What Buddhists Believe

by K. Sri Dhammananda

A clear concise book broken down into six parts. each section deals with a different aspect of buddhism and questions a reader might have. AN excellent place to begin.

Genres: Buddhism, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Philosophy

424 pages

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammanada Is a household name in the Buddhist world. In more than forty two years as incumbent of the Buddhist Maha Vihara, Malaysia, the Venerable has brought the Buddha Word to countless numbers of devotees who otherwise would have has no access to the sublime message of the Enlightened One.

Besides his talks the Venerable has been able to reach an even wider audience through his publications which range from the voluminous "Dhammapada" to little five page pamphlets. He has been able to reached all levels of readers from erudite scholar monks to young school children. His whole approach to the exposition of the Dhamma is governed by his deep concern for giving the ancient teachings a contemporary relevance, to show that the Sublime Message is timeless and has a meaning that cuts across the boundaries of time, space, race, culture and even religious beliefs.

Reviews

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am downgrading my score after further study and exposure to some books that I think do a better job relaying the fundamentals. At the time I read this book, it did what I needed it to do, which is outline Buddhist beliefs in a general fashion. This would certainly be a solid book to recommend to beginners, but I would say a book like What the Buddha Taught is more concise and to-the-point. The main weakness of this book is that it covers too much, the sections are not well organized, and there are no references or bibliography for further reading. Much of the content also reflects a more regional Thervada approach, which obviously fits into a general Buddhist framework but should not be confused with Buddhism in general.

[Niko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very exceptional read. A good suggestion for western peoples who study Buddhism and are in need of a clearer view of traditional Buddhist philosophy. It takes out the superstitious and ritualistic Buddhism that has seemed to flourish in today's mainstream society. Note to the reader: you should have some prior knowledge of basic Buddhist concepts, otherwise this might be difficult to understand or grasp for you.

[Craig Kissho · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book, i thought, up to the halfway mark. Buddhist fundamental concepts were clarified, myths debunked n mystifying philosophy explained. However as it neared the end, the book veered into increasingly bizzare n speculative discussion, which is a shame really. It couldve been a good textbook on buddhism.

[Tandin Namgyel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exceptional and insightful read! Buddhism has been playing a pivotal role in shaping mankind, and other aspects. Life is nothing but a dream and while we dream, we should persevered to perform good deeds and avoid negativity at all cost and form!

[Thanh Huyen]

a good book for everyone

[Laura K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good summary and reference to understand some basics of Buddhism and some differences between Buddhist groups.

The four aspects of life, which are best if in harmony:
1. family life
2. business life
3. social life
4. spiritual life

The five daily precepts:
1. refrain from killing living creatures
2. refrain from taking what is not given
3. refrain from sexual misconduct
4. refrain from false speech
5. refrain from taking intoxicating drugs and liquor

4 Noble Truths:
1. suffering
2. Cause of suffering
3. End of suffering
4. Path leading to the end of suffering

The Noble 8 fold path:
(Morality)
- right speech
-right action
-right livelihood
(Mental Culture)
-right effort
-right mindfulness
-right concentration
(Wisdom)
-right understanding
-right thoughts

I learned that Buddhism respects different viewpoints and people are encouraged to question and think for themselves. That is very different from many other religions, which are dogmatic and discourage people from making their own decisions.

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is really an entry level collection of small essays on basic concepts in Buddhism (Theravada). It doesn't cover all, or even most concepts, though does give a gist for the religion to those who may not have come into contact with it. It was written a good few decades ago, and aimed at a particular audience in SE Asia. The apologetics are a little too simplistic, and many contain numerous logical and common sense holes. Overall, it was a hard slog to finish (due to repition, chatter, etc.) and similar works have been done better. However, it was popular in its time, and the author had good intentions, and is usually found free in Buddhist centres.

[R. August · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, but a little too heavy on the hyperbole whenever the Buddha is mentioned. Also, a common facet of the book was "scientists have proven..." or "even modern science agrees with..." without ever really saying who these modern scientists are, how they proved whatever it was or what they actually discovered. The ending chapters were not particular germane to western culture - talking about mediums, charms, and zodiac - though it may just be that I don't move in the right circles. Otherwise a good book.

[Sundeep Supertramp · Rating 1 out of 5]

25 pages down, i already gave up reading this... most boring book i've ever read... the words used in this book can only understood by Lamas according to me..

[Minette Visser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I can't find fault with the content, the tone of the book is rather derogatory. I'm not sure who he is writing for, but he doesn't seem to agree with them.

[Tim Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty heavy duty ! Interesting to find out the Buddhist take on existence ....

[Aislan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful guide and clear introduction to Theravada Buddhism.