ Altruistic joy (mudita): a feeling of joy at the happiness and success of other beings, untinged by jealousy or pride. ■ Equanimity (upekkha): a feeling of tolerance, peace, and tranquility in the face of annoyances, including those caused by other beings.
These four immeasurables were understood to go together as a set in Indian culture long before the Buddha’s time, and they appear in other Indian religious traditions as well. However, they were absorbed into Buddhism and came to be among its central ideas. The main idea behind the Buddhist discourses on this subject is that we can and should cultivate these positive states of mind. As is true with mindfulness or concentration, the brain can be trained in the immeasurables.
Also influenced by Daoism is Zen’s deep appreciation of the natural world. In this regard, Zen seems to move in the opposite direction of many other types of Buddhism, which often can seem quite disconnected from nature. In my own experience learning meditation in the Theravada tradition, for example, I was taught that if my mind wandered away from the breath or body sensations for any reason, including even pleasant aspects of nature, it was a distraction. If the goal is to remain constantly, single-mindedly focused on a meditation object, then a chirping bird outside the meditation hall can never be anything more than a source of interference. Several Theravada meditation centers I frequented even had isolation cells, tiny pitch-black soundproofed rooms, where I would spend ten days in almost total sensory deprivation in order to avoid such disruptions and concentrate more deeply
November 7, 2023
Interesting overview of all things Buddhist. I would’ve liked more information on Buddhism as a Philosophy, but I definitely ended up highlighting a ton of stuff in this one.
November 18, 2022
C. Pierce Salguero gets mired in terminology and minor distinctions at times, but he is generally an able guide to Buddhism, especially its complicated and sometimes problematic elements. He promises not to proselytize, and fulfills that promise, in part, with a balanced and personal account of his relationship with Buddhism.
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April 19, 2022
This was a good read, and even though I've read several things on Buddhism (and attended a couple online lectures), I still learned a lot.
December 30, 2022
educational
Nice way to get a brief overview of their beliefs. I had no idea there were so many kinds of Buddhism
Nice way to get a brief overview of their beliefs. I had no idea there were so many kinds of Buddhism
March 19, 2023
A fantastic non judgmental dive into buddhism, a great starting point for anyone curious
July 11, 2023
Buddhism. Introduction. Layperson.
July 30, 2023
This was an interesting and educational book. Although I didn’t finish it, I enjoyed it and felt like i got what I was looking for.
August 13, 2022
This book was written to be an introduction to Buddhism for people who are curious about Buddhism, but aren't necessarily looking to become Buddhist. This book hits that mark.
The author is an academic who once spent time as a monk in Asia, then went on to study traditional medicine and its relation to Buddhism in Southeast Asia. This perspective is what allows the author to explain the major concepts along with the major schools of Buddhism. The book also gives discussion to how followers of the various schools are influenced by their beliefs and practices.
This book helped me to answer some questions I have wondered about since I took a World Religions class in college. Most of the people I have met who have knowledge of Buddhism are followers of it and are not always able to explain aspects of it or relate to it in a matter of fact way, or they are not familiar with all of the major schools.
As someone who is not from a Buddhist country but would like to learn more about Buddhism and the cultures who are majorly influenced by it, it's nice to have a guide that finally answers some of the basic questions I had - such as Why are some Buddhists vegetarian and others not so much? Why do Western Buddhists treat Buddhism like a deep philosophy without the trappings of a religion when the countries where it originated have Temples, monks, religious artifacts and what appears to be a whole gamut of Gods and Goddesses when Buddha himself said he was not a God? I have heard Westerners say that Buddhism is the only religion that doesn't have Wars based on their religious identity, is that true, and if so, why have these regions of the world still been plagued by war? (I will tell the answer to that one, Buddhist religious identity has been a factor in some major wars, a few examples are given fairly in the book.)
That's not to say that the book tries to dissuade the reader against Buddhism, it just points out that humans everywhere seem to have the same flaws.
