{"id":211,"date":"2011-01-01T10:15:42","date_gmt":"2011-01-01T10:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/01\/the-everything-buddhism-book.html"},"modified":"2011-01-01T10:15:42","modified_gmt":"2011-01-01T10:15:42","slug":"the-everything-buddhism-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/01\/the-everything-buddhism-book.html","title":{"rendered":"The Everything Buddhism Book"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"EB.jpg\"<\/a><\/span>I am pleased to announce the publication of my next book, The Everything Buddhism Book.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
You can look “inside” the book on Amazon and read the first couple of chapters. It is available in both a print version<\/a> and is ready to read immediately on Kindle<\/a>. It’s a great way to start the New Year.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It’s a fresh, sometimes irreverent, contemporary take on Buddhism and a good primer on the multifaceted aspect of Buddha and Buddhism. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I completely rewrote the first edition and expanded it with three new chapters: “Brain of a Buddha,” “Can Buddhism Save the Planet,” and “Buddha and Daily Life.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Here is the publisher’s description:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”–Dalai Lama<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

That’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:<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n
    \n
      \n
    • The life of Buddha and his continuing influence throughout the world<\/li>\n
    • A revealing survey of the definitive Buddhist texts<\/li>\n
    • What the Sutras say about education, marriage, sex, and death<\/li>\n
    • Buddhist art, poetry, architecture, calligraphy, and landscaping<\/li>\n
    • The proven physiological effects of meditation and other Buddhist practices<\/li>\n
    • The growing impact of Buddhism on modern American culture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/span><\/div>\n

      \n
      <\/p>\n

      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.<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

      <\/blockquote>\n

      In the opening “Dear Reader” section of the book, I say,<\/p>\n

      \n
      <\/div>\n
      Dear Reader,<\/span><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      In 1984 I was at Amherst College with the Dalai Lama for the Inner Science<\/p>\n

      Conference where His Holiness was lecturing on Buddhist psychology<\/p>\n

      and Western thinkers provided commentary. The Dalai Lama’s translator<\/p>\n

      took ill and his substitute wasn’t up to the task of translating the intricacies<\/p>\n

      of Tibetan Buddhist psychology of mind. The result was hilarious. This is<\/p>\n

      Buddhism in a nutshell; intellect ultimately yields to experience.<\/p>\n

      Inspired, I went to India after college and found His Holiness in<\/p>\n

      Bodh Gaya giving the Kalachakra Tantra. He also guided us through<\/p>\n

      Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life, culminating in taking<\/p>\n

      the bodhisattva vows–“I vow to attain enlightenment for the benefit of<\/p>\n

      all sentient beings.”<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      It is in this spirit, dear reader, that I offer this book.<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

      From the Introduction:<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n


      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n
      \n
      <\/p>\n

      Buddhism traces its roots back to the Buddha, a yogi who lived more<\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      than 2,500 years ago in northern India. The Buddha discovered a way to<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      live that radically transformed people’s lives, starting with his own. His revolutionary<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      insights have withstood the test of time and his methods can still<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      transform lives as they did in ancient India. The Buddha taught mindfulness,<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      kindness, and compassion. Buddhism, the family of religions that evolved<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      from the Buddha’s teachings, is one of the great ethical systems for the benefit<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      of humanity.<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      While Buddhism may be considered a nontheistic religion, it transcends<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      religious belief into practical experience. You don’t believe in Buddhism,<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      you practice Buddhism. In fact, you don’t even need to be a “Buddhist” to<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      practice “Buddhism.” You just have to sit down and meditate.<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      At a time when yoga enjoyed widespread popularity, the Buddha was a<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      prodigious yogi. He mastered the yogas of his day and then founded a way<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      that could go beyond all suffering. This way also goes beyond words and<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      needs to be experienced for yourself. The good news is that is available right<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      here, right now.<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Jane Hirshfield, in the PBS documentary The Buddha, offers an explanation<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      of the Buddha’s teachings in seven words: “Everything changes; everything<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      is connected; pay attention.” This is a nice condensing of millions of<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      words attributed to the Buddha in the Pali Canon. “Everything changes;<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      everything is connected; pay attention.” Got that?!<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Buddhism is flourishing in the West. It seems to offer a much-needed<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      antidote to the stresses of modern life. It provides a way to renovate your<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      relationship to uncertainty. It provides a way to renovate your relationship to<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      want. Christians and Jews alike practice aspects of Buddhism while retaining<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      their own traditions and marking their own holidays. From celebrities<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      to the clerk at the gas station convenience store, this vibrant religion is capturing<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      the hearts and minds of many. Buddhism carries within its belly the<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      power to transform individuals, societies, and the world. It is a practice of<\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      interior and exterior revolution.<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/font><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      I am pleased to announce the publication of my next book, The Everything Buddhism Book. You can look “inside” the book on Amazon and read the first couple of chapters. It is available in both a print version and is ready to read immediately on Kindle. It’s a great way to start the New Year.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12,4,9,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-shelf","category-buddha-101","category-buddha-beat","category-mindfulnesss","category-recommended"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Everything Buddhism Book - Mindfulness Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/01\/the-everything-buddhism-book.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Everything Buddhism Book - Mindfulness Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I am pleased to announce the publication of my next book, The Everything Buddhism Book. 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Dr. Kozak's ability to translate ancient healing traditions into pragmatic applications suitable for modern lifestyles through the use of metaphors have made him a strong voice in healthcare and business. Beginning with a journey to India in the 80\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where he took the Bodhisattva vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Arnie Dr. Kozak began his lifelong practice in mindfulness meditation. Intent on finding a way to bring the practical healing attributes of mindfulness he began incorporating these techniques in his private practice. In 2002 Dr. Kozak created Exquisite Mind in Burlington, Vermont as a vehicle that could expand his wisdom to larger audiences beyond individual psychotherapy to professionals and corporations, health care providers, public groups and, most recently with Exquisite Mind Golf, amateur and professional golfers. His award-winning new book, Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness (Wisdom Publications, 2009) is a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring translation of mindfulness practice through the inventive use of metaphor applicable to our daily lives. In addition to his work with Exquisite Mind, Arnie Kozak, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist\u00e2\u20ac\u201dDoctorate has been a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Vermont and is a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has studied and practiced clinical psychology, meditation, and yoga for more than 25 years. He has studied with several meditation masters, including S. N. Goenka, Larry Rosenberg, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After receiving his bachelors degree with honors from Tufts University, he was awarded a Presidential Fellowship to get his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo. He completed his training as a Psychological Fellow at the Harvard Medical School. Prior to founding the Exquisite Mind in 2002, Arnie worked ten years in the private sector for the PKC Corporation consulting on mental health content for this revolutionary software company.","sameAs":["http:\/\/exquisitemind.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/author\/akozak"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}