The Buddha and His Teachings

Let me start off by saying this was a good book. The real pluses of this book is that many monks and and nuns, as well as past masters and teachers interpret the Buddhas teachings. Many schools and sects are covered including Mahayana Vajrayana and Theraveda as well as Zen and others. What I didnt like about it was that there wasnt much directly from the 1st buddha Shakyamuni. There were some breif texts early on where the origin was but I wouldve liked more. Aside from that I loved the teachings of Zen and the study of recollection (mindfullness). Overall its a great book but if your looking for a book on "the buddhas teachings" you should probably find one that is all about the original buddha and what he taught. Still deserves 5 stars.

This has to be the best book on religion I have ever read. From the beginning, it grabbed me and didn't let go. The authors of the chapters in the book are masters of teaching Buddhism to Westerners, and it is quite obvious. Read this book with an open mind, and enlighten yourself.

This is one of the best introductions to Buddhism available. The book begins with the life of the Buddha and then gives his basic teachings. The following chapters give an overview of the various schools and philosophies from a practice point of view. The chapters are written by great masters and practitioners of the various sects. If you could only have one text on Buddhism, this would be your best choice. For more reviews see the entry for the previous edition entitled ENTERING THE STREAM: An Introduction to the Buddha and His Teachings.