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Basic buddhist concepts are discussed in thematic excerpts taken from selected texts.

Read a short story of the Buddha's life

View our online glossary

elcome to Shambhala’s Buddhism page. The aim of this page is to give you, the reader, a taste of the books on Buddhism available through Shambhala Publications—along with many great features to introduce you to Buddhist thought and practice. Joseph Goldstein’s discussion of the Buddha’s life story is a good place to start for an introduction to the key events of the Buddha’s life, as well as for understanding their significance for us today.

Do you have questions about some of the main elements of Buddhist thought? Visit our Buddhism Basics section to read our authors’ explanations of important themes, such as karma, attachment, the Four Noble Truths, koans, and more. Also on Shambhala's Buddhism page, you'll find excerpts from new books, as well as sneak previews of upcoming books. Our featured book selection will highlight one of our titles—brand new, or perhaps a classic—that’s worth checking out.

Weekly quotes from Buddhist teachers and Buddhist scriptures offer inspiration. Our handy glossary provides a place to look up key terms from the main Buddhist traditions, and our resources section offers suggestions on where else to look for more information on Buddhism.

Introduction

Once, I was seated on a plane in the middle seat of the middle row on a trans-Atlantic flight, and the sympathetic man sitting next to me made an attempt to be friendly. Seeing my shaved head and maroon skirt, he gathered that I was a Buddhist. When the meal was served, the man considerately offered to order a vegetarian meal for me. Having correctly assumed that I was a Buddhist, he also assumed that I don't eat meat. That was the beginning of our chat. The flight was long, so to kill our boredom, we discussed Buddhism.

“Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream;
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.”

—Adapted from the Diamond Sutra, translated by A. F. Price

Selected from Teachings of the Buddha