Really enjoyed this practical introduction to Buddhist teachings and philosophy.

This book was okay, but I probably wouldn't recommend it. The author uses some of the strangest ideas to try and prove Buddhism is the right way, and it really did not sit right. The balance between the personal and the factual also sat a little strangely beside each other.

It really is a good solid book on the basics of Buddhism, and it reads great if you are looking for simplicity and clarity. In fact, this is an overall good book for introducing the theology, before you start running into the complex ideas and words used in other Buddhist books.

Not perfect, but good for what it's for.

I'm really not sure how I feel about this book. I guess I was expecting more from it, don't get me wrong there were some interesting points, it just didn't feel as substantial as I wanted. I'd like to have understood more about buddhism but I feel I've read a sort of memoir of someone's journey into buddhism. The author does loosely explain some concepts within buddhism, I wanted more, the whole explanation of reincarnation was a bit weird to be honest. I did enjoy it even if it wasn't what I expected, I found my eyes rolling more than I would have liked but I'm glad I read it.

Consider this. Between 1979 to 2008, use of the word "mindfulness" in books published in the U.S. increased 807 percent. It's become a buzzword for modern psychology, business consultants, employee assistance programs and the media. But it's nothing new; it stems from centuries-old traditions, one of which is Buddhism, known for its deep-rooted meditation methods.

Mindfulness is often promoted for stress reduction, whether through conventional meditation or more informally taking time to clear your mind and pay attention to the present moment. This mass market mindfulness helps explain why it's fashionable but it's really a secularized element of one aspect of Buddhism. In an updated edition to Buddhism for Busy People: Finding Happiness in a Hurried World, British author David Michie uses what he calls an "unashamedly personal account" to explain core elements of Buddhism and their use in day-to-day life. First published in the U.S. in 2008, Michie's book helps illustrate why mindfulness and Buddhism attract increased interest.

Affluence is a hallmark of modern western society. Yet those Michie calls “the luckiest 10 percent of the human population” also are plagued with "grinding dissatisfaction." The situation hasn’t improved since Buddhism for Busy People was originally published in Australia in 2004. The internet, mobile technology and social media dramatically increased the demands on our time and attention.

Buddhism aims to shift the focus of busy people, Michie says. The goal is not to control what’s happening around us but to take control of our how we experience the world. This all proceeds from the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths. Buddhism for Busy People most closely comprehensively and comprehensibly the first two.

Dukkha, the first noble truth, is most often described as "suffering." Yet, Michie notes, it embodies the concept that our underlying state of mind is dissatisfaction. That is explained by the second noble truth, samudhaya. According to Michie, we yearn for objects or goals but once achieved they don't live up to our expectations or, if they do, it is short-lived. We think our happiness is dependent on some object, person or situation when, in fact, we alone determine our state of mind. Ultimately, we "keep deluding ourselves that the achievement of some particular milestone will represent a major personal breakthrough. But after sometimes the shortest of honeymoons we wake up one morning and discover we’re still just us."

Michie details the purpose and goals of meditation, as well as particular exercises. Like virtually all books on the topic, though, it is much easier to write about specific practices than for the reader to successfully implement them. Other aspects of Buddhism and its practices are addressed largely through Michie's own experiences. Sadly, only a certain percentage of readers have comparable firsthand access to Buddhist organizations, centers and teachers like Michie. He does deserve credit for his intriguing exploration of the concept of karma. In essence, "[t]he desire to give others happiness (love) or prevent their suffering (compassion) in the past was the karmic cause of our current life."

Buddhism for Busy People also examines compassion and its role in finding happiness in daily life. Michie views "Self" as the most significant and deeply rooted obstacle.

We do our best to make [Self] feel special, brilliant, successful, popular, wealthy, powerful, enlightened or whatever trip he happens to be on. Most frightening of all, somewhere along the line we allow Self to so dominate our consciousness that we even start to think of him as our essence. Our true being. Our "real me."

From a Buddhist perspective, this indulgence is responsible for "all our dissatisfaction, every last ache of suffering we experience." The antidote, Michie says, is the altruistic bodhichitta. Instead of letting Self dominate the mind, bodhichitta calls for thinking of others with profound compassion in the hope of freeing all living beings from suffering. Like many Buddhist concepts, understanding what to do isn't hard, it's actually doing it that is most difficult. Michie suggests generosity, ethical behavior and patience are the keys to implementing it in daily life.

With both this and the concept of karma, Buddhism for Busy People ventures into the fundamental Buddhist tenet that when a person dies they are reborn and the process continues until they attain nirvana. Because each life is just part of our ongoing mind stream, today's (and yesterday's) actions and thoughts affect our future mind stream. While many of us may find this a dubious concept, Michie says that in Buddhism "it is what you do that counts, not what you say you believe."

Michie is adept at using his own experiences and those of friends and colleagues to illustrate his theses, as well as Buddhist concepts and practices. The extent to which they assist understanding will be in the eye of each reader. Overall, though, Buddhism for Busy People concisely and distinctly provides a deeper understanding of how and why mindfulness and meditation are of such interest and practical advice on implementing the concepts into everyday life.

Michie's ultimate and most fundamental message may be epitomized by his observation that "true happiness arises when we are able to change our minds rather than the world around us, when we loosen the bonds of self-focus enough to care more for others." And one certainly need not be a full-fledged Buddhist to agree.

(Originally posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.)

more of an autobiography than anything, but through the lens of buddhism. a little misleading in a way - i believed it to be some sort of introduction or insight into buddhism, but it was more instances in his life where Buddhism had an impact. Interesting to hear the impact it’s had on others’ lives, but when the book is described as the author “opening the door to the core teachings of Tibetan Buddhism”, i think it heavily lacked that. It was more like unlocking the door to allow you to open it for yourself through your own research.

This is a worthwhile beginning Buddhism book. I think there are some good ideas even for those more well versed in the practice, but likely they will find this a little simple. For the audience, this is well written and understandable.

Starts out alright, but when getting into dealing with samsara and re-birth, David just threw me off with his matter-of-factness about it all, not providing any proper arguments or reasoning to why this should be a real phenomenon. It is just too large of a camel to swallow. And the derisive comments that us westernes are essentially just too ignorant about these things didn't help.

Equally i'm not buying too much into this whole karma-ic seeds used to explain the good or bad fortunes for a person, throughout multiple lifes, or the continous mind-stream. In my humble opinion it merely amounts to victim blaming, saying that people always deserve what comes to them.

There's more things about the way that David interprets and explains buddhism that throws me off, and makes me dislike this book a lot more than it perhaps deserves. Buddhism might just not be for me at all, but I'm happy it's helping him.

This book is really very interesting and has definitely gotten me interested in exploring Buddhism furuther. Michie writes very clearly and communicates well with his reader (like any good PR professional...)

It gives a really good overview of Buddhist principles and beliefs, managing to remain both in-depth but clearly understandable.

My only problem is that being a busy person, I only find time to read this on the commute to work, and would prefer to give the ideas expressed in this book a deeper reflection.