Buddhism for Dummies (Paperback, 2)

Introduction 1

Part I: Embarking on a Journey: The Basics of Buddhism 7

Chapter 1: Entering the World of Buddhism: The Basics 9

Chapter 2: Understanding Your Mind: The Creator of All Experience 21

Part II: A Short History of Buddhism 35

Chapter 3: Surveying the Life and Teachings of the Historical Buddha 37

Chapter 4: The Development of Buddhism on the Indian Subcontinent 63

Chapter 5: Watching Developments Continue to the Present Day 85

Part III: Behaving Like a Buddhist 119

Chapter 6: Turning to Buddhism 121

Chapter 7: Meditation: A Central Practice of Buddhism 139

Chapter 8: A Day in the Life of a Buddhist Practitioner 161

Chapter 9: Walking in the Buddha's Footsteps 181

Part IV: Exploring the Buddhist Path 195

Chapter 10: What Is Enlightenment, Anyway? 197

Chapter 11: A Matter of Life and Death 217

Chapter 12: Minding the Concept of Karma 233

Chapter 13: Breaking Free of the Cycle of Dissatisfaction 249

Chapter 14: Fulfi lling Your Highest Potential 269

Chapter 15: Life Stories of Four Buddhist Masters 289

Part V: The Part of Tens 307

Chapter 16: Ten Common Misconceptions about Buddhism 309

Chapter 17: Ten Ways Buddhism Can Help You Deal with Life's Problems 317

Part VI: Appendixes 329

Appendix A: Explaining Buddhist Terms 331

Appendix B: Additional Buddhist Resources to Check Out 337

Index 347