Radiant Mind [Paperback]

Jean Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999

Filled with excerpts from both ancient Buddhist texts and contemporary teachings, this enlightening book provides a solid introduction for novices and a "best of" collection for those more familiar with Buddhist practice. It is a collection of starting points: essential teachings and texts of Buddha's discourses, filled with insightful commentaries and interpretations by such teachers as the Dalai Lama, Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, and modern thinker Jack Kornfield.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Buddhist sutras appear in anthologies, and there are collections of recent writings on Buddhism. Now Jean Smith has brought two genres together in a book that provides an outstanding look at the foundations of Buddhism. She begins sections on basic Buddhist teachings with selections from sutras or from ancient masters. She then follows them up with several commentaries on the same topic taken from the writings of present-day authorities. Across the spectrum of sects and schools, Smith draws on the collective wisdom of such respected contemporaries as Thich Nhat Hanh, Charlotte Joko Beck, Henepola Gunaratana, the Dalai Lama, and Joseph Goldstein. Buddhist teachings stress that understanding is gained by approaching single topics from a variety of viewpoints, and Radiant Mind provides a rare opportunity to do just that. --Brian Bruya

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade; 1st edition (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157322717X
• ISBN-13: 978-1573227179
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great starter text, February 6, 2001

By 

Eric Nyberg (Birmingham, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radiant Mind (Paperback)

This is a great book for first time exposure to Buddhism as it pulls together writings from some of the greatest teachers of antiquity, including Gautama Buddha himself, and some of today's most recognized teachers including D.T. Suzuki, Jack Kornfield and H.H. the Dalai Lama. The book is organized by subtopic, beginning with a brief history of Buddhism, including a brief biography of Gautama, and then discussing the major topics within Buddhism including meditation, enlightenment, ethics, the nature of the mind, etc. The selected writings draw fairly equally from the three major branches of Buddhism represented in the US today (Theravada, Zen and Tibetan) giving the reader a broad, balanced picture. Although the book was probably not intended to go into tremendous depth in any of its topics, there is plenty of material to engage the beginning student of Buddhism in very meaningful ways.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Diverse Introduction to Buddhist topics, August 20, 2001

By 

Mark R. Seiler (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Radiant Mind (Paperback)

Radiant Mind provides essays and descriptive texts of the major components of the Buddhist Dharma, including: Historical Context, The Four Noble Truths; Eightfold Path; Karma; Impermenance; and the Sutras (Diamond, Lotus and Heart). The essays are very understandable, and often times, the book offers several different perspectives on a given topic.

A diverse group of authors contribute to the text. They come from a variety of schools(Mahayana, Theravdan, and Zen), and cultures (Tibet, America, India, Japan, Vietnam).

Great book, I highly recommend it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Place to Start, December 16, 2008

By 

John F. Herberger (Maui) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Radiant Mind (Paperback)

Want to understand the basics of Buddhism (and a bit more)? This collection is an excellent beginning.