Teachings of the Buddha by Jack Kornfield

Teachings of the Buddha Reviews

• 
  Mandy

  This is just a little book, but it's probably my favorite of the Buddha's teachings. I don't know if it's Kornfield's translations (which are beautiful) or the selections, but this is the book that sits on my nightstand, or next to my computer, or on my desk to work. It is the source I go to when I need a prayer, or a lesson, or something to share with a friend. Really a beautiful little book.
• 
  Sophorn

  There is no fire like greed. No crime like hatred.
  No sorrow like separation.
  No sickness like hunger of heart, And no joy like the joy of freedom. Health and contentment, and trust are your greatest possessions, and freedom your greatest joy. Look within, Be still. Free from fear and attachment, know the sweet joy of living in the way.
• 
  Miss Murder

  "No matter where or how far you wander, the light is only a split second, a half-breath away, it is never too late to recognize the clear light."

  
  I should add a Buddhist shelf to my profile at this point.
  
  This book was so much more different than I was expecting in the best way possible. I bought this book with the expectation that it was going to glaze over the typical aspects of Buddhism that I am pretty thoroughly aware of.
  
  I had no idea this was like a mini-Bible for Buddhist texts! I got the little pocket version (which makes my heart skip a beat because it's so cute) and it contains passages from sacred Buddhist texts and other works outlining parables, Buddha's teachings, and how to follow The Way.
  
  Be aware, this is not a book you would necessarily read for enjoyment if you did not know much about Buddhism. If you have decent knowledge of the religion or are a subscriber to Buddhism, get ready to carry this around in your pocket at all times.
  
  This will now serve as my starter for Buddhist meditation scriptures and parables, as so many of its original sacred texts are not translated into English yet. I am so happy I bought this book, it surprised me so much!!
• 
  Dean

  Excellent selection of verses and short passages from the suttas and other Buddhist scriptures, anecdotes etc. Reading this over several times, would give one a nice feeling for what Buddhism is essentially aimed at, and the means for approaching the goals laid out in the path. The audiobook is also nice to meditate on, or contemplate.
• 
  Bernie Gourley

  This is a collection of excerpts and short writings conveying Buddhist teachings. The pieces range in length from about a stanza of verse to a few pages in length. Each lesson tells what book it comes from and who the translator was, which can be a nice feature if one will be comparing different translations.
  
  Unlike Walpola Rahula’s similarly named “What the Buddha Taught,” which focuses entirely on what Gautama Buddha taught while he was living, this book includes many teachings from long after the life of the Buddha. Which is to say, this is more a book of Buddhist teachings than an elucidation of what the Buddha, himself, taught. [Not to offend, but religious teachings seem to inevitably shift and evolve over time, and so what is taught by various sects of Buddhism today is by no means a perfect reflection of what the Buddha, himself, taught.] That said, the writings toward the beginning of the book tend to be closer to the Buddha, himself – i.e. from the “Dhammapada” and other early Pali works. While the teachings toward the end of the book tend to be more from much later (e.g. from the Zen tradition.)
  
  I found the book to be quite readable and to feature some intriguing food for thought. If you are interested in an English translation of Buddhist sutras, scriptures, koan, etc., this is a good work to check out.
  
• 
  Relleasy Harrison

  i gave this book to my beloved brother Trav. He is a Buddhist and he enjoyed it. the books talks a lot about patience and controlling your anger.
• 
  Lon

  A collection of sayings, parables, teachings, exhortations attributed to the Buddha. Some cryptic, some inscrutable, but Kornfield has obviously mined the scriptural canon well; each page either shines outrightly, or hints of some pearl to be sought with deeper digging.
  
  A few favorites:
  
  As in the ocean's midmost depth no wave is born, but all is still, so let the practitioners be still, be motionless, and nowhere should they swell.
  _________
  
  See yourself in others.
  Then whom can you hurt?
  What harm can you do?
  
  For your brother is like you.
  He wants to be happy.
  Never harm him
  And when you leave this life
  You too will find happiness.
  _____
  
  In this world
  Hate never yet dispelled hate.
  Only love dispels hate.
  This is the law,
  Ancient and inexhaustible.
  You too shall pass away.
  Knowing this, how can you quarrel?
  ____________
  
  Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
  A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;
  A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
  A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.
  ______
  
  Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, or is the water broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water.
  
