What the Buddha Taught Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada

by Rahula, Walpola; Demieville, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780802130310
• ISBN10: 0802130313
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1994-01-11
• Publisher: Grove Press

Summary

This comprehensive, compact, lucid, and faithful account of the Buddha’s teachings persistently enjoys great popularity in colleges, universities, and theological schools both here and abroad. “An exposition of Buddhism conceived in a resolutely modern spirit.”—from the Foreword.

“For years,” says the Journal of the Buddhist Society, “the newcomer to Buddhism has lacked a simple and reliable introduction to the complexities of the subject. Dr. Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught fills the need as only could be done by one having a firm grasp of the vast material to be sifted. It is a model of what a book should be that is addressed first of all to ‘the educated and intelligent reader.’ Authoritative and clear, logical and sober, this study is as comprehensive as it is masterly.”

A classic introductory book to Buddhism, What the Buddha Taught, contains a selection of illustrative texts from the original Pali texts, including the Suttas and the Dhammapada (specially translated by the author), sixteen illustrations, and a bibliography, glossary, and index.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	vii
Foreword	ix
Preface	xi
The Buddha	xv
The Buddhist Attitude of Mind	1	(15)
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
The First Noble Truth: Dukkha	16	(13)
The Second Noble Truth: Samudaya: `The Arising of Dukkha'	29	(6)
The Third Noble Truth: Nirodha: `The Cessation of Dukkha'	35	(10)
The Fourth Noble Truth: Magga: `The Path'	45	(6)
The Doctrine of No-Soul: Anatta	51	(16)
`Meditation' or Mental Culture: Bhavana	67	(9)
What the Buddha Taught and the World Today	76	(15)
SELECTED TEXTS	91	(48)
Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth (Dhammacakkappavattanasutta)	92	(3)
The Fire Sermon (Adittapariyaya-sutta)	95	(2)
Universal Love (Metta-sutta)	97	(1)
Blessings (Mangala-sutta)	98	(1)
Getting rid of All Cares and Troubles (Sabbasava-sutta)	99	(7)
The Parable of the Piece of Cloth (Vatthupama-sutta)	106	(3)
The Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana-sutta)	109	(10)
Advice to Sigala (Sigalovada-sutta)	119	(6)
The Words of Truth (Dhammapada)	125	(11)
The Last Words of the Buddha (from the Mahaparinibbanasutta)	136	(3)
Abbreviations	139	(1)
Selected Bibliography	140	(2)
Glossary	142	(6)
Index	148