Table of Contents

In a world crowded with spiritual options, self-help advice, and mindfulness trends, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when seeking clarity. Many who turn to Buddhism today are not necessarily looking for a new belief system — they’re searching for peace, presence, and a way to truly live in a chaotic world. They want something real.

Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen speaks directly to that longing. It doesn’t try to convert, impress, or overcomplicate. Instead, it offers a clear window into the heart of the Buddha’s teaching — stripped of jargon, ritual, and unnecessary complexity.

Whether you’re curious about Buddhist wisdom or looking for practical guidance to ease suffering and find clarity, this article will walk you through the essence of Buddhism Plain and Simple, highlighting its core insights, applications, and why it continues to be a beloved guide for modern seekers.

What This Book Is About

Steve Hagen’s Buddhism Plain and Simple is exactly what its title suggests — a distillation of the Buddha’s core teachings into language that speaks directly to the modern mind. The book sets aside the elaborate rituals, cultural overlays, and doctrinal complexities often associated with Buddhist traditions, and instead returns us to the foundation of the path: seeing clearly.

This is not a book about Buddhism as a religion or system of beliefs. It is a book about awakening, right here and now, within your own experience. Hagen insists from the start that the Buddha was not trying to start a religion — he was simply pointing out a fundamental truth about the nature of reality and the way we suffer when we fail to see that truth clearly.

About the Author

Steve Hagen is a Zen priest in the Soto lineage and a longtime student of Dainin Katagiri Roshi. He is also the founder of the Dharma Field Meditation and Learning Center in Minneapolis. His background in Zen is apparent in his writing — not because he quotes koans or speaks in riddles, but because of the sharp simplicity and experiential directness that characterize his teachings.

Hagen writes not as a scholar or a philosopher, but as a fellow traveler who has spent decades sitting, observing, and reflecting. His aim is to communicate what the Buddha taught without filtering it through layers of culture or speculation.

Tone and Style

The tone of the book is calm, gentle, and persistent. Hagen does not argue with the reader or seek to prove anything. Instead, he repeatedly invites us to look, to see for ourselves what is actually happening in our experience. This focus on direct observation is what makes the book so potent — it doesn’t give us answers; it shows us where to look.

Hagen’s writing avoids academic terminology and foreign-language terms wherever possible. When traditional Buddhist words like dukkha (suffering), anattā (non-self), or sati (mindfulness) are introduced, they are explained with clarity and tied directly to lived experience. There’s no jargon here, only a quiet voice pointing to something essential that we already know — if we pause long enough to notice it.

Structure of the Book

Buddhism Plain and Simple is organized into three major sections:

  1. The Perennial Problem
    This opening part examines the universal experience of dissatisfaction or suffering — what Buddhism calls dukkha. Hagen explores how our grasping, craving, and resistance to life’s inevitable changes create unnecessary suffering. It’s not life that hurts us, he says, but how we react to it.
  2. The Way to Wake Up
    Here, the book moves into the heart of Buddhist practice: awareness. Rather than presenting a complex path of stages and rituals, Hagen highlights the practice of mindfulness as the gateway to awakening. He explains that the act of paying attention — fully and without distortion — is itself the practice. There’s nothing more mystical than that.
  3. Free Mind
    The final section explores what happens when we begin to see clearly. As clinging and delusion fall away, we discover a mind that is free — not in the sense of escape or detachment, but in the sense of non-resistance. This freedom isn’t somewhere far away. It’s found in simply not fighting what is.

Each chapter is brief — most just 3 to 5 pages long — making the book easy to absorb in small portions. But these small chapters are dense with clarity. They are not meant to be read quickly, but slowly, contemplatively, as one would sip tea or sit in stillness. This makes the book perfect for daily spiritual reading or reflection.

A Book About Seeing, Not Believing

The most important thing to know about this book is that it is not asking you to believe anything. It’s asking you to look. Hagen is relentless in this point: Buddhism is not about adopting a belief system. It is about seeing what is already true — right here, in this moment.

