Explore the three great teachings of the Buddha with this plain-English primer

• The First Turning of the Wheel: Insight into the nature of suffering—and the way out of it—from the four noble truths and the eightfold path

• The Second Turning of the Wheel: Teachings on emptiness from the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra

• The Third Turning of the Wheel: Guidance for practitioners and teachings on awakened Buddha nature

In clear language, James William Coleman, professor of sociology at the California Polytechnic State University, guides us through the ancient sutras that preserve the Buddha’s message, illuminating their meaning for today’s world and tying the Buddha’s wisdom together for us. The book concludes with chapters from two great teachers, Reb Anderson from the Zen tradition and Lama Palden from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, on how to use meditation to bring the Buddha’s wisdom into our daily lives.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: The Wheel of Dharma

Part I: The Three Turnings of the Wheel

1. The First Turning of the Wheel: The Four Noble Truths and the Pali Canon

2. The Second Turning of the Wheel: Emptiness and the Perfection of Wisdom

3. The Third Turning of the Wheel: Untying the Knot of the Sutra of the Explanation of the Profound Secrets

Part II: Turning the Wheel in the Twenty-First Century

4. Practicing the Dream

5. Tasting the Truth of the Buddha’s Words: A Zen Perspective

by Reb Anderson Roshi

6. Envisioning Tara: A Vajrayana Perspective

by Lama Palden Drolma

7. The Buddha’s Dream

James Coleman