What Makes You Not a Buddhist

This is one of the more accessible books on Buddhism I have read. The author does a good job of explaining the fundamental tenets and beliefs of Buddhism, and I would recommend for that reason.

Where the author loses me is in claiming that Buddhism is not a religion. Yet the origin story of the Buddha is a mythic epic, where Siddhartha faces demons and gods. As is often the case with believers of any faith, his own faith seems so true that it cannot possibly be compared with another religion, and therefore is above the label of “religion.”

He writes, “Probably the biggest discovery in human history was Siddhartha's realization that the self does not exist independently, that it is a mere label, and therefore that clinging to it is ignorance.” This statement relies on faith. There is actually no evidence to back up this statement, but no doubt it seems inarguably true to those who believe it already.

This was expected when I started reading, so I still recommend this book highly for its clear explanations of Buddhism, especially the Four Seals. And I suppose also for the insight as to What Makes Me Not a Buddhist.