“This is not something to believe in. It’s something to do — to see.”

From this perspective, Buddhism Plain and Simple becomes more than a book about Buddhism. It becomes a manual for waking up to life — to your thoughts, your body, your surroundings, and the deep freedom that comes when you stop struggling against what is.

Whether you are new to Buddhism or have practiced for years, this book can serve as a powerful mirror. It strips away everything extraneous and points directly to the truth you already carry within you.

In essence, this is not a book about Buddhism as an institution or historical tradition. It’s a book about the Buddha’s insight — the clear seeing that leads to the end of suffering — made accessible to anyone with a sincere wish to understand life more deeply.

Core Teachings in the Book

At the heart of Buddhism Plain and Simple lies an unwavering commitment to seeing reality clearly. Rather than presenting a list of doctrines or practices to adopt, Steve Hagen returns the reader again and again to direct experience. Each of the book’s core teachings revolves around one essential principle: you don’t need to believe — you just need to look.

Hagen draws deeply from the Four Noble Truths and the core of the Buddha’s own awakening — not to explain them academically, but to make them experiential. These teachings are not meant to be read and stored away, but to be lived, questioned, and discovered firsthand.

Seeing, Not Believing

One of the most radical and refreshing points Hagen makes — and repeats throughout the book — is that Buddhism is not about believing anything. The Buddha, he argues, was not interested in getting people to adopt new ideas. He wanted people to see things as they truly are.

“What the Buddha taught is not something to believe. It’s something to see for yourself.”

This reframes Buddhism from a belief system into a way of seeing. Just like opening your eyes in a dark room, the path is about illuminating what’s already there — not constructing something new.

In this light, meditation is not a means to become someone else. It is a practice of noticing what already is — including your thoughts, reactions, assumptions, and the fleeting nature of all experience. The invitation is to live with awareness, not with assumptions.

The Root of Suffering: Wanting Life to Be Other Than It Is

Hagen offers one of the clearest explanations of the Buddhist concept of dukkha — often translated as “suffering,” but better understood as dissatisfaction, unease, or friction.

“We suffer not because life is painful — but because we resist its pain, cling to its pleasure, and deny its truth.”

Our ordinary life, he explains, is governed by craving and aversion. We want things we don’t have. We reject what we dislike. We live in a constant struggle against the reality of impermanence. This tension is the very fuel of suffering.

But the good news — and the second of the Four Noble Truths — is that this suffering is optional. When we stop grasping at pleasant things or pushing away the unpleasant, we begin to find peace — even in the midst of challenge.

This insight is not philosophical. It’s practical. In every moment, we can notice: Am I adding struggle to this experience? This noticing is the start of liberation.

Mindfulness as Simple, Unfiltered Awareness

Hagen’s approach to mindfulness (sati) is beautifully simple. It’s not a technique to master or a method for achieving peace. It is, in his words, just paying attention — fully and honestly.

“Paying attention is the practice. That’s it.”

In a world that is constantly pulling our minds into distraction, Hagen’s emphasis on bare attention is a powerful antidote. Mindfulness doesn’t mean special breathing or sitting in a certain posture — it means being awake to this very moment.

You can practice it while walking, driving, doing dishes, or sitting in silence. The point is to see what is happening without distortion — to look at thoughts, emotions, and sensations without immediately judging or modifying them.

This kind of attention is not always comfortable, but it is transformative. When we stay present with our discomfort instead of escaping it, we stop reinforcing the habits that keep us stuck.

No-Self (Anattā): There Is No “Thing” Called You

Perhaps the most profound — and initially unsettling — teaching in the book is on anattā, or non-self.

We normally live as if there is a fixed, permanent “I” behind our experiences. But Hagen invites us to look directly: Where is this self? Can you find it in your body? Your thoughts? Your memories?

“The self we defend, protect, and build our lives around is a fiction — a mental construct stitched together from fleeting impressions.”

