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Buddhism
- Narrated by: Malcolm David Eckel
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Buddhism has captivated many millions of people around the world, its vitality and adaptability enabling it to transform the civilizations of India, Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan, and also become a lively component in the cultures of Europe, Australia, and the Americas. But have you ever wondered how a religion that doesn't even have a god could have accomplished this?
Now you have the opportunity to have your questions answered, as this series of 24 lectures by an award-winning teacher traces the history, principles, and evolution of a theology that is both familiar and foreign.
You'll learn the astonishing story of Siddhartha Gautama - who was to become the Buddha, or "enlightened one" - the Indian prince who abandoned wife, son, and a privileged life to seek the meaning of life and death, and whose "awakening" and subsequent teachings have since impacted the world as few others have.
And you'll learn what happened after his death, as his followers began to share his teachings about the "Four Noble Truths" and the "Path" to Enlightenment. You'll see how Buddhist beliefs underwent significant and even radical change, with different varieties of Buddhism having to take shape as those beliefs spread across India, Central Asia, China, Japan, and virtually every corner of the Western world, such as becoming more respectful of one's duties to family and ancestors in China or becoming reconciled with local deities in Japan.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Buddhism
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kathy in CA
- 08-18-17
Wonderful, But So Glad There Is No Final Exam!
It is all about Buddhism, focusing on its origins and history up to the present day. The Prof discusses the key figures--originators, leaders, lamas, gurus, followers. He covers its origins in India and how it morphed as it spread from country to country, from India to Tibet, China, Japan, the US and many others. You get a feeling for why Buddhism was so contagious and attractive. You learn of the different proponents even if you can't pronounce their names or remember who was who, as you proceed through chapter after chapter. You learn chants which you wish you could remember but don't because, if you are at all like me, you did not write them down or download the pdf at the start of the course. If you did download it, you many not have chosen to print it out as it contains over 100 pages as it is very inclusive of each lecture's materials.
What made this series of lectures most special to me was the love of Professor Eckel for his subject matter. He is the real thing, one of the world's leading experts on Buddhism. His interest in and love of the religion shine through the entire series. He has a wonderful sense of humor. Even if you are not a religious person, like me, you can't help but respect him and want to hear more. You may even start wondering if Buddhism could be a part of your life, if it could offer anything for you and make your life more enriched.
I highly recommend this Great Course if you are feeling curious, as I was.
47 people found this helpful
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- RelizzScholar27
- 05-02-19
Don't forget that Eckel Teaches at BU
Malcolm David Eckel teaches at Boston University. You'll hear that about 400 times in this otherwise engaging course. He doesn't have students, he has "students at Boston University." He doesn't have colleagues, he has "colleagues at Boston University." Got it? Beyond that, the course provides a substantive, introductory overview of Buddhist history and philosophy across a number of traditions. I found the lectures on Pure Land Buddhism particularly compelling, and was grateful to have the full lectures in pdf form for review after listening. Well worth a listen so long as you remember that the most important thing about Buddhism is that Malcolm David Eckel teaches at Boston University, near the Thai place on Commonwealth.
28 people found this helpful
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- Sivalus
- 10-21-18
Buddhist Culture Around the World
...is what this audiobook should have been titled. I understand touching on how Buddhism is currently practiced in different parts of the world, but the book's title and summary did not make it sound like that would be the main focus. If that's what you're looking for, I can recommend this audiobook to you. However, I was more interested in learning about the Buddha's teachings.
15 people found this helpful
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- Jonathan D. Stringer
- 02-11-15
Much ado about Nothingness.
What did you love best about Buddhism?
This series of essays did a fantastic job of highlighting the differences between the various forms of Buddhism practiced today. As someone who came into these lectures with only a superficial knowledge of Buddhism, I was struck by just how many different interpretations of Buddhist teaching there are in the world. It makes the Protestant/Catholic divide look more like a small ditch in comparison.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Buddhism?
The bits on Vajrayāna Buddhism were certainly the most memorable parts of the lecture, primarily due to the tradition's enigmatical style of teaching . Contrasting the esoteric tendencies of Vajrayāna with the relative simplicity of Zen is almost like comparing apples and oranges, but it's this rich diversity that I found to be the most compelling aspect of the study.
Have you listened to any of Professor Malcolm David Eckel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Professor Eckel's love of the subject shone through my speakers. He approached the lecture with a zest that I wish more of the Great Courses lecturers possessed. His diction is equal parts scholastic and conversational, with a genial loquaciousness that wouldn't sound out of place coming from the mouth of a Hotei statue.
24 people found this helpful
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- Bookworm
- 08-05-15
Fascinating
The author is exactly what every college professor should aim to be - passionate about his subject, knowledge, funny, and interesting to listen to. He goes through the basic tenets of Buddhism and discussed the different types. He even have great reading suggestions. I very much enjoyed learning about a subject that is not well understood in western culture.
9 people found this helpful
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- Jennifer
- 07-14-14
Accessible and informative
Any additional comments?
This a really good introduction to the subject. The narrator has a clear skill in making some of the complex cencepts of Buddhism (at least to a western mind) understandable. He is passionate about the subject, speaks clearly and his lectures have a good balance between 'story telling' and theory. I will be keeping this audiobook in my library to listen to again.
17 people found this helpful
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- Alexander L.
- 10-26-17
A fascinating exploration of Buddhism and its schools
A must for anyone who is exploring Buddhism. Professor Eckel breathes new life into how Buddhism has adapted and spread. His passion for the subject is infectious! I’ve already listened to it twice. This series of lectures will definitely be a set I revisit again and again!
5 people found this helpful
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- Craig
- 11-10-13
Informative, entertaining and personal
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Very informative lectures. The balance between being high level and providing too much information is well maintained. The author is clearly an expert on the subject, he draws from personal experience and tells us many anecdotes about his personal experience with Buddhism.
Informal and relaxed lecture style; very easy to listen to. I highly recommend this lecture series.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Buddhism?
He is very passionate about the subject.
18 people found this helpful
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- J. Penna
- 07-18-18
What I was looking for.
I had previously started an online course on Buddhism, because I had started reading books on meditation, then Buddhism, and I wanted to get a more general theoretical and historical overview of the scope of Buddhism. But the online course was not as general and historical and chronological. I got this recording on a 2 for 1 deal, and it was exactly what I wanted.
Professor Eckel seems like the typical engaged, passionate, wry college professor and I enjoyed his delivery. The 24 half-hour lectures were well organized, concise and informative, and broken into logical sections with an interesting progression.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a specific education on the history of Buddhism and its evolution over its 2500 year life so far. Eckel also covers the basic elements of the philosophy/religion itself within the first lectures.
2 people found this helpful
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- doodlepop111111
- 06-03-18
Good history of Buddhism
The series focusses on the history of Buddhism and it's different forms rather than the ins and outs of practicing Buddhism. I was surprised by this but still enjoyed the series and learned a lot about the different traditions around the world
2 people found this helpful
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- Mr S.
- 07-19-17
Informative, Thoughtful, Insightful, Funny!
What made the experience of listening to Buddhism the most enjoyable?
Profession Malcolm Eckel knows his subject inside and out. As a practicing Buddhist in the Zen Tradition I learnt much about Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism that was new to me. His presentation style is very much conversational and at times based on his own personal experiences of the many traditions and schools. Compassion and humor run through all his lectures. Would happily recommend to anyone interested in the subject.
What other book might you compare Buddhism to, and why?
It's hard to find a direct comparison. I have many books on Buddhism and they tend to be either very dry and academic or light touch descriptions of the practices and traditions of the various schools.
What about Professor Malcolm David Eckel’s performance did you like?
He clearly has a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the subject and a very definite sense of humor.
7 people found this helpful
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- Md Lachlan
- 02-29-16
Detailed, knowledgeable and interesting
An engaging lecturer who clearly knows his subject in great depth. Too much to absorb at one listen, I will be playing this one again.
6 people found this helpful
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- Kev_F
- 07-14-16
Wonderful, scholarly and entertaining overview of Buddhist tradition and its development.
This is a wonderful overview of the Buddhist tradition from the early traditions that gave rise to Buddhism in India right through to Buddhism in the US in the twentieth centuries.
It is not able to give in depth overview of every aspect of such a vast tradition in just 22 glad hour sessions but does focus on certain key periods. Early Buddhism in India, the development of separate schools, and more in depth on the Tibetan and Mahayana schools.
I really enjoyed the lecturers style, knowledgeable always, but also with a sense of lightness and humour. He clearly has a great deal of passion for his subject and some personal experience.
Can't recommend more for anybody confused by the myriad traditions, schools snd histories of Buddhism. That was definitely me and I have a much clearer understanding of the history and development now.
Recommended.
3 people found this helpful
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- Anne Robson
- 04-22-15
Brilliant
Clear, cohesive, comprehensive and just the right level of challenge!
Great course, thoroughly enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it.
3 people found this helpful
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- Collins76
- 10-30-19
Sans-crit
Very insightful book, enjoyed the personal narration, and in-depth accounts. Will need to go through again but this is the norm with books if detail.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 08-19-17
Great overview of Buddhism
Really enjoyed the content of this talk. It's heavy at some points but professor Eckel does very well at making it as entertaining as possible with his jokes & lighthearted style. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand more about Buddhism.
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- Rhiannon
- 11-01-16
Detailed and interesting
It was incredibly fun to learn about Buddhism from someone who sounds like he is an authority and has so much enthusiasm.
How he gets excited, laughs, and punctuates facts with personal stories makes this easy to listen to.
You do have to pay a lot of attention because it is intricate and complex, but I would happily listen to this again and again.
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- S. Nanra
- 05-02-16
A brisk romp through every facet of Buddhism
This is a break-neck tour of the history of Buddhism in all its guises. Professor Eckel is very engaging, and talks briefly on just about every topic from art to all the variations practised today, in a factual though entertaining manner. For someone like me, looking for a more spiritual introduction, it wasn't ideal since it didn't go into any depth about the essential teachings of the Buddha. I much preferred "Buddhism for Beginners" by Jack Kornfield also available here.
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- Kingster
- 12-09-16
A great look at the development of Buddhism
I love this audible book. I wanted to broaden my knowledge of Buddhism whilst travelling around the country. The narrator brings the subject to life with his wealth of expertise in the subject. Full of stories of experience is different forms of Buddhism and how that's translated in his life. I would recommend this book as a good starting point and well worth your investment. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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- MR. MATTHEW J GUMBLEY
- 05-27-19
Superb, comprehensive- very enjoyable
A thorough and engaging overview of the philosophy, historical evolution and different schools of Buddhism. Prof. Eckel has produced a course I’ll certainly enjoy again, in order to understand some of the harder aspects. He is an excellent teacher, and conveys the subject authoritatively and with great wit. One of the best audio book courses I’ve listened to. Definitely recommended!
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-25-17
Fascinating summary of Buddhist History.
I was enthralled by each lecture as Professor Eckel took us through each stage of the story of Buddhism. The Professor is an excellent presenter. His enthusiasm for the topic is evident through his lively style and wonderful story telling. I felt privileged to hear these lectures, delivered by someone with such a thorough knowledge of the subject. First class!
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- Amol
- 08-17-18
Just average
Had to listen to this book at 1.25x speed, otherwise it is toooo slow reading.
Narrator laughs sarcastically at Buddhist beliefs and traditions and events which makes those important things look trivial or untrue.
Could not finish listening the book! Will look for better alternative on Buddhism.
The series of lectures tries to cover a lot about Buddhism though which is appreciable.