Rational Buddhism for Beginners. This book is intended for beginning meditators and students, and for use by instructors during Buddhist retreats for beginners. It contains thirty lessons that lead progressively through the ancient and basic tenets of Buddhism and include instructions in compassion, virtue/morality, history and meditation. Instructors are free to copy the worksheets for student practice. The book is full of quotes with minimal commentary, and includes scholarly references, with a glossary and bibliography. This is a useful reference book that can also be used for "do it yourself" study and inspiration. The book has been used and refined from actual study group experience. The author is an experienced, certified secondary teacher, and incorporates best practices of lesson planning as a format for the text of each chapter. Since it derives from the needs and questions of new students, it is easy to access by and is relevant for beginners.
Buddhist Sutras: Lesson Book Introduction to Rational Buddhism, Irv Jacob, AuthorHouse, Paperback, 543 pages, $29.95
Irv Jacob was a serious student of rational philosophy and has come to the religion of Buddhism reluctantly and recently. Why accept and follow a religion? That is the question young people ask who haven't acknowledged that they suffer or that they can overcome their suffering. Jacob was one of those who sought entertainment and relationships to overcome the voids in his life. He began his study of Buddhism in the early 70's, but the information in the West was largely misguided, or connected to Hindu superstitions and other mysticism. It was only after traveling to Thailand in 2003 that he began a serious search for the truth about Buddhism. He has met monks and masters and studied their writings and talks to gain an appreciation of these ancient truths. His preparation for writing began with his first college English writing class where he excelled and was inspired to continue. Writing has been part of his vocation (he wrote a newspaper column for ten years) and a passionate avocation. This is the sixth book he has completed. He writes as a scholar using standard footnotes and references, and goes beyond to illustrate and explain the often obscure or arcane teachings with examples from his own life and serious meditation practice
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