Buddhism Plain & Simple

Rating:
Summary: A great introduction to Buddhish
Review: Steve does his usual great job of explaining his point in a clear consise manner. Steve explains Buddhism so almost anyone could understand it.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for the beginners mind.
Review: With little understanding of the theories of buddhism, I picked up this book and started reading. By the time I was done I had found a much deeper understanding of what I already knew. The truth. The truth is there for us all to see all we have to do is to awaken and see. This booked help me and my beginners mind. Maybe it will help you to.

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: Zen teacher Steve Hagen has a knack for putting various philosophies in a 'plain and simple' package. Here, he tackles Buddhism. The book deals with topics such as seeing reality, realizing the wisdom of the self, breaking free of dualistic thinking, and other heady stuff. Thankfully, Hagen passes it along in the form of examples from life, psychological tidbits, and stories from Buddhist teachers past and present. I also highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold which is filled with many "plain and simple" yet profound and life-changing thoughts.

Rating:
Summary: A deep look into the nature of existence
Review: The title of the book reflects its contents and spirit. This is buddhism the way it was always meant to be: a deep look into the nature of existence and awareness. To learn and practice buddhism you don't have to shave your head, dress funny and withdraw from society, you just have to be willing to see the world as it is, plain and simple, and this book is an invitation to do exactly that. Plain and simple doesn't mean easy and shallow, it just means "free of the fetters and cultural trappings that [Buddhist teachings] have accumulated over twenty-five centuries".
It's interesting to analyze the mindset of those who consider this book to be too simple or, at the other end, too complex. Those who think so must already have a pretty good idea of what "true" buddhism is. That idea must be something fixed and immutable, as you cannot compare against a changing standard. But we all know (don't we?) that nothing in this universe is fixed and immutable. The moment you try to pin anything down is the moment you lose it, and that applies to buddhist teachings as well. I think most of the bad reviews come from individuals who are clinging to their own ideas about buddhism. By doing so they are denying all the teachings they suposedly accept, a very peculiar position, if you ask me. The wonderful thing about buddhism is precisely its lack of dogma, and "Buddhism Plain and Simple" is a great example of what can be achieved by discussing the human condition in an open minded way, free of any pre-conceived ideas. To quote the author: "The observations and insights of the Buddha are plain, practical, and eminently down-to-earth. They deal exclusively with the here and now, not with theory, speculation, or belief in some far off time or place. Because these teachings remain focused on this moment -even as you read this- they remain relevant, and of profound value, to every culture and every person who investigates them seriuosly. It is to these uncluttered, original insights and observations that this book returns"

Rating:
Summary: Eye Opening
Review: Being one who has been jaded by the dogmatic practices of the Christian religion, I could appreciate Mr. Hagen's no-nonsense look at Buddhism (or, shall i say, the Buddha-Dharma). Hagen's introduction to Buddhism is through the Four Noble Truths, the very basis of the Buddha's teaching. Using concrete examples of the meaning behind many of these concepts, Mr. Hagen is able to allow the reader to embark on awakening. While there are many more concepts behind Buddhism that are discussed in this book, it encouraged me to use it only as a raft to help cross the stream (and thus experience the teachings for myself). An excellent read if you are new to Buddhism and are looking to transform your pain and suffering into love and joy.

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Summary: TOO PLAIN AND TOO SIMPLE
Review: IF YOU DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BUDDHISM BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW ANYTHING AFTER YOU READ IT. AFTER ONLY THIRTY MINUTES I THREW THIS BOOK IN THE TRASH CAN. IT WAS 15 MINUTES MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN IT.

Rating:
Summary: Buddhism: Plain and Simple
Review: This book turned me onto something I never new was possible. I thought I was stuck in a world of unproven idealogy and blind faith until I read this book. I have gone on to read more about Buddhism and the more I read the more I like it. IT is actually difficult to keep reading about it though, since it is so fundamentally simple, just like Hagen's title. The more you read the more you realize there is nothing more to learn.

Rating:
Summary: For Those Who've Been Ridiculed & Chastised
Review: This is the book I would recommend to any Buddhist
who is getting a hard time from family and
friends who think they have joined some kind of
satanic cult or otherwise become a religious weirdo of
some sort.
The title of the book fits perfectly-its straight
forward, non esoteric approach must surely be appealing
to both the curious and the practioner. Yet few
long-time practioners would become "too smart" for it.
I would call it a library cornerstone. I've read from it
regularly and am the better for it.

Rating:
Summary: There's got to be more to Buddhism than this
Review: I bought this book because I wanted to get a basic understanding of Buddhism. Although it was easy to read (hence the title, "Plain And Simple"), by page 30 I had no clue what Buddhism was about. It seemed like the rest of the book was going to be the same way. If Hagen is doing a thorough job teaching about Buddhism, than Buddhism seems to me to be more of a practice than a religion.

Rating:
Summary: An eye opener
Review: This book is quite the eye opener. I have been recently going through some rough times in my life, and this book brought all of that into perspective. If you are interested in Buddhism as a religion or philosphy, be sure to pick this book up!