The Beginner's Guide to Buddhism

Leave it to Sounds True to find leaders in the fields of spirituality and health to explain the elements of some of the essential areas. Each original guide in their series is about 70 minutes long and provides the kind of information and instruction one would expect in a good primer. Although the liner notes are meager, limited to information about the narrator, each CD includes a "table of contents" that makes each part of the program easy to locate. The author of THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BUDDHISM, Jack Kornfield, is a clinical psychologist, author, and former Buddhist monk. After discussing Buddha's life, Kornfield explains the foundations of Buddhism: dharma, the four noble truths, and the eightfold path. Discussing Buddhism leads nicely to the final two segments of the program: a guided mindfulness meditation and a guided loving-kindness meditation. Kornfield is the perfect guide to the joys of Buddhism. His voice, relaxed and kind, fits this program wonderfully, especially the guided meditations. P.B.J. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine