DISQUS

Let's see, I guess you could start with Thich Nhat Hanh's Peace is Every Step. That particular book's strong foundation in mindfulness and day to day practice will provide a good introduction to Buddhism as a living tradition. If you wanted to get into some (slightly) heavier theological stuff, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness is probably the best primer on the Noble Eightfold Path that I've ever read. Gunaratana's masterful Mindfulness in Plain English is also a great read. After that, maybe you could try Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner Mind or Phillip Kapleau's Three Pillars of Zen. And, of course, no list of Buddhist books would be complete without the Dalai Lama's Art of Happiness. Hope this helps!!!

Mark

While I'd agree with you that Buddhism tends to be concerned with the here and now, I think you are making some sweeping conclusions about both religion in general and Buddhism as well. There is a very clear experiential, mystical component to most Western religions. In fact, there are very strong commonalities between contemplative Christianity (i.e. the Desert Fathers, St. John of the Cross, the teachings of the Philokalia, etc.) and Buddhist forms of meditation and asceticism.

I also wonder at your conclusion that Buddhism isn't so much concerned with the "next life" as it is much as the present one. From a Buddhist perspective, both forms of existence are interdependent. The actions of our current life influence that of our future incarnations. Furthermore, our karma from our past existences impacts our current one. As the Buddha says, "we are heir to our actions." To deny this basic tenant undermines much of Buddhist thought.

Lastly, while it is true that most all forms of Buddhism do not support the idea of a creator God, almost all forms of Buddhism posit the existence of lesser, mortal gods, higher beings, the existences of hells, heavens, ghosts, etc.