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 * Technical Terms * Part I - The Birth of Wisdom * 1 - No Pearl without Grit * 2 - The Courage of Ordinary Lives * 3 - Misunderstanding Buddhism * 4 - Cutting Mother Earth * 5 - Introducing the Four Noble Truths * Part 2 - Adversity * 6 - Learning from Life * 7 - A Few Problems with the First Noble Truth * 8 - Noble and True * 9 - Nirvana is Birth and Death * Part 3 - Passion * 10 - Freedom to Feel * 11 - Asking for Help * 12 - The Pleasure Trap * 13 - Hate and Delusion * Part 4 - Character * 14 - Taming the Fire * 15 - Spirit without Metaphysics * 16 - Psychotherapy * 17 - Time to Stop * 18 - Angulimala * Part 5 - Path * 19 - Finding Direction * 20 - The Big Story * 21 - Right View * 22 - Right Thought * 23 - Right Speech * 24 - Right Action * 25 - Right Livelihood * 26 - Right Effort * 27 - Right Mindfulness * 28 - Right Samadhi * 29 - The Necessity of Suffering * 30 - Conclusion * Appendix I: The Text of Buddha's Talk * Appendix II: Glossary * Notes * Bibliography * Index