Summaries of books about Buddhism:
Buddhism Plain and Simple
The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day
Steve Hagen
The book offers a clear, straightforward approach to Buddhism, focusing on the core principles of mindfulness and awareness in everyday life. It strips away cultural and religious details to present the essential teachings of the Buddha in a practical and accessible manner.
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The Mind Illuminated
A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness
John Yates|Matthew Immergut|Jeremy Graves
The book provides a step-by-step roadmap for meditation, drawing from traditional Buddhist teachings and modern cognitive psychology to enhance mindfulness and mental clarity. It offers practical instructions, charts, and exercises to guide readers through ten stages of meditation, aiming to help them achieve deeper concentration, joy, and insight.
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How to Meditate
A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind
Pema Chödrön
The book provides readers with step-by-step instructions on meditation techniques aimed at developing mindfulness and compassion. It offers guidance on overcoming common obstacles to meditation, such as distractions and negative emotions, to help individuals cultivate a peaceful and focused mind.
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Refuge Recovery
A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction
Noah Levine
The book presents a mindfulness-based addiction recovery program rooted in Buddhist philosophy, offering a systematic approach to overcoming addiction through meditation, self-inquiry, and community support. It outlines an eight-fold path of recovery that includes practices such as understanding the nature of addiction, ethical conduct, and compassionate engagement with oneself and others.
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Living Beautifully
with Uncertainty and Change
Pema Chödrön
The book offers guidance on embracing life's unpredictable nature through the lens of Buddhist teachings, encouraging readers to find peace by letting go of the struggle against uncertainty. It provides practical advice and meditations for cultivating mindfulness, compassion, and resilience in the face of change and challenges.
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Zen
Zen For Beginners a beginners guide to Mindfulness and Meditation methods to relieve anxiety
Daniel D'apollonio
The book serves as an introductory guide to the principles and practices of Zen Buddhism, focusing on mindfulness and meditation techniques aimed at reducing stress and anxiety. It provides step-by-step instructions for beginners to develop a meditation practice and incorporate Zen teachings into daily life for mental clarity and peace.
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Welcoming the Unwelcome
Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World
Pema Chödrön
The book offers guidance on embracing life's difficulties and uncertainties through the lens of Buddhist teachings, encouraging readers to cultivate compassion and mindfulness. It provides practical advice on how to transform personal and collective suffering into strength and openness, fostering a sense of interconnectedness and resilience.
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The Art of Living
Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S. N. Goenka
William Hart
The book provides an introduction to Vipassana meditation, explaining its principles, techniques, and the experiences of practitioners. It also delves into the philosophy behind the practice, as taught by S. N. Goenka, and its application for achieving personal insight and liberation from suffering.
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What the Buddha Taught
Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada
Walpola Rahula
The book provides an accessible introduction to the fundamental principles of Buddhist doctrine, exploring concepts such as the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the nature of enlightenment. It includes translations of selected texts from the Suttas and the Dhammapada to illustrate the teachings and practices of Buddhism.
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The Dhammapada
Eknath Easwaran
The book presents an English translation of "The Dhammapada," a collection of sayings of the Buddha that form a core of practical wisdom and guidance in the Buddhist tradition. It includes commentary and interpretation by Eknath Easwaran, aimed at providing modern readers with insights into how to apply these teachings in daily life.
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