A book that is very well written and I only managed to read
recently.
http://www.amazon.com/What-Buddha-Taught-Expanded-Dhammapada/dp/0802130313/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350440644&sr=8-1&keywords=what+the+buddha+taught
170 of 176 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING introductory text on Buddhism!, July
5, 2000
By
Alan T. Peto (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
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This review is from: What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded
Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada (Paperback)
The Ven. Dr. Walpola Sri Rahula has produced one of the best texts
I have ever read on Buddhism! There are many out there that
incorrectly talk about Buddhism and they also have many incorrect
interpretations of the Buddha.
Venerable Rahula does an outstanding job in his correct
translations/interpetations of important teachings of
Siddhattha.
The reader is introduced to key Buddhist teachings such as:
-The Buddhist attitude of Mind
-The Four Noble Truths (each one having it's own chapter!) And the
eightfold path as well as the five aggregates.
-The doctrine of No-Soul: Anatta. This is one of the most important
ones and the author talks about how 'self' is incorrectly being
introduced by some authors, etc.
-Meditation: Everything from a few 'basic' meditation techniques to
such things as why meditate...
-What the Buddha Taught and the World Today: This great section
shows how to apply the Buddhas teachings into every day life. There
is even the 10 duties of a ruler (Government) which would be great
if some politicians read!
And finally there is 'selected texts' which provide even more
insight...it was a refreshing thing to read after the chapters and
after reading the book it made sense when reading these selected
texts!
There is even a Glossary to help you understand words used in
Buddhism. In fact throughout the book you are introduced to the
correct sayings and words...
All in all you should get this book even if you are already 'into'
Buddhism.
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93 of 98 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Still one of the best introductory books on
Buddhism, August 31, 2000
By
Kim Boykin (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded
Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada (Paperback)
This is a clear and concise introduction to the central teachings
of Buddhism--the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, no-self
(which Rahula calls "no-soul"), and meditation--by a monk and
scholar from the Theravada Buddhist tradition. It includes
translations of selected Buddhist texts and a glossary of Buddhist
vocabulary.
When I first read "What the Buddha Taught" in college, it helped
spark my interest in Buddhist practice, and one bit in particular
has fundamentally shaped my approach to life and religion
(Christianity as well as Buddhism): the story of the man wounded by
a poisoned arrow, a parable illustrating the Buddha's utter
noninterest in metaphysical speculation and his pragmatic and
compassionate focus on liberation from suffering.
I'd also recommend "Awakening the Buddha Within," an introduction
to Buddhist teachings by Lama Surya Das, an American teacher of
Tibetan Buddhism. (If you're looking for a "how to" book on
meditation, I'd recommend "The Three Pillars of Zen.")
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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible on Buddhism, September 22, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded
Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada (Paperback)
I was a student at Oxford University, England and was given this
informative book to read for my studies. I was born into Buddhism
and had practiced, even intensely at times, the Mahaparinirvana
Sutra. So I had good experience going into my class. This book
answered and made clear many of the questions I had been pondering
for many years. It is the definitive book on Buddhism. The Chair of
the Buddhism department at Oxford, use to tell us that "What The
Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula will change the way you think
about life and Buddhism. It has. I encourage everyone to buy this
jewel of a book. It is rare you find a book so masterfully
written.
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