Books about original teachings of Buddha

[Rev R]

I totally agree, but we have to do something with our time, I guess.

Gassho

I'm partial to chopping wood and making music.

[will]

I'm partial to chopping wood and making music.

If that's what you like. I haven't actually chopped wood since I was about 11.

Gassho

[paige]

Re: Books about original teachings of Buddha

And speaking of textual criticism, has there been any attempts at Buddhist scripture? Any good books in English about it? I know Buddhists generally take the texts way less seriously than most Christians generally take theirs, but perhaps there have been some scholars who have taken interest?

There's the book Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations by Paul Williams. It's quite good (but obviously, only about Mahayana texts). I don't know of any similar book concerning the Pali canon.

[Jundo]

Hi Harry,

We already have "Hand of Thought" starting from January. Please propose the idea to the group again when we get to choosing the book after that.

Gassho, Jundo

[enchentez]

Hi, Mika,

I would recommend any of several of the works of Buddhadasa Bhikku that are available free on the net, including Handbook for Mankind, Anapanasati: Mindfulness with Breathing, and No Religion!, off the top of my head. Also, there are others available in bookstores -- Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree, and Paticcasamuppada: Practical Dependent Origination. There are many others, and I can email you copies of several of them as well if you are interested. I also have electronic copies of some of his books and essays that are not available on the web as well. Does this website have a files section?

Also, I also highly recommend Phra P.A. Payutto's Buddhadhamma: Natural Laws and Values for Life. Whole-chapter excerpts from this book can be found at:

http://www.geocities.com/athens/academy/9280/kamma.htm

and

http://www.geocities.com/athens/academy ... oarise.htm


In this section of the second essay, Phra Payutto describes the Buddha's teachings on Dependent Origination in the here-and-now, as is unconcerned with speculative cosmological views:

http://www.geocities.com/athens/academy ... arise5.htm

Payutto's and Buddhadasa's works are independent of any speculative world- or cosmological views. Very refreshing.

Guess I should also introduce myself, Hello, folks!

Matt

[Seizan]

This is an old thread, but I searched and found it so maybe other people still do, too! Two books I like are Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings and his Awakening of the Heart- it's modern commentary around the old sutras and Buddha-focused writings. I've only read TNH's commentary on the Middle Way Sutra so far, but loved it so much this book is next on my list.

I also LOVE the Dalai Lama's commentaries, you can find many on Amazon. Look for the sutra commentaries if you want the "old school" more Shakyamuni based works. His Holiness's commentary on the Way of the Bodhisattva is amazing as well, I always go back to it. It's not a Shakyamuni based text but is well worth the read.

Gassho!

[Jundo]

Oh my, this THREAD is almost as old as the original teachings of Buddha themselves!

Of course, nobody is quite sure what were the Buddha's "original teachings" some 2500 years ago, as they were not even written down for a few hundred years ... while being passed down orally and embellished along the way. What is more, I sometimes describe Gautama Buddha as something like the "Wright Brothers" or "Henry Ford", and Buddhism did evolve and develop ... and even was greatly tuned up and improved ... from his basic framework and basic outline over the next millenia.

However, a couple of other good books are ...

For a general history of early Buddhism ...

• Buddhist Thought, A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, Paul Williams and Anthony Tribe. (Jundo: Although meant as an introductory textbook, still wonderfully detailed ... although the writing is poor in places. I recommend this somewhat ahead of the two books by Walpola Rahula and David Kalipahana, for both readability and the presence of less of a personal religious ideology that tends to cloud the impartiality of those other books)

and the later Mahayana interpretation of "what the Buddha Taught" ...

• Mahayana Buddhism, The Doctrinal Foundations, by Paul Williams

Both are serious, meaty history books, by the way, and not a light, quick read.

In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha) by Bhikkhu Bodhi is a fantastic anthology of the "best of" the Pali Canon. Bhikkha Bodhi's footnotes tend to offer interpretations from his particular flavor of Theravadan Buddhism, but the Sutta's themselves speak to all of us.

A wonderful attempt at biography based closely on the Pali Canon is the very readable The Life of the Buddha by Bhikkhu Nanamoli.

Gassho, Jundo

[Nindo]

I would really recommend "The Historical Buddha: The Times, Life, and Teachings of the Founder of Buddhism" by H.W. Schumann.

http://books.google.ca/books/about/The_Historical_Buddha.html?id=h2Qh2zzNkNkC&redir_esc=y

[Rich]

Nindo, that sounds interesting. Will give it a try.
I recommend Walking in the footsteps of the buddha by TNH

[Seizan]

Thank you, Jundo, Nindo & Rich! I will add those to my growing list! Bona fide bookworm here and a full out nerd in some aspects. The first one, Buddhist Thought, sounds very intriguing.

Gassho,
Dani