What the Buddha Taught

Walpola Rahula

Dec 2007 · Open Road + Grove/Atlantic

About this ebook

“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

Ratings and reviews

Notes, chapters, and bookmarks may not work on your device. They work perfectly on my Nexus 7, but if I click a note or a bookmark on my Galaxy S3 it only goes to the cover page. This is the only book in my library that does that too, everything else works fine on both devices. Good news is the bookmarks and notes sync, just don't actually go to the right page on the S3. Otherwise, the book itself is great!

This book has been of profound effect on my knowledge regarding the path. This is an excellent read and I would suggest it to all for adding to their library

This book changed my life. I didn't know anything about buddhism before, but this book has been a revelation for me...

About the author

The Venerable Dr Walpola Sri Rahula was a Buddhist monk and scholar. He received a traditional training and education in his native Sri Lanka before studying at the University of Calcutta and the Sorbonne. He held a chair at Northwestern University, Illinois, and was the Vice-Chancellor of Vidyodaya University, Colombo. He is widely regarded as one of the most qualified and enlightened scholars of the Buddhist tradition, with a deep knowledge of the original texts.