Early Buddhism

Written by one of the world's top scholars in the field of Pali Buddhism, this new and updated edition of How Buddhism Began, discusses various important doctrines and themes in early Buddhism. It takes 'early Buddhism' to be that reflected in the Pali canon, and to some extent assumes that these doctrines reflect the teachings of the Buddha himself.

The Abhidhamma is the Buddhist analysis of mind and mental processes, a wide-ranging systemization of the Buddha's teaching that combnes philosophy, psychology, and ethics into a unique and remarkable synthesis. The Buddhist monks and scholars of southern Asia hold the Abhidhamma in the highest regard, pursuing its study with great diligence.

The Khuddaka Nikaya ("Minor Collection") is the last of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka, the word of the Buddha. This nikaya consists of nineteen books on various topics attributed to the Buddha and his chief disciples. The Khuddaka Nikaya represent a stage in the development of the Pali Canon in which new material was not added any more to the rest of the Sutta Pitaka, but was added to a Khuddaka Pitaka instead.

This thoughtfully translated and organized volume is the cornerstone of any Buddhist library. The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha is a companion to the equally essential The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, The Long Discourses of the Buddha, and the 2005 anthology of Discourses of the Buddha. The 152 discourses of this major collection combine a rich variety of contextual settings with deep and comprehensive teachings.

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha is a complete translation of the Samyutta Nikaya -- the third great collection of the Buddha's discourses preserved in the Pali Canon -- containing all of the important short suttas on such major topics as the Four Noble Truths, dependent origination, and the Noble Eightfold Path. The Connected Discourses ranks as one of the most inspiring and indispensable.

"Paticcasamuppada is a profound teaching," - said the Buddha - "so profound, in fact, that most people are not able to penetrate the Law of Dependent Origination." The Buddha's words to Ananda are as true today as they were 2,500 years ago. Paticcasamuppada, which is the heart of Buddhism, is difficult to see clearly and, thus, has become the center of grave misunderstandings and distortions.

"เราเป็นผู้เลิศในโลก เราเป็นผู้เจริญที่สุดในโลก เราเป็นผู้ประเสริฐที่สุดในโลก การเกิดครั้งนี้ของเราเป็นครั้งสุดท้าย ภพใหม่ต่อไปไม่มีเรา"

Each of the essays in this collection is preceded by a brief
introduction. These introductions contextualize the Buddhist practice
being discussed in terms of important structures and dynamics of the
Buddhist tradition as a whole. These individual introductions are also
intended to augment the general introduction that follows.

In most cases, the main body of each essay has been lightly edited to
suit and facilitate the purposes of this collection. The basic format and
style of each essay has been left intact, but we have made minor adjust-