This doesn’t mean we don’t exist at all. It means that what we call “me” is not a solid, unchanging entity — it is a fluid, interconnected process. Understanding this doesn’t erase your personality — it frees you from clinging to it.

When we let go of the idea of a fixed self, we also let go of fear, defensiveness, and ego-driven suffering. We open to the flow of life with greater grace.

This teaching can sound abstract, but in Hagen’s hands, it becomes concrete. You’re not asked to believe in “non-self” — only to examine your experience, and see if you can find the self you’re so sure exists.

Just This: Liberation Is Found in the Present Moment

A phrase that echoes through the book is “Just this.”

This breath.
This sound.
This feeling.

Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Not a better version of now. Just this.

“Freedom is not somewhere else. It’s here, in this moment, when we stop adding extra.”

This is where Hagen’s teaching intersects with Zen simplicity. We are always trying to improve, fix, escape, or embellish the moment. But the truth is already complete. Enlightenment isn’t a distant mountain to climb — it is the full acceptance and awareness of what is already here.

This doesn’t mean becoming passive. It means engaging with reality as it is, rather than how we wish it would be. This presence, free from delusion, is the awakening the Buddha spoke of.

Why This Book Matters

In a time when spiritual teachings are often dressed in complexity or clouded by cultural formality, Buddhism Plain and Simple brings the reader back to what truly matters: awakening. This book is not merely informative — it is transformative, but only if one engages with it not as a passive reader, but as a sincere seeker.

Steve Hagen does not try to impress us. He tries to wake us up. And this — more than any stylistic achievement — is what gives the book its enduring power.

A Book for the Beginner — and for the Forgetful Advanced Practitioner

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its accessibility. Without assuming any prior knowledge of Buddhism, Hagen patiently explains foundational teachings — the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, mindfulness, anattā — in a way that feels deeply familiar even to someone hearing them for the first time.

But this is not a book only for beginners.

Advanced practitioners — especially those who have wandered into doctrinal tangles or complex rituals — may find it refreshingly grounding. Sometimes, on the path, we forget the simplicity of the original invitation: Just see clearly.

This book brings us back to that.

A Pathway to Daily Practice

What makes Hagen’s teaching uniquely helpful is its integration into everyday life. There are no demands to retreat into monasteries, recite mantras, or adopt foreign customs. Instead, the book invites the reader to live this life — the ordinary, messy, fleeting one — with greater clarity and less clinging.

Whether you’re washing dishes or walking to work, Hagen’s insights stay with you:

In these questions, mindfulness stops being a concept and becomes a living experience. Buddhism Plain and Simple doesn’t offer complicated practices — it simply turns your entire life into the practice.

Awakening Is Closer Than We Think

So many spiritual books — even well-intentioned ones — place enlightenment at the end of a long path. They speak of lifetimes of effort, countless hurdles, or deep esoteric understandings.

Hagen refuses that framing.

“You don’t need to add anything to your life to awaken. You need to drop what’s extra.”

This teaching is both humbling and empowering. The truth is not far away. It is here, now, hidden by nothing more than our habits of distraction, judgment, and grasping. The idea that this moment is enough is not just poetic — it is the core of Buddhist liberation.

The book repeatedly affirms: you are not broken, and you don’t need to fix yourself to wake up. You only need to stop running from what is.

Strengths and Challenges of the Book

While Buddhism Plain and Simple has become a beloved entry point for thousands of readers seeking a direct encounter with Buddhist teachings, no book is without its limits. In this section, we explore what makes Hagen’s work particularly valuable — and where some readers might find friction depending on their expectations, background, or stage of practice.

Strengths: Clarity, Honesty, and Practical Power

1. Remarkable Clarity

Perhaps the most consistent praise the book receives is its clarity. Hagen writes in plain English, with no embellishment, no mysticism, and no cultural weight. His words cut through the fog of conceptual confusion like a bell ringing through morning mist.

For example, instead of philosophizing about the nature of self, he simply invites you to look: Can you find a self anywhere in your experience?

