The Best Way to Catch a Snake: A Practical Guide To Gautama Buddha's Teachings eBook: Karma Yeshe Rabgye: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

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Buddhism, with its stress on non-violence, the ‘middle path’ and its promise of nirvana, finds many followers. But in today’s world, it has become simply a fad for some, something to follow because their favourite celebrity propagates it. Simply wearing robes or carrying prayer beads does not make one a Buddhist; it has to be ingrained within, and should become a part of one’s daily life.

The Best Way to Catch a Snake, a three-part volume, is a guide to Buddhist teachings, for all those who want to start their journey towards a better life, but don’t know where to begin. It goes beyond the exotic rituals and practices that Buddhism is today seen as. It elucidates the Four Seals, the Four Noble Truths and the Four Thoughts of Buddhism in simple, jargon-free language. The author, a Buddhist monk himself, combines examples from his own experience with simple exercises to skilfully guide us through Gautama Buddha’s teachings. A valuable source of Buddhist knowledge, this book is a must for anyone drawn to the teachings of Gautama Buddha.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } Buddhism, with its stress on non-violence, the ‘middle path’ and its promise of nirvana, finds many followers. But in today’s world, it has become simply a fad for some, something to follow because their favourite celebrity propagates it. Simply wearing robes or carrying prayer beads does not make one a Buddhist; it has to be ingrained within, and should become a part of one’s daily life.

The Best Way to Catch a Snake, a three-part volume, is a guide to Buddhist teachings, for all those who want to start their journey towards a better life, but don’t know where to begin. It goes beyond the exotic rituals and practices that Buddhism is today seen as. It elucidates the Four Seals, the Four Noble Truths and the Four Thoughts of Buddhism in simple, jargon-free language. The author, a Buddhist monk himself, combines examples from his own experience with simple exercises to skilfully guide us through Gautama Buddha’s teachings. A valuable source of Buddhist knowledge, this book is a must for anyone drawn to the teachings of Gautama Buddha.

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Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 481 KB
Print Length: 204 pages
Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.� r.l.
Language: English
ASIN: B00TEPZ6G0
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Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #49,501 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #70 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Philosophy

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More About the Author

Karma Yeshe Rabgye is a Western Buddhist Monk in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Originally from England, he now lives in Ashoka Buddhist Temple, Khuda Ali Sher, Northern India, where he teaches Buddhism and meditation classes to people of all ages.

He initially came to India as a student of Buddhism, learning from the great Tibetan Buddhist masters in exile. His Western background forced him to question some difficult elements of the teachings, in particular to distinguish those teachings that were essential aspects of the path from those that were mere cultural embellishments. He found that many people who were attracted to Buddhist teachings, particularly Westerners, were confused by the teachings, and wanted to bypass the foundation teachings of Gautama Buddha to instead perilously dive into advanced teachings such as Tantra. This lead him to write 'The Best Way to Catch a Snake' and 'Life's Meandering Path,' which both offer practical advice on approaching Gautama Buddha's teachings for both beginners and seasoned practitioners alike.

Karma Yeshe Rabgye spent several years in a monastery in the foothills of the Himalayas teaching young monks basic Buddhist philosophy and meditation. He now offers teachings freely to all in a manner that is unpretentious and clear. He does not demand students to blindly accept what he says, but instead invites them to examine their own minds and experience to discover the validity of Gautama Buddha's teaching. Using everyday examples he has the ability to bring the teachings alive, particularly to a younger audience seeking to make Buddhism relevant in their lives. His approachable manner has attracted many students who appreciate his sense of humour and practical advice.

Karma Yeshe Rabgye quietly demonstrates Gautama Buddha's teaching on compassion through the charitable trust 'Sangye Menla' that he founded in 2008 in Chandigarh, Northern India. The trust provides medical assistance and care to people from the Himalayan region in India.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A clear and concise introduction to the subject of Buddha's teachings 29 Sept. 2012

By BTERICH

Format:Paperback

Yeshe Rabgye's common sense and straight forward approach make The Best Way to Catch a Snake a pleasure to read. I found this book to be clearly written and easy to understand, as well being very informative. A clear and concise introduction to the subject of Buddha's teachings with some excellent advice thrown in from the author. It's an excellent place to start if you're new to Buddism.

