Download or read book The Buddha before Buddhism written by Gil Fronsdal and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2016-11-29 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This easy-to-understand translation of one of the earliest surviving Buddhist texts offers a pathway to awakening that is simple, straightforward, and free of religious doctrine One of the earliest of all Buddhist texts, the Atthakavagga, or “Book of Eights,” is a remarkable document, not only because it comes from the earliest strain of the literature—before the Buddha, as the title suggests, came to be thought of as a “Buddhist”—but also because its approach to awakening is so simple and free of adherence to any kind of ideology. Instead the Atthakavagga points to a direct and simple approach for attaining peace without requiring the adherence to doctrine. The value of the teachings it contains is not in the profundity of their philosophy or in their authority as scripture; rather, the value is found in the results they bring to those who live by them. Instead of doctrines to be believed, the “Book of Eights” describes means or practices for realizing peace. Gil Fronsdal’s rigorous translation with commentary reveals the text to be of interest not only to Buddhists, but also to the ever-growing demographic of spiritual-but-not-religious, who seek a spiritual life outside the structures of religion.
Download or read book The Buddha before Buddhism written by Gil Fronsdal and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2016-11-29 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tradition of the best-selling Dhammapada: a translation with commentary of one of the earliest of the surviving Buddhist texts, which reveals the teachings to be remarkably simple and free of religious trappings. One of the earliest of all Buddhist texts, the Atthakavagga, or "Book of Eights," is a remarkable document, not only because it comes from the earliest strain of the literature--before the Buddha, as the title suggests, came to be thought of as a "Buddhist"--but also because its approach to awakening is so simple and free of adherence to any kind of ideology. Instead the Atthakavaggapoints to a direct and simple approach for attaining peace without requiring the adherence to doctrine. The value of the teachings it contains is not in the profundity of their philosophy or in their authority as scripture; rather, the value is found in the results they bring to those who live by them. Instead of doctrines to be believed, the Book of Eights describes means or practices for realizing peace. Gil Fronsdal's rigorous translation with commentary reveals the text to be of interest not only to Buddhists, but also to the ever-growing demographic of spiritual-but-not-religious, who seek a spiritual life outside the structures of religion.
Download or read book The Buddha before Buddhism written by Gil Fronsdal and published by Jaico Publishing House. This book was released on 2017-12-22 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WISDOM FROM THE EARLY TEACHINGS Don’t chase the past Or long for the future. The past is left behind; The future is not yet reached. For one who knows, who has no agitation, There is no karmic accumulation. —from ‘The Discourse on Being Violent’, The Book of Eights Gil Fronsdal’s The Buddha before Buddhism is an elegant translation of Buddhist poems from the Atthakavagga or The Book of Eights, which is believed to be part of the Buddha’s first teachings. In this anthology, reality is not divided into a conditioned, worldly realm and an unconditioned, transcendent realm far removed from ordinary human life, which is a deviation from the usual Buddhist texts. Instead, the teachings point to peace that can be found in this life, in this world. This collection of 16 poems points to a direct and simple approach for attaining peace without requiring an adherence to any specific ideology. In contrast to later Buddhist teachings that are predicated on the belief in rebirth, this book’s central theme is the joy that comes from recognizing and letting go of attachment to the illusory views that create suffering. Gil Fronsdal is co-teacher at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California. He received his PhD. in religious studies from Stanford University. He has published a highly praised translation of the Dhammapada, as well as two other books: The Issue at Hand and A Monastery Within.
Download or read book The Historical Buddha written by Hans Wolfgang Schumann and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. This book was released on 2004 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No man has had a greater inflience on the spiritual development of his people than Siddartha Gautama. Born in India in the sixth century BC into a nation hungry for spiritual experience, he developed a religious and moral teaching that, to this day, brings comfort and peace to all who practise it. This comprehensive biography examines the social, religious and political conditions that gave rise to Buddhism as we now know it.
