The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism

Gary Gach's treatise on Buddhism is a five star plus! A very comprehensive and comprehendable coverage of the world of Buddhism. He brings out the Buddha in the reader and lights up a path to an enriching life.

Baffled by Buddhism? Well, here you are! Don't let the flippant title deter you. This marvelously complete guide is a bountiful resource not only for the many who are new to the path, but also for those who have made a bit of the journey already. I've identified myself as a Buddhist for almost ten years; yet, not willing to pursue scholarly discourse, my actual knowledge has been sorely lacking. Gach has now provided me with answers to all I wondered about, or didn't even know I wondered about. There is seemingly enough information here to keep my monkey mind chattering away for a good long time. And while swinging around in the pages, I just may learn how to quiet that noisy creature. Gach's extensive work has been amazingly organized into an easy-to-read format. Twenty chapters and 400-plus pages traverse the historical Buddha and his time under the Bodhi tree, how to meditate, food issues, Dharma, Sangha, the different schools, and how to engage the world. I simply don't know why another Buddhist guidebook ever needs to be written! Perhaps The Complete Idiot's Guid is the best format after all; in true Buddhist manner, it is as a complete idiot that one should begin anything new

Initially, I had great skepticism - c'mon a "Complete Idiots" book to get me started down the Buddhist path? Really? It just seemed so...so...*American*. But, I had to start somewhere, and my good friend Ben recommended it to me, so I gave it a shot. Now, having finished the book, I realize I owe both my friend and Gary Gach an immense debt of gratitude - this book is really amazing.One problem I (and many others) have had with other beginning Buddhism books is that the format isn't one that's easy to soak up; the flow isn't as logical as this one's, or not enough detail or context is given to drive points home to a more understandable place. Gach has done a phenomenal job of keeping things simple enough not to overwhelm a newcomer, yet goes into enough detail to keep things interesting and real. Gach goes beyond teaching the basic belief system into giving examples of how to apply what we've learned in real life, and where else to look for more information. He offers dozens of anecdotes, many koans, a plethora of historical tales and data points, a glossary, and a multitude of other items. One small criticism I have of this book is that he very often doesn't cite his sources when giving statistics.Throughout the book, Gach returns to important concepts, but not in a manner which I found to be condescending at all - it was merely helpful to be reminded of X, Y, and Z at certain points throughout the book, because they were important to the current subject. The author gives the reader a very solid foundation to build his or her beliefs upon, should the reader desire, including a rich and detailed historical background of Buddhism throughout the world.I will be unreservedly suggesting this book to anyone who expresses an interest in this spiritual path.

This book is definitely not for idiots, but very nicely written. It is a thoughtful, thorough guide to Buddhism whether one is interested in following a spiritual path or just wanting to know more about the subject....I think it is the book to read!

Well, I'm prejudiced: I'm the author of this book. In my book, this is arguably THE book for anyone wishing a simple, direct, and comprehensive survey of Buddhism, balancing theory and practice, the sacred. and the mundane. Told from a typically pragmatic, multicultural American Buddhist perspective, and with frequent drops of humor, emphasis is placed on separate schools (Vipassana, Zen, Pure Land, Tibetan) within Buddhism, as well as Buddhism within the context of Christianity, Judaism, etc.Informative for the curious, valuable for beginners, and a sturdy reference for those already on the path. Told throughout with loving speech.As with my previous book, there is a website with additional information, plus hyperlinks. All are accessible from my home page, http://word.to En-joy!