The Naked Buddha

A timely, charmingly written, highly accessible beginner’s guide to Buddhism by an Australian who was ordained in 1982 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Buddhism is the fastest-growing religion in Australia. For the many people who are interested in learning more about it, here is a primer on Buddhism and Buddhist practice written in a deceptively simple manner, with an engaging, gentle humour and flavour. Adrienne Howley’s purpose is to demystify Buddhism, stripping away the layers of ritual and iconography that have grown up around it over the centuries, and to present the original, basic tenets ad practices in a way that will be appealing to Western, and especially Australian, readers. The Naked Buddha includes sections on who Buddha was and how he came to formulate his philosophy; descriptions of the three main Buddhist traditions; what ordinary Buddhist believe and practise today; and meditations: how and why? There are also answers to questions most commonly asked by non-Buddhists.