Resource From Cedar Rapids Zen Center

These are overviews of Buddhism in all its varieties.

The Buddhist Religion by R.H. Robinson and W.L. Johnson is an account of Buddhist beliefs, their history, and how they developed into the variety of beliefs and practices that we know today. It is short, readable, comprehensive, and scholarly.

What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula is a more detailed description of Buddhist beliefs, along with translations of some of the more important oldest scriptures. This portrait of the religion by a practitioner combines a scholarly approach with a depth of understanding that comes from long practice.

How the Swans Came to the Lake by Rick Fields chronicles the coming of Buddhism to the West and to the United States in particular. The last chapters describe the variety of Buddhist denominations in the West today.

Buddhist Women on the Edge: Contemporary Perspectives from the Western Frontier edited by Marianne Dresser is a collection of essays by a range of contemporary women, from ordained teachers and practitioners to women who have experimented with Buddhism, which explores the role of gender, race, class, and sexuality in Buddhism in North America.

Being Bodies: Buddhist Women on the Paradox of Embodiment edited by Lenore Friedman and Susan Moon is a collection of essays that raises important questions and offers honest answers about the seeming dichotomy of having a female body and a Buddhist practice.