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

by Walpola Rahula

Paperback, 1974

Status

Available

Call number

294.34

Publication

Grove Press (1974), Edition: Revised, 151 pages

Description

Clarifies the fundamental principles of Buddhist doctrine by explicating the original Pali text of the Tipitaka.

User reviews

LibraryThing member FlorenceArt
It's hard for me to give a rating since this is the firs book I read about Buddhism, but it seems like a great introduction to me, very readable but with enough depth for me to feel that I really know more about it after finishing the book (OK, not hard, but still).
LibraryThing member avogl
This was a great introduction to Buddhism. Way of life or philosophy more than religion.
LibraryThing member LakeSuperiorZendo
The first couple of chapters in this book are missing. Chapter III start with the Second Noble Truth, on page 29.
LibraryThing member jculkin
On the whole, this book gave me what I wanted: the straightforward low-down on Buddhism from a clear Buddhist. Well, almost. The author most of the time sticks to presenting ideas, with relevant quotations for our consideration - he mostly stays away from forceful argument, yet does indulge in a
Show More
lot of repetition... perhaps a reflection of Buddhism itself. However a line here or there spoils the effort, as pointed out by others, when he seems to betray a haughtiness.

Another point that quite bothered me is that he often criticises others for fussing meaninglessly over words without making content clear, whilst displaying this exact behaviour himself: "Of course, not in a petty individual self with small s, but in a big Self with a capital S"

The pictures did nothing for me.

Oh and this is the silliest line: "His reply was highly philosophical and beyond comprehension"

It's nice to see the Buddhist texts at the end.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DocWood
". . . a true Buddhist is the happiest of beings. He has no fears or anxieties. He is always calm and serene, and cannot be upset or dismayed by changes or calamities, because he sees things as they are." (p. 27)

The author, the Venerable Dr. Walpola Sri Rahula, was a Buddhist monk trained in
Show More
Ceylon. His doctoral thesis was on the history of Buddhism in Ceylon. He did his own translations of the Suttas and verses from the Dhammapada included here.

I found the book difficult to understand, despite Dr. Rahula's history as a professor, probably because it packs two thousand years of teaching and commentary into one small package for the beginner. Ironically, though, it was by reading this book that I gained my first real understanding of Theravada, or The Way of the Elders, after decades of fiddling around the edges of Buddhism. And it was after reading this book that I decided to quit fiddling and become a Buddhist.

The book is organized into eight chapters, covering the Buddhist attitude of mind, the Four Noble Truths (Chapters II-V), the doctrine of no-soul, meditation, and the relevance of Buddhism in the modern world. With 47 pages of selected texts, a Pali-English glossary, and nine blank pages in the back for your notes, it is a complete introduction for the studious person hoping to understand Buddhism. If I were teaching a college course on this, I would take it for my text.
Show Less
LibraryThing member m.belljackson
Complete and challenging descriptions of the Teachings of the Buddha.

I love The Words of Truth and the gentle illustrations.

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

151 p.; 5.25 inches

ISBN

0802130313 / 9780802130310
Page: 0.3384 seconds