Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
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Book Reviews of Buddhism Plain and Simple
Book Review: wonderful & easy read
Summary: 5 Stars
i've had many guitar teachers in the 21 yrs i've been a player, and only one who not only plays well but knows how to pass on the info. in my 7 yrs in college, i had only a handful of profs that were like my current guitar instructor. i've found over the yrs that there are only a few people who really know their stuff, the type you ask a question about their profession and they always have an answer, the "right" answer, or can admit if they don't know. these are wonderful people to come across and experience. steve hagen is one of the few. this is the first book i've read on buddhism and i won't be surprised if it's the best i ever read!Book Review: Simple, Not Simplistic
Summary: 5 Stars
This book, distilled from Steve Hagen's twenty years of teaching the subject, lays out the foundational teachings of the Buddha. When asked why he named it "plain and simple," he said, "The word 'plain' refers to the fact that it is all in plain English, with virtually no jargon. And 'simple' means that you will find only the teachings of the Buddha, and not a lot of other ideas and notions that have made their way into Buddhism since the time of the Buddha. That the Buddha's insights are subtle and profound goes without saying. They've not been watered down here, but only laid out in a simple, clear, and uncluttered manner."Book Review: Buddha-Dharma
Summary: 5 Stars
This book cuts through a lot of the layering that has fallen on top of the original Dharma. It is written in a Western style for Western readers and presents the Dharma in a manner which makes sense to the Western mind. There is a minimal useage of jargon and a maximization of plain talk. We started out with the complex tome of Sogyal Rinpoche and have come full circle with the utter simplicity and great depth of Steve Hagen. Each author has his own points. I recommend this book highly. In fact, so highly that this is the first time I've been moved to post to Amazon about a book. Praise indeed.
Book Review: Clarifying and enlightening
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this book intensely helpful in clarifying the basic principles of Buddhism. I have referenced this book in several situations. I recently picked it up again after not having looked at it for over a year and had that "wow, this is really good! I forgot how helpful this is!" reaction.
Hagen lays out in plain language the spirit and philosophy of Buddhism. He plainly explains the basic principle that desire leads to suffering. He gets at the simple definition of nirvana.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mindfulness, Buddhism or living well.
Book Review: A good introduction, from a Zen perspective
Summary: 5 Stars
It's a little deceptive to call the book "Buddhism, Plain and Simple". It might be more appropriately entitled "Zen, Plain and Simple". In terms of Zen, it's a really good introduction, and good for keeping one's self grounded to the principles thereof. Some Zen buddhists would argue that Zen IS Buddhism, no more & no less. However, since the book purports to offer a "plain & simple" treatise on Buddhism, beginner beware! The breadth and depth of the many traditions of Buddhism are not covered here. Interested in Zen? GREAT, bottom-line introduction.