A Beginner's Guide to Buddhism: Your Path to a Meaningful Life

Drawing on her own experiences, as well as those of her father - an ordained Buddhist monk for well over a decade - Duangta Mondi writes about how Buddhism shows how the key to a meaningful life is to live with the right thought, the right speech, and the right action; and how the right steps will lead you to the true happiness.

Happiness is here – today, now. If you know where to find it.

This is where A Beginner’s Guide to Buddhism can, and will, help you.

Many people set off on the wrong route, always looking for the next opportunity, the next ‘thing’ that will provide the happiness and that much needed answer.

But if you keep searching like that, you will never experience the happiness you desire.

Why?

Because true happiness and fulfilment lies within us

…within each and every person.

And, you don’t need to go looking for what’s already there.

You just need to realise this.

Again, this is where A Beginner’s Guide to Buddhism can, and will, help you.

Four easy chapters will explain how Buddhism can help you in your daily life.

It can help you find the answers

It can help you understand why you are where you are.

And it can help you get to where you want to be.

How will it Help You

This book has been written by a Buddhist with a non-Buddhist in mind.

As His Holiness, the Dalai Lama said, “Don’t use Buddhism to become a Buddhist. Use Buddhism to become better at whatever else in your life you are doing already.”

The author said that if she was non-Buddhist, this is the information that she would want to know about:

Chapter 1. History and Essence of Buddhism

The opening chapter looks at:

• the History of Lord Buddha, including his birth, Journey to Enlightened One, and his death.
• The Threefold Training which forms the structure of Buddhist teachings: Training in Higher Morality, Higher Mentality, and Higher Wisdom
• The Principles of Buddhism and Principles of Science (and how they are closely aligned)
• Buddhist Beliefs

Chapter 2. Buddhist Teaching Guides

Chapter 2 explains about the following:

• The Triple Gems of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
• The Foundational Doctrines of Buddhism, including the four Noble Truths: The Truth of Suffering, The Truth of the Cause of Suffering, The Truth of Freedom from Suffering, and The Truth of the Path that Leads to Cessation of Suffering
• The Five Precepts for Living, the Three Baskets of Buddha’s Teachings, and Buddhist Beliefs

Chapter 3. Sacred Activities

Chapter 3 looks at the sacred activities, including the Buddhist Holy Days, festivals, and ceremonies.

Chapter 4. Mind and Wisdom Exercises

The final chapter looks at the mind and wisdom exercises: Wise Reflection and Insight Meditation.

Written in a relaxed, easy to read and follow manner, A Beginner’s Guide to Buddhism will open your path to a meaningful life.

Duangta is Thai, and is a keen reader and writer and enjoys her work as an English teacher. A polyglot, she also teaches Thai.

She has always been interested in the written word and, having openly admitted some years ago that her English reading was poor, dedicated herself to rectifying this. She graduated her Masters' degree from Chulalongkorn University in 2014, and the title of her thesis was 'Effects Of Strategy-Based Reading Instruction On English Reading Ability And Reading Self-Efficacy Of Lower Secondary School Students'.

A co-author of 4 books to teach English speakers Thai, she was also translator on 2 web and iPad apps to teach the Thai alphabet and the Thai numbers.

She is Buddhist and enjoys meditation, reading, going to the cinema, socialising with friends, and watching rugby union.

Duangta has her website at http: //www.teachermondi.com