A practical guide to the Buddha's teachings unlocks the mysteries of Buddhist philosophy and practice, challenging orthodoxy and offering inspiration to readers. Reprint. This engaging introduction to Buddhism explains the Buddha's earliest teachings, and is a practical guide for how to live fully in today's stressful world. The Feeling Buddha is a lucid account of how the Buddha's path of wisdom and loving kindness grew out of the challenges he encountered in life. Brazier explains the concepts of enlightenment, nirvana and the four Noble Truths, free from mystification. Buddha emerges as a very human figure whose success lay not in his perfection, but in how he positively utilized the energy which was generated through his suffering. This rare guide illustrates how Buddha's philosophy of the "middle way" can lead to a balanced, harmonious, and serene existence in the 21st century. Acknowledgements 7(1) Technical Terms 8(3) Part 1 The Birth of Wisdom No Pearl without Grit 11(6) The Courage of Ordinary Lives 17(6) Misunderstanding Buddhism 23(4) Cutting Mother Earth 27(6) Introducing the Four Noble Truths 33(8) Part 2 Adversity Learning from Life 41(5) A Few Problems with the First Noble Truth 46(5) Noble and True 51(4) Nirvana is Birth and Death 55(8) Part 3 Passion Freedom to Feel 63(7) Asking for Help 70(7) The Pleasure Trap 77(5) Hate and Delusion 82(7) Part 4 Character Taming the Fire 89(8) Spirit without Metaphysics 97(8) Psychotherapy 105(5) Time to Stop 110(5) Angulimala 115(6) Part 5 Path Finding Direction 121(5) The Big Story 126(5) Right View 131(6) Right Thought 137(5) Right Speech 142(6) Right Action 148(5) Right Livelihood 153(6) Right Effort 159(5) Right Mindfulness 164(5) Right Samadhi 169(6) The Necessity of Suffering 175(7) Conclusion 182(3) Appendix I: The Text of the Buddha's Talk 185(3) Appendix II: Glossary 188(3) Notes 191(9) Bibliography 200(3) Index 203