Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth & Death: . . . and Everything in Between, a Buddhist View Life

Many people start to study Buddhism because they are interested in the ultimate mystery of life and death and have not gained a sufficient insight from western based philosophies. Unfortunately, much of the Buddhist literature we read focuses on how to perceive or deal with our heads and not on how to address the ultimate issues such has how to change our lives, why we are here, what is the happiest way to live. This book tears right into these issues and is thus remarkable in it's scope and relevance to a thoroughly disenchanted culture.

This is an excellent book explaining Buddhism's view of life and death. The subject is deep, but the presentation is down to earth and easy to understand. This book should be essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism. For those who are not, reading it may expand your horizons and open up new ways of thinking about life.

I just finished reading through/discussing this book with a small book club. We took about 6 months, meeting an average of twice a month. Although we, admittedly, went off topic as much as we stayed on topic, our discussions were an impetus to read and ponder the messages and teachings in this books. And our readings/ discussions led us to deeper understanding of life and how to view the various life challenges each of us is facing. I highly recommend this book to anyone at ANY level of understanding of Eastern wisdom...you will be awakened to many helpful concepts.

This is a good follow up book after The Buddha In Your Mirror. If you like to learn more about Buddhism this is the right book for you. No need to get all confused reading Zen books. This is it. Simple explanations about Buddhism and its view on life and death. It's a collector's item and A MUST HAVE.

This thought-provoking book is a clear, concise introduction to life and death as viewed by Buddhism. Daisaku Ikeda writes that Buddhist philosophy and its practice provide a vehicle by which people can understand the essence of the universe and therefore surmount the anger, despair, greed, and envy that often arise from ignorance about the true nature of life. Daisaku Ikeda finds a particularly relevant message - that enlightenment can be found in the daily lives of ordinary people - in the teachings of the thirteenth-century Japanese Buddhist sage Nichiren. In the first part of the book, the author examines issues of birth, longevity, health, sickness, and death as they affect people today. Later chapters are concerned with explaining fundamental concepts in Buddhist theory. Throughout the book, he illustrates the fascinating correspondence between Buddhism and current scientific thought. Complete with a glossary, index, and foreword by noted astronomer Professor N. C. Wickramasinghe, this book is a wide-ranging, vigorously-written exposition which will challenge and absorb the non-Buddhist reader as well as those more familiar with Buddhism.