The writing style is conversational rather than academic. I see this as being a good book for a college level World Religions course or a curious adult. The author says repeatedly that he is trying to present the concepts, not trying to sway people one way or another. He often presents information, then tells the reader to decide.
For those who are going to want to continue learning more about Buddhism the author worked keywords and references into the text and has an Appendix with specific references. I imagine I will go back and re-read some of the chapters looking for those references to take a deeper dive into some of the topics covered.
The author is an academic who once spent time as a monk in Asia, then went on to study traditional medicine and its relation to Buddhism in Southeast Asia. This perspective is what allows the author to explain the major concepts along with the major schools of Buddhism. The book also gives discussion to how followers of the various schools are influenced by their beliefs and practices.
This book helped me to answer some questions I have wondered about since I took a World Religions class in college. Most of the people I have met who have knowledge of Buddhism are followers of it and are not always able to explain aspects of it or relate to it in a matter of fact way, or they are not familiar with all of the major schools.
As someone who is not from a Buddhist country but would like to learn more about Buddhism and the cultures who are majorly influenced by it, it's nice to have a guide that finally answers some of the basic questions I had - such as Why are some Buddhists vegetarian and others not so much? Why do Western Buddhists treat Buddhism like a deep philosophy without the trappings of a religion when the countries where it originated have Temples, monks, religious artifacts and what appears to be a whole gamut of Gods and Goddesses when Buddha himself said he was not a God? I have heard Westerners say that Buddhism is the only religion that doesn't have Wars based on their religious identity, is that true, and if so, why have these regions of the world still been plagued by war? (I will tell the answer to that one, Buddhist religious identity has been a factor in some major wars, a few examples are given fairly in the book.)
That's not to say that the book tries to dissuade the reader against Buddhism, it just points out that humans everywhere seem to have the same flaws.
The writing style is conversational rather than academic. I see this as being a good book for a college level World Religions course or a curious adult. The author says repeatedly that he is trying to present the concepts, not trying to sway people one way or another. He often presents information, then tells the reader to decide.
For those who are going to want to continue learning more about Buddhism the author worked keywords and references into the text and has an Appendix with specific references. I imagine I will go back and re-read some of the chapters looking for those references to take a deeper dive into some of the topics covered.
December 31, 2024
As someone without much knowledge of Buddhism beforehand, this book was a great introduction to the beliefs and history. I admit that any preconceived notions I had were heavily based on Christian missionaries' stories, so they were incredibly shallow and biased in how Buddhism was depicted. (For example, the chubby grinning male figure that I used to think was "Buddha" is actually more akin to "Buddhist Santa Claus." He's not the actual Buddha, it's just one of his followers, kind of like a jolly saint Nick. Also, I did not realize there are saints, gods and a hell of sorts in Buddhism either, although they don't carry the same power or permanence as in Western religions.)
This book was an enjoyable and accessible read for an outsider to learn from. (Turns out, religions aren't really all that different or unique, after all lol there are a lot of common threads across belief systems.)
It was eye-opening how rich the history and practices are, and how ahead of its time much of Buddhism has been (particularly in regards to the medical benefits of mindfulness, and the existence of a very real mind-body connection.) I like that the author himself has a deep wealth of experience and knowledge about Buddhism, but considers himself "Buddh-ish". He does not shy away from criticisms of Buddhism and does not try to prescribe any one particular way of believing or practicing faith.
Lots to unpack and I will definitely need to follow up on his suggested readings in the footnotes.
This book was an enjoyable and accessible read for an outsider to learn from. (Turns out, religions aren't really all that different or unique, after all lol there are a lot of common threads across belief systems.)
It was eye-opening how rich the history and practices are, and how ahead of its time much of Buddhism has been (particularly in regards to the medical benefits of mindfulness, and the existence of a very real mind-body connection.) I like that the author himself has a deep wealth of experience and knowledge about Buddhism, but considers himself "Buddh-ish". He does not shy away from criticisms of Buddhism and does not try to prescribe any one particular way of believing or practicing faith.