Download or read book What the Buddha Taught written by Walpola Rahula and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A terrific introduction to the Buddha’s teachings.” —Paul Blairon, California Literary Review This indispensable volume is a lucid and faithful account of the Buddha’s teachings. “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.” This edition contains a selection of illustrative texts from the Suttas and the Dhammapada (specially translated by the author), sixteen illustrations, and a bibliography, glossary, and index. “[Rahula’s] succinct, clear overview of Buddhist concepts has never been surpassed. It is the standard.” —Library Journal
Download or read book The First Discourse of the Buddha written by Revatadhamma (Bhadanta.) and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1997 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After enlightenment, the Buddha delivered his first discourse to five disciples in Deer Park, India. Known as the Four Noble Truths, this lesson forms the foundation and essence of all the Buddha's teachings. It contains all the necessary information and instruction for us to become free from suffering and gain insight into the truth of enlightenment. The First Discourse of the Buddha includes a history of the Buddha's life, background on Buddhism, and a contemporary translation of and commentary on the Four Noble Truths.
Download or read book If You Meet the Buddha on the Road written by Michael Jerryson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-27 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is said that the famous ninth century Chinese Buddhist monk Linji Yixuan told his disciples, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." The deliberately confounding statement is meant to shock people out of complacent ways of thinking. But beyond the purposeful jolt from complacency there is another intention. This axiom suggests that, for liberation, one should seek the Buddha nature that resides within, rather than a mere Buddha exterior. The metaphor of killing the Buddha dislodges a person from the illusion that enlightenment lies outside the body. The proclamation also highlights the power of violence, even on a symbolic level. Violence abounds in Buddhist thoughts, doctrine, and actions, however unacknowledged or misunderstood. If You Meet the Buddha on the Road addresses an important absence in the study of religion and violence: the religious treatment of violence. In order to pursue an understanding of the relationship between Buddhism and violence, it is important to first consider how Buddhist scriptures and followers understand violence. Drawing on Buddhist treatments of violence, Michael Jerryson explores the ways in which Buddhists invoke, support, or justify war, conflict, state violence, and gender discrimination. In addition, the book examines the ways in which Buddhists address violence as military chaplains, cope with violence in a conflict zone, and serve as witnesses of blasphemy to Buddhist doctrine and Buddha images.
Download or read book The Everything Buddhism Book written by Arnie Kozak and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-12-18 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." --Dalai Lama That's easy for the Dalai Lama to say--but for the rest of us, understanding this mysterious, multilayered faith can be very difficult. With this updated and revised edition of the classic Buddhist primer, you can delve into the profound principles of nonviolence, mindfulness, and self-awareness. From Tibetan Buddhism to Zen, you'll explore the traditions of all branches of Buddhism, including: The life of Buddha and his continuing influence throughout the world A revealing survey of the definitive Buddhist texts What the Sutras say about education, marriage, sex, and death Faith-fueled social protest movements in Tibet, Burma, and elsewhere Buddhist art, poetry, architecture, calligraphy, and landscaping The proven physiological effects of meditation and other Buddhist practices The growing impact of Buddhism on modern American culture In this guide, you'll discover the deceptively simple truths of this enigmatic religion. Most important, you learn how to apply the tenets of Buddhism to your daily life--and achieve clarity and inner peace in the process.
Download or read book The Concept of the Buddha written by Guang Xing and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Guang Xing gives an analysis of one of the fundamental Mahayana Buddhist teachings, namely the three bodies of the Buddha (the trikaya Theory), which is considered the foundation of Mahayana philosophy. He examines how and why the philosophical concept of three bodies was formed, particularly the Sambhogakaya, which is the Buddha to be worshipped by all Mayahanists. Written in an accessible way, this work is an outstanding research text for students and scholars of Mayahana Buddhism and anyone interested in Buddhist philosophy.
Download or read book Sons of the Buddha written by Kamala Tiyavanich and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-08-28 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A preacher must have common sense, knowing how to turn everyday life experience into Dharma lessons, and assess an audience to maximize communications with them. "Sons of the Buddha" shows how three boys evolved into remarkable exponents of this ideal. Filled with lively anecdotes and illustrations, and brimming with local color, the book shows how each worked successfully to change moral attitudes and Dharma practices, restore Buddhism's social dimension, bridge the divide between laypeople and monastics, and champion tolerance toward other religions.
