365 Buddha: Daily Meditations [Paperback]

Jeff Schmidt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 2002

Such is the powerful simplicity of Buddhist teachings that a one-or-two-line quotation from a seminal Buddhist text can resonate throughout our days and nights. The infinite wisdom of this religion has touched people from all walks of life from all over the world.

For readers interested in discovering this rich tradition and cultivating a daily practice, 365 Buddha provides a single thought—a piece of wisdom to carry with one—for each day of the year. Filled with thought-provoking and inspiring quotations from the greatest Buddhist teachers throughout history, including Dogen, Suzuki, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, and Milarepa, 365 Buddha is an invaluable resource and companion for living.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This year has seen a stable of books and devotionals that aim to enhance daily life with Buddhist principles: 24/7 Dharma (Tuttle), Zen 24/7 (Harper San Francisco) and The Buddha's Book of Daily Meditations (Shambhala), just to name a few. Putnam/Tarcher joins the party with Jeff Schmidt's 365 Buddha: Daily Meditations. While there's nothing original about the book's concept, Schmidt is refreshingly honest about that: the opening epigraph actually assures readers that "nothing new will be said here." This is a nice book of short daily meditations, but it's virtually indistinguishable from its peers.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A longtime practitioner of Buddhism, Schmidt has assembled a winning anthology of insights, poems, parables, and stories from the Buddhist tradition, ranging from its earliest texts to 20th-century works. Not least of the book's virtues is that its compiler understands, as few writers on any subject do, that less is frequently more. Schmidt's fine little book comes with a helpful glossary of terms not fully explicated elsewhere in the text. Highly recommended.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (January 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158542143X
• ISBN-13: 978-1585421435
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 365 days of Buddhist wisdom., September 13, 2002

By 

G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 365 Buddha: Daily Meditations (Paperback)

Only after reading this anthology of daily meditations over the course of a year did I discover that the editor also lives here in Boulder. Although there are many similar collections of daily Buddhist contemplations available (the most notable being BUDDHA'S BOOK OF DAILY MEDITATIONS published by Shambhala), Jeff Schmidt's compilation is noteworthy for its selection of short, daily selections from trusted teachers including Dogen, Shunryu Suzuki, Thich Nhat Hanh, Milarepa, Chah, and The Buddha himself, among others, that will stick with you and resonate throughout the day. This collection will become a trusted daily companion, introducing its reader to a new teacher or two along the way.

G. Merritt

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice addition to any library!, January 22, 2003

By 

Joseph F. Haefeli - See all my reviews

This review is from: 365 Buddha: Daily Meditations (Paperback)

I'm not sure what Publisher's Weekly problem is in calling Schmidt's book "...virtually indistinguishable from its peers". I suppose if I reviewed books for a living, the fact that EVERYTHING is derivative at some level would become an apparent reality.

However, judged on it's own merits, 365 is a nice contribution to the world of Buddhism. Speaking for those of us who are just average folks, not Buddhist scholars, Schmidt's careful selections are an accessible stimulant of thought.

Don't let the "365" concept scare you: it does not appear Schmidt has dumbed down the book to fit the "thought a day" calendar paradigm. The selections are thought-provoking, neither overly simplified, nor so obtuse only an academic could love them.

One of the best parts of the book is the extensive clearly written glossary. It provides a great reference, which is most helpful for us mere mortals in interpreting some of the knottier quotes.

365 would be a very nice addition to any library, from serious Buddhists to casually curious people who just like to think.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply wonderful : Thought Evoking and Rich, January 24, 2004

By 

Julie Jordan Scott "Writer, Life Coach - Owne... (Bakersfield, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 365 Buddha: Daily Meditations (Paperback)

This elegant book reminds me of what it is like to savor one piece of delicious, mindfully blended chocolate every day instead of mindlessly inhaling almost tasteless food instead.

I am reminded that Buddha is said to have given one lesson by simply standing in front of his students holding a sunflower.

This it is with this daily meditation book.

The readings are carefully selected morsels whose taste will remain in your mind and heart throughout the day.