The NUBU Page - beginning Buddhism

The NUBU Page.

This page is http://members.tripod.com/~doggo/doggnubu.html

Buddhism.

Zen.

Interesting.

But what are they talking about?

This is a page for those who are new to Buddhism (& Zen) ( NUBU's!)*.

You've heard about it, you're wondering about it, you're not quite ready to shave your head yet!
All the info presented here is on an introductory level - to help get you sorted out.

Recommended sources for learning about Buddhism & Zen :

* Links for Information *

Okay, just the basics - The "Snelling Sutra".
(One page long - pretty basic!)

(from Buddhist Festivals
by John Snelling: 1987 Rourke Enterprises, Vero Beach, FL pp. 12-15 ISBN 0 86592 980 7)
on Dan Bammes' "Refuge Sangha, for the skeptical Buddhist" site)
Another good intro is An Overview of Buddhism
Introduction to Buddhism
Buddhist Basics from Tricycle, the largest Buddhist magazine.
Thich Nhat Hanh comments on The Three Dharma Seals

"Is Buddhism a religion? Do I have to convert?"
(This is at Dzogchen.org, a Tibetan-style site. There are also other good answers to FAQs here.)

I hear about "Zen meditation", "vipassana", "mindfulness", "insight".
What are they talking about? Mindfulness

"What is meditation?"
(At Dzogchen.org)

Who's this Dalai Lama guy?

How about Thich Nhat Hanh? I keep hearing that he's a great teacher -

a short article on the Bodhi Tree, under which Sakyamuni Buddha attained Enlightenment

* Books *

The Art of Living : Vipassana Meditation As Taught by S.N. Goenka
by William Hart 1 Edition Paperback, 167 pages
List: $12.00
ISBN: 0060637242

As far as I'm concerned if you don't read anything else on Buddhism, at least read this!

It very concisely & skillfully discusses moral behavior, meditation technique, how meditation "works"
& why do it, & how all these things fit together!

-- no history or sectarian dogma

I literally buy this book in quantity every few months so I can hand it out to people who are curious about Buddhism!
Mindfulness in Plain English
by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana, (also spelled) Henepole
Paperback, 191 pages
List: $12.95
ISBN: 0861710649

Also excellent! Highly recommended!

Generally considered the best beginner's explanation of what Buddhist meditation is and how to do it.
When they say "plain English", they do mean it -- this is extremely straightforward to understand, without being simpleminded.

The last time I checked the listing of this book on Amazon.com, I was amazed to see its "sales rank" listed as 1,571 -- which may not sound too high until you consider the hundreds of thousands of titles Amazon.com lists, and the fact that this rank is considerably better than many books on subjects more in the American mainstream.)
. .
-- Online! Here or here or here or here
Of course, there are many other books on Buddhism available !
- and magazines.
- and websites

.
* - NUBU? What's a NUBU? -

In The Jew in the Lotus , a dialogue on spirituality and exile
between the Dalai Lama and a group of Jewish thinkers,
author Kamenetz describes some of the permutations of
"Jewish Buddhists", whom he nicknames "JUBU's".

So "New-ish Buddhists" could be - "NUBU's"!

(back)

-- sabbadanam dhammadanam jinati --

-- vayadhamma sankhara --
-- appamadena sampadetha'ti --

-- The gift of Buddha's way excels all others --

-- Everything that's put together comes apart --
-- Working mindfully, make your own Enlightenment --