Download or read book Modern Buddhism Buddha s Ancient Teachings For The Modern Person written by Devean Chase and published by Devean Chase. This book was released on 2021-03-20 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To understand the words of the Buddha, they must be explained by one who has experienced his path. From the very first chapter, we begin to dispel the misunderstandings that have surrounded the words of the Buddha. We come to understand the origins of unhappiness that have taken root in the body. Freeing ourselves from these roots, we are able to find peace. Although the words on the Buddha are easily mistaken, Devean gives us an extraordinary explanation for the modern person. The essence of the Buddha's path to enlightenment suited for the plights of the modern world. Modern Buddhism is unlike other Buddhist books. While others theorize and argue over the meaning of the words academically, Devean provides you with the meaning behind the words.
Download or read book A Monastery Within written by Gil Fronsdal and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspired by his years of Buddhist monastic life, Gil Fronsdal has written these warm-hearted stories as part of the tradition of teaching through storytelling. These are tales of transformation and spiritual growth. They delight and challenge as they express different facets of the Buddhist path to liberation in familiar, yet fresh and engaging, ways. These stories can be reread often, each time supporting new reflec- tions on the spiritual life and the possibility of each person awakening to the kindness, clarity and insight available to all of us. A Monastery Within points to how each person can build an inner home for the awakened life.
Download or read book After Buddhism written by Stephen Batchelor and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2015-10-28 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some twenty-five centuries after the Buddha started teaching, his message continues to inspire people across the globe, including those living in predominantly secular societies. What does it mean to adapt religious practices to secular contexts? Stephen Batchelor, an internationally known author and teacher, is committed to a secularized version of the Buddha’s teachings. The time has come, he feels, to articulate a coherent ethical, contemplative, and philosophical vision of Buddhism for our age. After Buddhism, the culmination of four decades of study and practice in the Tibetan, Zen, and Theravada traditions, is his attempt to set the record straight about who the Buddha was and what he was trying to teach. Combining critical readings of the earliest canonical texts with narrative accounts of five members of the Buddha’s inner circle, Batchelor depicts the Buddha as a pragmatic ethicist rather than a dogmatic metaphysician. He envisions Buddhism as a constantly evolving culture of awakening whose long survival is due to its capacity to reinvent itself and interact creatively with each society it encounters. This original and provocative book presents a new framework for understanding the remarkable spread of Buddhism in today’s globalized world. It also reminds us of what was so startling about the Buddha’s vision of human flourishing.
Download or read book The Barefoot Book of Buddhist Tales written by Alexandra Kohn and published by Barefoot Books. This book was released on 2019-09-01 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet a generous merchant's son, an outlaw-turned-monk and more in 13 thought-provoking stories from India, China, Japan and Tibet. Gentle illustrations and an insightful foreword provide context to help young readers grasp the warmth, wisdom and compassion of Buddhist tradition.
Download or read book The Everything Essential Buddhism Book written by Arnie Kozak and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-07-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains material adapted from The Everything Buddhism Book, 2nd Edition.
Download or read book Steps to Liberation written by Gil Fronsdal and published by . This book was released on 2018-11-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Before Buddha Was Buddha written by Rafe Martin and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-03-20 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover how ordinary beings—a deer, a robber, a monkey, a parrot, and more—make up the past lives of the Buddha before he was Buddha. The jataka tales are ancient Buddhist stories found in both the Pali Canon and Sanskrit tradition, recounting the many past lives and ongoing spiritual work of Shakyamuni Buddha on his way to his final birth as Siddhartha Gautama. In them we find the Buddha facing difficulties, making tough choices, doing hard work, falling down and getting back up—the kind of continuing effort of spiritual practice that all beings face. Before Buddha was Buddha focuses on a selection of particular jataka tales in which the Buddha in past lives faces temptations and struggles with self-doubt as well as his own shortcomings. In these tales he’s not beyond life’s messes—its challenges and disasters—but is down in the mix, trudging through the mud with the rest of us. Each story, presented in brief, is followed by a commentary pointing to its relevance to our lives and practice-realization today.