Highly recommended.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent practical guide for beginners 30 Sept. 2012

By C. L. Zoumides

Format:Paperback|Verified Purchase

I am not a Buddhist but I found this book an excellent guide to Buddha's teachings. I enjoyed the read and found its simplicity helped me to understand Buddhist beliefs. I would encourage anyone who is interested in Buddhism, especially Buddha's foundation teachings, to read this book and follow its practical contemplation's. The Best Way to Catch a Snake: A Practical Guide to the Buddha's Teachings

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Reasonably detailed study guide on foundation teachings but flawed 18 July 2012

By JohnT

Format:Paperback|Verified Purchase

The odd title of this book was based on a parable about the best way of starting to learn something, which is to start at the beginning and build a solid foundation of understanding and wisdom. This is excellent advice and the author proceeds to guide the reader though a detailed analysis of the Four Seals, the Four Noble Truths and the Four Preliminary Thoughts. There is even a very brief guide to the main Buddhist traditions and a short history of the life of Siddhartha Gautama himself.

However, this like many other books written from the perspective and traditions of a Tibetan monastic school (Kagyu in this case) follows the same, predictable and well trodden path you might expect. Whilst in a recent interview, the author claimed to teach both a traditional and non-traditional approach, this did not come across in the book at all. As an example (and one that keeps recurring) the author proclaims that we all have past and future lives and that Karma will not only dictate what dukkha (suffering) is manifested in this life, but also our next lives. Furthermore, depending on whether an action was wholesome or unwholesome (decided by intention, apparently), it will affect what merit is accumulated and whether one therefore has a "good rebirth" or not. Presumably a log is kept somehow but the presumed metaphysical process is not explained. The author even urges the reader to get practicing because it will have a beneficial effect on your future lives. This is not untypical of a strategy used in both eastern and western religions to "encourage" faith and diligent practice among the uneducated or ignorant. In large parts of south east Asia, many so-called Buddhist seem to be attached to the idea of accumulating merit for a "better rebirth" and give large donations to monasteries in pursuit of this. However this kind of attachment conflicts with the original teachings on craving/clinging, attachment and aversion.

Now apart from the fact that this sort of metaphysical/supernatural discourse does not sit comfortably beside the pure logic and natural laws derived by the observations of the Buddha; it makes even less sense when the author asserts that there is no god or supernatural power that decides on the merits of your actions. Yet some sort of metaphysical score card is being kept but the author does not explain how it works. The author also suggests that Karma is profound and that only a Buddha can really understand the workings of it. This is a common ploy used in other established religions to hide a flaw or breakdown of logic in an argument. These flaws become more and more apparent as the chapter on Karma shows. I almost laughed out loud at some of the questions that the author claimed he had been asked such as: "...if a person kills someone, does he or she get killed in return, in a future life?" and "why do good things happen to bad people...?". What is sad is that people are gullible enough to accept unsubstantiated theories on karma and rebirth as fact, simply because it comes from someone they think is authoritative. Furthermore, why would these people think that a Buddhist monk, or any Buddhist or anyone at all could answer such questions? But it gets worse: the author then makes serious attempts to answer them using the Karmic effects on past/future lives as an explanation. Apart from the fact that this comes across as empty piety based on deference to tradition, it is more disturbing that the author claims to actually know the answers. Assuming it is not based on experience, observation or empirical study, how does he know? The contradictory assertions that wholesome acts have beneficial karma across future lives yet there is no god or power regulating this seem to have been overlooked. It is once again extraordinary that someone of obvious intelligence and learning, can have such a blindspot. It seems that this is a commonly recurring problem with Buddhism as taught from an "eastern" perspective that not only isn't easy to accept in the "west" but seems to defy any kind of rationality. It is because of these sorts of discourses that many Buddhists in the west are turning to Secular Buddhism as promoted by Ted Meissner at his secularbuddhism.org website and reading Stephen Batchelor's Confession of a Buddhist Atheist among others.

