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Summary: One of two books on Buddhism I trust
Review: This book is an excellent summary of Buddhist teaching, and sits on my bookshelf next to Buddhadhasa's "Handbook For Mankind" -- one of the two books I trust on the subject of Buddhism.As an example of a key doctrine, well discussed in both these books and usually misunderstood, consider "anatta." This teaching says that the self does not exist, at least not in the way we are habituated to think of it. Nothing at all has a "self" which would enable "us" to "own" it or "control" it. Instead, we are faced with the five aggregates of the body, perception, consciousness, feeling and thinking. I am starting to think that I have found a third book on the subject which is trustworthy: "Mindfulness In Plain English." All three of them are extremely thought-provoking.
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Summary: one of the best introductions to buddhism ever written
Review: This book gives the bare bones facts on buddhism. It tells of the buddhist attitude toward life, who the buddha is, the doctrine of the mind, meditation and other intresting facets of buddhism. The book not only gives the theoretical aspects of buddhism, but shows a very simple meditation technique that can lead to the heights of mystical experience. Rahula also gives an excellent bibliography at the end of the book. These books should be read because they give a great insight into how truly profound this great religion is. I would particulary recommend Buddhism by Christmas Humphreys.
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Summary: Answers
Review: If you have basic questions about Buddhism, chances are this book will answer them once and for all. Even after reading many books on the subject there were still some things that I was unclear on. "What The Buddha Taught" addressed every one of them in a way that laid to rest my doubts and confusion. There are some wonderful gems of insight scattered throughtout as well. Such as this from the chapter on Meditation: "Mindfulness, or awareness, does not mean that you should think and be conscious 'I am doing this' or 'I am doing that'. No. Just the contrary.The moment you think 'I am doing this', you become self-conscious, and then you do not live in the action, but you live in the idea 'I am', and consequently your work too is spoilt.You should forget yourself completely, and lose yourself in what you do." How different this is from the way I had previously thought about mindfulness! Another example: "According to Buddhism, the Absolute Truth is that there is nothing absolute in the world, that everything is relative, conditioned and impermanet, and that there is no unchanging, everlasting, absolute substance like Self, Soul, or Atman within or without." Now, I had read or heard all that before, but never stated with such certainty and authority. This book is chock full of such wisdom. Though sometimes a bit dry, Walpola Rahula covers the basics of Buddhism clearly and concisely and in a way that I found encouraging. I gave the book only 4 stars because of the paper it was printed on and the very dated black and white pictures. I feel this book is definitely deserving of an upgrade in this respect. But please don't let such trivialities deter you from buying this book. I only wish I had found it sooner.
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Summary: Nothing but Truth
Review: In Sri Lnaka I met a buddhist monk at a busride. Since then we exchange thoughts and he sent me the book 'What the Buddha Thaught'. It is the essence of the essence of Buddhism. Around 400 AD buddhist leaders of several buddhist countries came together to explore what the Buddha taught in theire countries and wrote down (for the first time) the surrogate of Buddhas teachings. Every line of the book is about truth so that the book itself becomes truth. Read it, no matter if you are christian, hindi or buddhist it certainly is enriching your mind and spirit.
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Summary: The best beginner's guide to Buddhism out there
Review: I bought this book on the recommendation of two professors of Religious Studies at UC Berkeley when I asked them to help me get acquainted with Buddhism. This book is down to earth, coherent, and informative. Even includes good translations of some of the more important sutras for those interested. If you want to learn about Buddhism, start here.
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Summary: the original teachings ~ true to the letter & the spirit
Review: Being a native of the author's homeland, and a follower of the Buddha's teachings, my words may not be impartial. Be that as it may, in all sincerity I would say that, this is the best book I have read ~ in the English language ~ on the subject. The author passed away in 1999.
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Summary: Best one-volume book on the subject
Review: Hands down. "What the Buddha Taught" is a timeless classic which should never go out of print. Indeed; I wish I had a nickel for every copy I've given to a friend. Essential.
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Summary: Read it in a day!
Review: Cycling through the books on Buddhism at the bookstore my eye cought "What the Buddha Tought" which its intrinsic appearance forced it down off the shelf and under my eyes. I've never read slower in my life yet finished in that bookstore that very day. Unlike other books on Buddhism the author used no filliers and personal observation to distract the reader. Instead, quality and the natural sence of Buddhism were abundant in his translations and examples, as if it were the Buddha teaching himself. I have never read a more direct and enriching book on Buddhism before where every page filled in the gaps of unanswered questions I had and leaving me with a sense of completion and a wanting to learn more. I can sure say that my life has been changed today.
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Summary: Answered most of my questions about Buddhism
Review: 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.
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Summary: Awesome!
Review: This book was extremely easier to read. I am not an experienced buddhist but this book certainly piqued my intrest. I learned a lot from this book and have chosen to go forward. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Buddhism. It is easy to read and it will give you the information necessary to start you trip toward enlightenment.
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