Lots to unpack and I will definitely need to follow up on his suggested readings in the footnotes.
Read
June 5, 2022-This book really introduced me to the history and various forms of Buddhism that I was not aware of. It is interesting that Buddhism practices, rituals, and beliefs can vary widely from country to country or even community to community.
-Buddhism is not simply a positive way of thinking and dealing with life like I once thought, rather it can truly be a religion or it can be many different things to many different people.
-A good look at what Buddhism is without trying to sway the reader in any particular direction. It is interesting to see a description of Buddhism that is not like the secular/modern Buddhism I have read about in most books.
-Buddhism is not simply a positive way of thinking and dealing with life like I once thought, rather it can truly be a religion or it can be many different things to many different people.
-A good look at what Buddhism is without trying to sway the reader in any particular direction. It is interesting to see a description of Buddhism that is not like the secular/modern Buddhism I have read about in most books.
February 20, 2024
Definitely enjoyed this book. I liked the pace, the digestibility, and how it felt concise about a very expansive tradition/religion. Salguero spends time going through important topics related to Buddhism and provides stories, information, jokes, and insight to otherwise deep concepts. Concepts I could have easily gotten lost in discovering on my own as a layperson. I am still left with questions and interests in Buddhism, and I am thankful my first ever book on the topic didn't sway me too far one way or another. I found a lot to learn about and start my journey with Buddhism. After some more reading on the topic I plan to revisit the book and the topics filled within each chapter.
September 21, 2024
Gentle, easy-reading, informal, probably skips some stuff and glosses over others. But I teach it in class, and it's a nice introduction to Buddhism, what more could you want! Also: does a great job giving attention to Asian Buddhist traditions (since i imagine this book's comps would be other Buddhist texts trying to reach out to a Western audience, which don't always do such a good job with that), and it presents Mahayana traditions well too.
July 20, 2022
Worst ending for a "scholarly" book. It's like the author projected his resentment about a speaking engagement towards Buddhism as a whole with respect to his "Buddha mythology" verbiage. Buddhism = Doubt... "but, I'll let you decide..." the end. And it's sad that it can't down to that because I felt like the first 80% of the book was solid 5* material; quite informative.
January 11, 2025
Exactly what I was looking for. An easy-to-digest intro that pushed me even further into the “curious” camp. It was a little too conversational at points and probably would have benefited from an interactive element like areas to jot down notes and reactions (even though I would not have been able to partake with my library copy).
November 9, 2025
Very readable book, would recommend to have read some Buddhist inspired book before picking up this one, as the amount of concepts elaborated upon in this book could be overwhelming if you are entirely new to Buddhism. Having read a number of introductory and intermediate books on Buddhism, this book managed to put a lot of the concepts in more clear perspective.
January 31, 2024
AI
"Buddish" is a profound exploration of Buddhism's principles and teachings. The author skillfully intertwines historical context, personal anecdotes, and practical applications, making it an enlightening read for both novices and seasoned practitioners.
"Buddish" is a profound exploration of Buddhism's principles and teachings. The author skillfully intertwines historical context, personal anecdotes, and practical applications, making it an enlightening read for both novices and seasoned practitioners.
October 3, 2024
Excellent overview of Buddhism!
Despite having interacted with Buddhism one way or another for about 20 years, I only now feel like I have a real grasp on the ideas, promises, and practices of Buddhism.
Despite having interacted with Buddhism one way or another for about 20 years, I only now feel like I have a real grasp on the ideas, promises, and practices of Buddhism.
April 19, 2022
Good basic review on some of the history, principles and beliefs of Buddhism.
September 26, 2022
A great intro to the Buddhist ideas.
January 10, 2023
Really fantastic explanation of Buddhism, great on audiobook.
April 24, 2023
The audiobook was enlightening, and thoughts provoking.
June 6, 2023
Accessible and thoughtful, just like me!
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