So, in summary: some solid work on the foundation teachings, but disappointingly and significantly flawed because of the inclusion of an irrational explanation of karma and rebirth which is increasingly out of step with modern rational thought that is less deferential to "tradition" and more likely to question arguments or postulations that defy logic or explanation. Read more ›

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 4.9 out of 5 stars 9 reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Way To Catch A Snake 4 Oct. 2012

By CMG - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback

Lama Karma Yeshe Rabgye presents the ancient teachings of Buddhist traditions and wisdom in a simple and straight forward way. He manages to convey to the reader the most fundamental teachings of Buddhism throughout the book and he shares very easy methods to help the reader learn the importance of being responsible for his/her own thoughts and actions and through such mindfulness training, the reader comes to discover the kindness, compassion and peace that is inherent in all of us.

One does not need to be a Buddhist to benefit from reading this book. It is a source of inspiration and is truly a handbook for living consciously in our modern world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Crystal Clear! 11 Oct. 2012

By Ben Miller - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback

What I loved about The Best Way To Catch A Snake is that it stripped back the ritualistic layers of Buddhism and presented its essential insights, of which almost anybody can see the obvious merit. This is not just for the sake of clarity; it is also in response to the lama's accurate observation that many Westerners are confused about what it really means to be a Buddhist. This is something Karma Yeshe Rabgye has special insight into since he was originally from the U.K. before studying in Tibet and India, where he now practices.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and concise --- a contemporary introduction to the Buddha's teachings 2 Jun. 2013

By Chris Mahoney - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback|Verified Purchase

As a student and practitioner of Buddhism, I welcome Venerable Karma Yeshe Rabgye's clear and concise introduction to the central teachings of the Buddha.

His text covers the Four Seals, the Four Noble Truths, and the Four Preliminary Thoughts and includes appendices on the various schools of Buddhism and a short biography of the life of the Buddha.

Overall,Ven. Karma Yeshe Rabgye presents the subject matter in a way that allows a contemporary reader to relate the teachings to his/her life. At various points, the text invites the reader to think about different aspects of the material by posing questions that are intended for further reflection. Furthermore, Ven. Karma Yeshe Rabgye draws on a broad variety of scriptures that belong to various traditions of Buddhism to illustrate and support the claims he makes. Though he clearly identifies his own perspective (the Karma Kagyu tradition), he embraces the wisdom that is found in the writings of other schools of Buddhism as well. Contemporary references and a sense of humor make "The Best Way to Catch a Snake" pleasant to read and easy to follow.

The only suggestion I have is that, in the next edition, the list of sources that appear in the bibliography section be expanded to include all of the texts that are mentioned in the book. Doing so will allow the reader to follow up on the various canonical writings much more easily.

In summary, "The Best Way to Catch a Snake" is a clear and concise introduction to the principles of Buddhism that is intended for a general reader. I would certainly consider including it in an introductory course on Buddhism that is taught at the college or university level.

Christian M. Mahoney, M.A., Ph.D.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to Buddhist basics 25 Nov. 2012

By karl - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback

Karma Yeshe Rabgye was born in UK, and is now living in India as a monk in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In this book he describes the fundamentals of Buddhism - which all Buddhist schools agree on.
The teachings of the Buddha are universal, and valid for any culture. They are expressed in different ways, according to different cultures; and they can - and do - become overlaid with cultural traditions. Westerners often are either discouraged by these traditions, or embrace them fully, disregarding their own culture.
One of the great advantages of this book is exactly its focus on the basics of Buddhism, which go beyond cultural trappings, and of explaining them in language easily understandable for westerners. If you want information about what is the basic teaching of Buddhism, I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing read, beautifully written 11 Oct. 2012

By Mel - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Paperback

The Best Way to Catch a Snake provides a beautiful introduction of Buddhist philosophy and practice, with contemporarily relevant insights and well-researched ancient texts. A refreshing read, one that I'm certainty going to share- it will be one of the top gifts to my Buddhist friends and family.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 9 reviews 4.9 out of 5 stars

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