This stripped-down clarity is a gift, especially for Western readers who may feel overwhelmed by the foreign terminology or layered rituals often associated with Buddhist traditions.

2. Universal Accessibility

You don’t need to be a Buddhist — or even spiritually inclined — to benefit from this book. Hagen’s teachings are universally human. He speaks to the struggles of anyone caught in the cycle of stress, fear, dissatisfaction, and longing.

There are no requirements to believe in rebirth, karma, or cosmology. The book remains entirely focused on this life, this moment, and what we can directly verify through experience.

3. Emphasis on Practice Over Philosophy

Many books explain Buddhism. Few embody it in their tone and message the way this one does. Hagen consistently turns us away from theoretical speculation and back toward simple awareness.

“Don’t believe it. Don’t analyze it. Don’t try to memorize it. Just look.”

This practical emphasis encourages readers to begin right now. You don’t need to finish the book before beginning the practice. Every page is a doorway into deeper mindfulness.

4. Short, Digestible Chapters

The book’s structure — with short, focused chapters — makes it ideal for daily spiritual reading. You can pick it up for five minutes and leave with something meaningful to reflect on for the rest of your day. It invites contemplation, not consumption.

Challenges: When Simplicity Becomes Demanding

1. Too Simple for Some

Paradoxically, what makes the book powerful for many can be frustrating for others. Its minimalist approach may leave some readers hungry for more: more context, more explanation, more tradition.

If you’re the kind of reader who wants historical background, commentary on sutras, or a comparative view of Buddhist schools, this book may feel incomplete. But that is by design — Hagen deliberately avoids complexity to stay true to his message.

2. Not a “Feel-Good” Book

While the tone is gentle, the book does not offer comfort in the traditional sense. It won’t give you affirmations or promises that everything will be okay. It often confronts you with difficult truths — like the absence of a permanent self, or the fact that suffering is self-created.

For readers looking for soothing or uplifting stories, the book might feel stark or even confrontational. But for those ready to wake up, that confrontation is exactly the point.

3. It Demands Participation

Unlike some spiritual books that can be passively enjoyed, Buddhism Plain and Simple requires your engagement. The truths Hagen points to must be examined in your own life. You cannot simply admire the words — you must let them penetrate.

This is not a flaw of the book, but rather its integrity. However, readers looking for entertainment or easy answers may be disappointed.

Your Journey Through This Book Begins Here

In a world overflowing with information, pressure, and noise, Buddhism Plain and Simple offers something rare: a doorway back to what’s real.

Steve Hagen doesn’t hand us more things to do, believe, or become. Instead, he invites us to stop — to look — to see clearly. And in doing so, we begin to remember what we’ve forgotten: that peace isn’t something we earn or chase. It is already here, waiting beneath our layers of thought, judgment, and distraction.

This book is not a destination — it’s a compass. It doesn’t claim to hold all answers. It simply points you inward, toward direct experience. Toward this breath, this moment, this seeing.

“This is it,” Hagen writes. “There is no hidden secret. What you see is what you get — and what you get is what you see.”

If you choose to pick up this book, consider reading it slowly. One chapter in the morning. One reflection in the evening. Not to rush through, but to let the words settle into your bones.

You might find that, over time, the questions you carried — Why do I suffer? What is real? Can I be free? — begin to answer themselves, not through theory, but through presence.

A Gentle Next Step

If this book resonates with you, here are a few gentle suggestions:

And if you’d like to continue along this path, consider reading The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh — a poetic and practical complement to Hagen’s clarity. Where Hagen is minimalist, Nhat Hanh is tender. Together, they offer a beautiful balance.

In the end, the Buddha’s path is not about becoming someone else. It’s about being here, fully, now — and letting go of what clouds your seeing.

May this book be the beginning of deeper presence in your life.
May your seeing become clear.
And may that clarity bring peace — not just for you, but for all beings.

✨ “There is no enlightenment outside of this moment. You’re already here.” — Steve Hagen