  
• 
  Andrew Vidal

  I thought this was a decent collection of the Buddha's teachings from such various sources as the Dhammapada, the Nikayas, the Sutras, as well as snippets from Tibetan and Zen texts. Due to its broad scope, I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking for in-depth instruction on the teachings, but as something to keep on the coffee table and flip through whenever one could use a reminder of the benefits attained from living a life mindfulness and contemplation.
• 
  Brian B.

  I read this book fast, not because it was boring but because it's not the type of book you read, it's one that you keep on the shelf and when the moment is right you read it again, and refer to it later for inspiration in life.
  
  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the Buddha's teachings. This is a book everyone should have, regardless of beliefs.
• 
  Chad Kohalyk

  Short book filled with a variety of famous passages from the various canon. Even I recognized some, with my slight reading in this area. It is full of nuggets and interesting perspectives.
  
  The narrator was good, and it is an enjoyable listen. I will come back to it when I need a reminder, or to mine it for other learnings.
• 
  Bruno Martinez

  Great book for introduction to understanding Buddhism. Really enjoyed reading and re-reading several of its pages. It's not a book you just read but truly meditate, re-read and think over again. I do really recommend it.
• 
  Chase

  A very readable interpretation of Buddhist teachings from various sects and teachers of Buddhism from all over the world. Simply splendid.
• 
  Nate

  When love and hate are absent we can see clearly. A judgment is nothing more than the expression of a limited perspective. The more one talks and thinks about it, the further astray one wonders. There’s no need to search for truth; only one to cease cherishing opinions in all forms. Ideas of what’s right and wrong only carry us farther into the illusion. The faster we try to go, the more lost we become. Obey nature, one’s own nature, to walk freely and undisturbed.
  
  What benefit can be derived from distinctions and separation? The wise man strives for no goals. There’s only one dharma; distinctions only arise from clinging and attachment. To seek the nature of the mind through its discriminating faculties leads only to further ignorance. Non-duality is only possible for the open, accepting and trusting mind. The realization of self is the realization of myriad things, because the notion of permanence is an illusion.
  
  The unwavering mind is the most accurate projection of reality. Without movement on water, it can be seen through clearly and transparently, and the same works for the mind. Mind chancing and object is faulty contemplation. All prior antidotes for thoughts have been thought-replacements. Bliss is recognized through acknowledgment of ceaselessly flowing thoughts.
• 
  Bryan Winchell

  Just a good little book filled with short, insightful anecdotes, koans, stories and lessons from various sources illuminating the core of the Buddha’s philosophy. I also recommend the audio version as it is narrated by the silky smooth voice of Edoardo Ballerini. A good book to just absorb in bits and pieces; no hurry required!
• 
  Kyla

  "In this world
  Hate never yet dispelled hate.
  Only love dispels hate.
  This is the law,
  Ancient and inexhaustible.
  You too shall pass away.
  Knowing this, how can you quarrel?"
• 
  Claudiegh

  A quick read. Or a compilation of quick reads. This book contains morsels of buddhist teachings from various sources. All cited (borh orginator and translator). There is even a section of practices one can use during meditation. I would like to reread it again someday
• 
  Jim Thompson

  Not my first time through this book. Or my second. Couldn't say how many times I've read it, really. Sometimes some of it, sometimes all of it.
  
  I've got a few books I use sort of like "devotionals." This is one of them. "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones" is another. "Dhammapada" is another. I get to the end of one, put it on the shelf, take the next down. Cycles around again eventually.
  
  This one is good. I practice more in the Zen tradition, so the Zen-friendly stuff in here appeals to me more than, say, the Tibetan stuff. The book is a mix, some of it I find very helpful, some of it makes me roll my eyes a little. But on the whole it's a worthwhile book, packed with lots of little bits and pieces.
  
