Explore the foundations of Buddhism--the path out of suffering and the true nature of self, life, and reality--with this plain-English primer.
Three great teachings of the Buddha laid down the bedrock of Buddhist thought and practice. Known as the three turnings of the wheel, they introduced to the world concepts--such as the four noble truths and emptiness--that would revolutionize religious and philosophical thinking.
In remarkably clear language, James Coleman guides the reader through the ancient sutras that preserve the Buddha's message, teasing out their meaning for the modern reader. We begin with the Pali Canon, the earliest record of the Buddha's teachings, and then move through the earthshattering Perfection of Wisdom literature of the second turning. Finally, Coleman's clear and simple presentation of the monumental Samdhinirmocana Sutra, or Sutra of the Explanation of the Profound Secrets, ties the Buddha's wisdom together for us. The book concludes with chapters from two great teachers, one from the Zen tradition and one from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, showing us how to use meditation to bring the Buddha's wisdom into our lives.
This is Buddhism 101.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Wheel of Dharma
Part I: The Three Turnings of the Wheel
1. The First Turning of the Wheel: The Four Noble Truths and the Pali Canon
2. The Second Turning of the Wheel: Emptiness and the Perfection of Wisdom
3. The Third Turning of the Wheel: Untying the Knot of the Sutra of the Explanation of the Profound Secrets
Part II: Turning the Wheel in the Twenty-First Century
4. Practicing the Dream
5. Tasting the Truth of the Buddha's Words: A Zen Perspective
by Reb Anderson Roshi
6. Envisioning Tara: A Vajrayana Perspective
by Lama Palden Drolma
7. The Buddha's Dream