Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book - Revised and Expanded Edition

Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha is an excellent book, that cuts straight to the chase, and gives you the tools you need to know in a clear and concise manner. The first edition was very useful, and even important if a little hodgepodge in places and this second edition improves on it in every way.Ingram has worked hard to make the entire book flow better, making it even more practical. On top of this, Ingram has apparently tried very hard to address the many valid points raised by his critics of the first edition. This really is a book I would recommend now.So why the middling score?Ingram is well aware that his tone and views can be abrasive and even "unhelpful" (to use his own words). Despite this, his attitude remains that this is the fault of the reader, not the author. (I.e. If you don't like what he says, or find it counterproductive, that's YOUR failing.) As a result, Ingram's apparent attempts at being forthright and unaffected often come across as self-righteous and may leave you with an odd aftertaste.A perfect example is in the introduction:"My apologies in advance if I tactlessly play into your knee-jerk tendencies."(Yes, he really says this.)Or his the occasional rant that slips in:"[this book has] the unrestrained voice of one from a generation whose radicals wore spikes and combat boots rather than beads and sandals, listened to the Sex Pistols rather than the Moody Blues, wouldn’t know a beat poet or early ‘60s dharma bum from a hole in the ground, and thought the hippies were pretty friggin’ naïve..."(His rants don't come from inside him, or his own hangups, his anger is representing the voice of a generation! Uhuh...)Whatever the underlying cause of Ingram's chip on his shoulder, it sadly undermines the great work he does elsewhere in the book. Ingram clearly has a lot of opinions on the world of spirituality, and maybe this anger is justified if you've seen the things he's seen. I imagine, however, that most readers on their own journey, away from the mainstream meditation world, and cannot understand where is anger is coming from, and why it so often appears (mis)directed at them.Ingram says he's been advised repeatedly to separate these rants into a separate book. Indeed a companion publication might have allowed the space able to put everything he says into a wider context, so his angry message might actually have become helpful. As part of one book, however, both sides detract from and undermine each other.(Worse, I think his self-righteousness may attract those who are angry with the world, and mistakenly believe they need to put this anger into their practice, the way their surrogate teacher has put it in his book. Ingram himself tries to warn against this in his Foreword and Warning: "Just as serious athletes can hurt their bodies when they ... push themselves beyond their limits, just so serious [meditators] can strain their minds, brains, and nervous systems". I wonder how many will miss this important note, and get drawn into the cult surrounding him.)Thankfully, as part of his responding to the criticism, this bitterness has been toned down significantly from the first edition (or maybe I've just adjusted to it from the first time around), and he does his best to stay on track, and not get drawn away into little rants... but he struggles.Like the first edition he marks chapter titles that are especially contentious, so you can avoid them if you wish, and the chapters that are most useful and practical remain focussed on the important things and are without commentary (thankfully).Ingram also does his best stress to the reader that, despite his tone when he veers off, that he does "deeply care that people eliminate what suffering they can by whatever skilful means necessary and available". (One would think the need to include such a clarification might have been a flag that something was off elsewhere, but hey ho.)An experienced editor would lose all the little dark veins of martyrdom, and leave the gold that surrounds them, but as this is largely self-published, they remain. Thankfully those veins don't ultimately detract from the gold, and the book remains useful, practical and very helpful.Ingram's logical approach and analytical dissection of the entire spiritual journey has a way of cutting straight through to the essentials, and that's very much appreciated. The value contained in this book far outweighs its shortcomings, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about learning more about the spiritual path meditation can unlock.Just be careful you aren't drawn into the self-righteousness yourself.

I wrote a review for the first edition and said that it deserves 10 stars. Second edition made it almost impossible for any new dharma book to exist.To make it short, the second edition added a long-waited-for section for magic with all minor details that would be sufficient to start practicing it, with warning from the author to exercise restraint and morality and not to abuse its power.Also Dr. Ingram added a substantial section about his own experience till he attained the Arahatship. This was a very important thing to me personally and took the secrecy, taboo, divinity, and the intimidation that surrounded meditation. All my life I was looking to Buddhist teachers as gods having all the power and knowledge that we never dream of attaining a fraction of it. Well, I followed Dr. Ingram and attained the stream entry in few months.I attained the first stages of enlightenment by myself, and can repeat it almost every day at will till it became boring and lost its spirituality; there is no supreme knowledge or powers attainable. It was easy and anyone can do it. I realized that enlightenment uses the brain and the intellect which is incapable of realizing anything metaphysical, let alone leads to salvation.It is also a great discovery from Dr. Ingram that the steps and stages of insight, leading to fruition (enlightenment), follow well-defined cycling and harmonic curves.This observation of Dr. Ingram actually coincides with another book I recently read, “The Will’s Harmonic Moth- 4th Edition” by Fadel Sabry. In that book the author asserts that our essence follows a strict cycling harmonic motion, and that meditation doesn’t lead to salvation, but only suffering does. I recommend reading that book also along with MCTB 2.I consider MCTB 2 is a must read book and actually Fate will guide the honest seekers for truth to it, like it did with me. God bless Dr. Ingram.

While this is “A ponderous tome”It is at the same time the most honest, hardcore, and thorough dharma book around. If you want to eventually join the dharma post-grad program, develop yourself as a practitioner and human being, and be of benefit to others, pick up this book and go deep!

This book is quite amazing. I have so much to say but will try to keep it short. Daniel has to be one of the most compassionate people I don’t-really-know. This book is literally for anyone. I wish Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other stores wouldn’t classify this as “spirituality” or “religion”. This should be in the “self-improvement” section. This was the book I was looking for in my young adult life.Daniel details, step-by-step, how to live your best life. It starts with improving your morality, then he shows you how to increase your concentration abilities like you’ve never done before, then lastly, he shows you meditations that show you The Truth of your reality. Daniel is no god and he didn’t discover any of this on his own, nor does he claim that. He simply translated ancient Buddhist texts into modern language.This book is seriously not about religion. If you’ve been looking for “that thing” that will change your life, you’ve found it.

Ich kann dieses Buch jedem empfehlen, der wirkliche Fortschritte in seiner Meditationspraxis machen und eine differenzierte Meinung zum Thema Buddhismus hören möchte. Ingram beschreibt seinen eigenen Weg zur Erleuchtung im Detail und gibt Lesern Empfehlungen, wie sie ebenfalls dorthin gelangen. Er schreibt ehrlich über seine positiven und negativen Erfahrungen, verwendet eine sehr klare Sprache und hat eine Menge Humor. Für mich das beste Buch zum Thema Buddhismus und Meditation!

I can recommend this book to every serious meditator and Buddhist. It is by far the best book I have read so far about those topics. Daniel M. Ingram describes his own journey towards enlightenment in great detail and gives readers recommendations on how to get there too. He is very clear in his descriptions and leaves out no important details, which oftentimes happens in other meditation books. This is a very encouraging book about meditation and enlightenment, and I enjoyed his style of writing and his honesty on every page!

Gute Informationen, unorthodox geschrieben.Wenn man sich für Vipassana im Stil von Mahasi Sayadaw interessiert ist dieses Buch besonders interessant.

It made me laugh, cry... sit. Insights. Not a beginner book, but then again...? It felt helpful to have a grounding in the Discourses, and much practice. It's made "top shelf" for me because all it takes is a dip and I do feel invigorated.

It’s a waste and the cover is terrible. How can you call yourself an “Arahant”?