  
• 
  Kiel

  A selection of Buddhist writing from around the world capturing voices from the various streams of Buddhist teaching, this collection is an interesting tour through its thought and practice. Living in and regularly visiting countries and cultures dominated by a Buddhist worldview I usually come away thinking I prefer it to secularism, because at least they acknowledge the role of the spiritual realm in forming a consistent ethical framework for society. Beyond that I remain distinctly theistic as I glean from Buddhist ideas. I respect the appeals to compassion, mindfulness, and the discipline of taking thoughts captive and not being ruled by them. However, I’m struck by the self interest in its paradigm, avoiding karmic debt, seeking nirvana to avoid suffering and to ultimately disengage from all worldly matters. For my part I find Christ’s engaging in suffering and taking on the debt of human sin to be more powerful, and freeing as one can then pursue both spiritual discipline and embrace human suffering, being both heavenly minded and of earthly good. I always have a good time and great conversations with my Buddhist friends, and my appeal to them is to look to a God-man with salvation, and not merely a guide-man with sayings. 4 hours or 240 pages of Zen, wisdom, and meditation.
• 
  Matt Coles

  A collection of Buddhist teachings and parables translated and read beautifully (on the audiobook). Some seem eerily wise (considering their age) and some are less convincing (birth and rebirth, the immortality of the 'soul', etc). But, granted, there is a blind-spot in modern science regarding the study of conciousness and qualia. Similarly, there is a (closing) gap in psychology on the topic of 'how to live well'. Nature abhors a vacuum and those spaces are often filled with utter crap - sometimes by charlatans and sometimes by well-intentioned attempted solutions.
  
  I wonder if the wisdom in Buddhist teachings stem from the fact that the ideas were transmitted verbally for ~450 years before they were written down. This, coupled with the lack of insistence on immutability (present in other religions), allowed for the selection (and mutation) of the most useful memes. Whereas the rubbish ideas were forgotten.
• 
  Wanderley Guimarães

  (Escutei a versão audiobook desse livro)
  
  Uma coleção de citações e histórias interessantes que podem servir como lições para aplicar na vida. Quantas vezes não me peguei pensando que eu era o único que estava sofrendo, que eu era o único com dificuldades e por aí vai. E para refletir sobre alguns destes "meus" sentimentos escutei a historia da mãe que perdeu o filho e seguindo o conselho do mestre bateu em todas as portas da cidade, escutando as angústias e sofrimentos que cada um tinha para compartilhar. Já escutei muitas vezes sobre pratica compaixão os outros, mas praticar compaixão com vocês mesmo é importante.
  
  Eu não sou budista mas li esse livro motivado pela curiosidade do que representa a meditação além da visão científica que venho estudando.E isso não me fez aproveitar menos os ensinamentos.
• 
  Dan Meyer

  This book contains a selection of Buddhist parables and teachings. I am not entirely sure who this book is aimed at. It is both too watered down to be interesting for those familiar with Buddhism, and too unapproachable to serve as an introduction to Buddhism. Kornfield is usually a master of prose, but his introduction feels lazy here and offers no practical insight. Additionally, I found the translations of most selections to be bad — they were tedious and boring. Skip this book and just read the Dhammapada if you're interested in Buddhism (I like Eknath Easwaran's translation).
• 
  isabella ❀*:･ﾟ✧

  2.75 stars
  
  It feels really wrong to give a religious text the rating I have but I just didn’t enjoy this. I was not in the mood nor mindset for this and didn’t really absorb it as much as I could have (didn’t have Right Effort per se). Now that I’ve finished this, I realise I would’ve taken a lot more from it and enjoyed it exceptionally more if I read it in small parts at regular intervals, not all together in one sitting.
• 
  Elisabeth Smith

  I feel weird about giving a religious text 3 stars. I’m sure that it is, like so many other books, a result of a improper expectations. But my 3 stars mean I’m not mad I read it, but probably won’t read again— in this case, I definitely won’t be *listening* to it again. The narrator was great, but, like many other reviews have stated, this is not a book you listen or read cover to cover. It is a collection of teachings best read piece by piece.
  
  I did really appreciate the emphasis on maintaining primary sources as closely as possible, which is something I was looking for.
• 
  Mark

  An excellent, small paperback, easy to take with you.
  
  -Just as at the ocean's innermost depth no wave is born,
  but all is still,
  so let the practitioner's mind be still.
  
  Be motionless, and nowhere should you swell.
• 
  Litbitch

  A perfect little book to keep by your bed when you wake up in the middle of the night, as I often do. Also a good intro to the basics tenets of Buddhist thought, which I often feel shaky on, despite the various books I've read and meditation sessions/talks I've attended.
• 
  Tina Romanelli

  I’m still struggling to understand, but I am at least able to recognize some of the conflicting patterns of thought that are butting up against each other. I think I will eventually need to reread this as well.