Buddhism Plain and Simple: The Practice of Being Aware Right Now, Every Day

by Steve Hagen

Overview

"This is the clearest and most precise exposition of Buddhism I have ever read. If you're looking for enlightenment rather than just scholarly knowledge, you'd better read this."
—Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

In Buddhism Plain and Simple, Zen priest and longtime teacher Steve Hagen presents the heart of Buddhist teachings, pared down to its essence and explained in simple, everyday language. This best-selling book is the perfect guide to Buddhism for beginners; the text has served international readers at all levels of study and practice since it was originally published over a decade ago.

More than 300,000 copies in various formats have sold to date, and now it's available in this brand new edition with a high-quality binding and paper, as well as elegant decorative illustrations scattered throughout.

Practiced by more than 1.2 million Americans and 2-3 million Europeans, Buddhism has become one of the West's largest religions. Whether you're simply interested in learning more about Buddhist philosophy, or hope to begin practicing but don't know where to start, Buddhism Plain and Simple will help you on your way.

"This is a book about awareness. Not awareness of something in particular, but awareness itself—being awake, alert and in touch with what is actually happening. It's about examining and exploring the most basic questions of life. It's about relying on the immediate experience of this present moment. It's about freedom of mind. It's not about belief, doctrine, formula, or tradition." —from the Introduction

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804851183
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	11/13/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	213,961
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Steve Hagen, Roshi, has been a student and practitioner of Zen since 1967. For fifteen years he studied with Dainin Katagiri, Roshi, from whom he received Dharma Transmission (endorsement to teach) in 1980. He is the founder of the Dharma Field Zen Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the author of such works as Buddhism Is Not What You Think, Meditation Now or Never and Why the World Doesn't Seem to Make Sense.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Introduction 1

The Journey Into Now 7

Part 1 The Perennial Problem 15

Chapter 1 The Human Situation 17

Chapter 2 A Wheel Out of Kilter 27

Chapter 3 Coming 37

Chapter 4 Going 49

Chapter 5 The Art of Seeing 59

Part 2 The Way To Wake Up 67

Chapter 6 Wisdom 69

Chapter 7 Morality 85

Chapter 8 Practice 105

Chapter 9 Freedom 121

Part 3 Free Mind 129

Chapter 10 The Way We Are 131

Chapter 11 Can't Pin "Me" Down 147

Chapter 12 Interdependence 153

Epilogue: Be a Light Unto Yourself 165

Appendix: Dependent Arising 167

Two Ways to View the Twelvefold Chain 175

About the Author 177