I am pleased to announce the publication of my next book, The Everything Buddhism Book.
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”–Dalai LamaThat’s easy for the Dalai Lama to say–but for the rest of us, understanding this mysterious, multilayered faith can be very difficult. With this updated and revised edition of the classic Buddhist primer, you can delve into the profound principles of nonviolence, mindfulness, and self-awareness. From Tibetan Buddhism to Zen, you’ll explore the traditions of all branches of Buddhism, including:
- The life of Buddha and his continuing influence throughout the world
- A revealing survey of the definitive Buddhist texts
- What the Sutras say about education, marriage, sex, and death
- Buddhist art, poetry, architecture, calligraphy, and landscaping
- The proven physiological effects of meditation and other Buddhist practices
- The growing impact of Buddhism on modern American culture
In this guide, you’ll discover the deceptively simple truths of this enigmatic religion. Most important, you learn how to apply the tenets of Buddhism to your daily life–and achieve clarity and inner peace in the process.
In the opening “Dear Reader” section of the book, I say,
Dear Reader,In 1984 I was at Amherst College with the Dalai Lama for the Inner Science
Conference where His Holiness was lecturing on Buddhist psychology
and Western thinkers provided commentary. The Dalai Lama’s translator
took ill and his substitute wasn’t up to the task of translating the intricacies
of Tibetan Buddhist psychology of mind. The result was hilarious. This is
Buddhism in a nutshell; intellect ultimately yields to experience.
Inspired, I went to India after college and found His Holiness in
Bodh Gaya giving the Kalachakra Tantra. He also guided us through
Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life, culminating in taking
the bodhisattva vows–“I vow to attain enlightenment for the benefit of
all sentient beings.”
It is in this spirit, dear reader, that I offer this book.
From the Introduction:
Buddhism traces its roots back to the Buddha, a yogi who lived more
than 2,500 years ago in northern India. The Buddha discovered a way to
live that radically transformed people’s lives, starting with his own. His revolutionary
insights have withstood the test of time and his methods can still
transform lives as they did in ancient India. The Buddha taught mindfulness,
kindness, and compassion. Buddhism, the family of religions that evolved
from the Buddha’s teachings, is one of the great ethical systems for the benefit
of humanity.
While Buddhism may be considered a nontheistic religion, it transcends
religious belief into practical experience. You don’t believe in Buddhism,
you practice Buddhism. In fact, you don’t even need to be a “Buddhist” to
practice “Buddhism.” You just have to sit down and meditate.
At a time when yoga enjoyed widespread popularity, the Buddha was a
prodigious yogi. He mastered the yogas of his day and then founded a way
that could go beyond all suffering. This way also goes beyond words and
needs to be experienced for yourself. The good news is that is available right
here, right now.
Jane Hirshfield, in the PBS documentary The Buddha, offers an explanation
of the Buddha’s teachings in seven words: “Everything changes; everything
is connected; pay attention.” This is a nice condensing of millions of
words attributed to the Buddha in the Pali Canon. “Everything changes;
everything is connected; pay attention.” Got that?!
Buddhism is flourishing in the West. It seems to offer a much-needed
antidote to the stresses of modern life. It provides a way to renovate your
relationship to uncertainty. It provides a way to renovate your relationship to
want. Christians and Jews alike practice aspects of Buddhism while retaining
their own traditions and marking their own holidays. From celebrities
to the clerk at the gas station convenience store, this vibrant religion is capturing
the hearts and minds of many. Buddhism carries within its belly the
power to transform individuals, societies, and the world. It is a practice of
interior and exterior revolution.
Happy New Year! One of the greatest cliches in the vernacular and an important one at that. One of my friends* shared the alternate term, “Happy New Instant” and I really dig that.
I celebrated the New Year Zen style at a small Zen temple in a rural corner of Vermont. The evening consisted of meditation (zazen) starting at 5 PM. It’s always a good idea to start with meditation to settle into the form and intention of being awake (or at least aspiring in that direction).

Buddhism is a relatively new term, coined in the 19th century by Western “Orientalists” studying the cultures and traditions. Mu Soeng points out that, “Buddhism is not a unitary phenomenon.” It might be more accurate to say there are many Buddhist traditions that trace their origin back to the Buddha — Siddhartha Gotama — some 2500 years ago.
The Buddha was not a Buddhist; he was not founding a religion and did not see himself as the leader of a religious movement. What was he doing then? Teaching the dharma to any and all interested parties (including members of any caste and later women). He viewed himself more as a physician offering medicine to cure the sickness that besets us.
In common parlance these two phenomena get mixed up — Buddha and Buddhism. I teach and practice Buddha rather than Buddhism. Buddha, recall, is a metaphor. When Siddhartha did what he did under the Bodhi tree that fateful night when he was 35 years old he became “Buddho” — awake. He had awoken from the delusion of existence and the constant gravity pull of craving to see things as they were.
To refer to this as enlightenment is to use yet another metaphor and one that carries a different meaning. So he woke up that long night and after an agonizing struggle decided to help others to wake up too. He did so at first by teaching the Four Noble Truths. That’s Buddha and it is also an integral component of any Buddhist tradition.
Buddhism carries many connotations, appealing to some and off-putting to others. Buddha and the Four Noble Truths are, perhaps, universal, applying to everyone regardless of religious persuasion. It’s just that it’s hard to separate the term Buddha from the Asian images of a seated, half-smiling, androgynous figure.
Certainly we are all situated in a personal context that is situated in a cultural context that is situated in an historical context. The cross-legged Asian Buddha comes with its own contexts. And while we are all shaped by these various contexts we all are born with the same neurological hardware and all succumb to one degree or another to the pull of desire. The case for universality of desire is strong, and this is why we all have the opportunity to awaken to a life that enjoys more freedom from the dictates of desire.
Meditation also seems exotic. Yet what is exotic about closing your eyes (or keeping them open) and paying attention to your breathing? What could be more prosaic? There is nothing mystical about this practice and nothing to bar access to any interested party.
Indeed, we have all had our moments of Buddha whether we were aware of them or not. To practice mindfulness meditation is to make these moments more frequent and more accessible. We can go there at any moment, especially during the difficult moments of our lives.
So, we are all Buddha. We all have the potential to awaken
(or we are already awakened and just cut off from that realization). Good morning!