Product Description

Buddhism continues to enjoy increasing interest in the West, both for its emphasis on reflection and meditation and as an object of scholarship. Drawing the words actually spoken by the Buddha, Rahula gives a full account of his fundamental teachings, from the Buddhist attitude of mind and meditation to the Buddha's teaching in the contemporary world. The text also features a selection of texts from original Buddhist literature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32651 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 168 pages

Review
'By far the best introduction to Buddhism available.' --R.F. Gombrich, Boden Professor of Sanskrit, University of Oxford.

Customer Reviews

A compassionate and enlightening lesson in Buddhist thought
A fantastic book covering the basic elements of Theravada Buddhism through to application in everyday life. Walpola Rahula is a learned Buddhist whose lifelong devotion and studies show clearly in his writing.

While the concepts are simple, re-reading the first few chapters was often necessary to fully understand the more fundemental tennents of Buddhist thought. And with every reading a new gem of insight was discovered. The final chapter was perhaps one of the most refreshing passages I have read in a long time, as the book beautifully illustrates the practical application of Buddhist thought in daily life.

Most inspirational of all, the authors claim that these "Buddhist qualities" belong to neither Buddhist, nor any other faith. The lessons can be applied by all, regardless of faith or observation of ceremonies or sabaths.

Simply the best there is...
If you are looking for a book to introduce you to the basics of Buddhism in simple, easy to understand terms you won't find a better book than this. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Perfect for beginners and Buddhist practitioners who want to get 'back to basics'

An added bonus is that it doesn't just cover the basics such as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path it also has detailed sections on Meditation, Practical uses of Buddhism in everyday life (which is the very essence of Buddhism) How to become a Buddhist, How to obtain high self-esteem and the last words of the Buddha as well as other insights into this fascinating religion.

If Buddhism interests you and you want a book that doesn't confuse and confound you on the turn of every page, its this one

Answered most of my questions about Buddhism
Walpola's book is beautifully and clearly written. Abundant citations of the Buddha's own words as recorded in the original Pali texts make the reader feel like he's getting "the real story" on Buddhism. Some of it is hard for the western, scientific mind to swallow (eg. the Five Aggregates), and the section on reincarnation was rather vague and unclear compared to the rest of the book. Nonetheless, an extremely useful read, with some beautiful texts and sayings in the appendix.