What the Buddha Taught: Rahula, Walpola: 9781851681426: Amazon.com: Books
What the Buddha Taught Paperback – September 1, 1997
by Walpola Rahula (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 606 ratings
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Product details
Item Weight : 8.7 ounces
Paperback : 168 pages
ISBN-10 : 1851681426
ISBN-13 : 978-1851681426
Product Dimensions : 5.1 x 0.5 x 7.8 inches
Publisher : Oneworld Pubns Ltd; New Ed Edition (September 1, 1997)
Language: : English
Best Sellers Rank: #260,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#70,639 in Religion & Spirituality (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars 606 ratings
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buddha taught noble truths walpola rahula eightfold path noble eightfold introduction to buddhism highly recommend teachings of the buddha easy to read years ago bhikkhu bodhi must read buddha actually buddhas teachings easy to understand kindle version great book buddhist thought well written revised and expanded
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5.0 out of 5 stars Best of 4 introductory Buddhist books I've read
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2016
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With no prior Buddhist experience, I have been looking for a comprehensive overview of the philosophy. I tried several other books. One was too full of ceremonies and references to teachers and deities. Another one was a good Western intro but it was unclear where Buddha stopped and author started. Third one was distracting from the content by constant references to author's bio. And then I finally found What the Buddha Taught and here is what I love about it:
- Writing is targeted to well-educated intellectual reader. It's not overly simplistic and thoughts are concise and pointed
- Half of the book is Western explanation and half are actually suttas that Buddha spoke. So you get author's interpretation of the concept and then compare it with the source
I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to discover Buddhism.
74 people found this helpful
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MDeanGMU
5.0 out of 5 stars Reap the intellectual rewards of Buddha without converting
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2017
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If you want a straightforward explanation of Buddhism and Buddhist principles without an author's opinion of the application of these principles or meandering "interpretations", then this book is for you. The author does a wonderful job describing the fundamental principles of Buddhism based on well referenced facts along with the most accepted interpretations of the various teachings. I enjoy learning about the positive facets of various religions, especially those teachings that are universally applicable, and this book fits that bill. Unlike some books on religions, where a lot of time is spent pointing out flaws with various beliefs, this book seems to take an almost scientific approach that leaves the question as to the validity of the "religion" as the one true "path" up to the reader. One take away from this book for me was the idea that Buddhism could very well be labeled a way/view of life vs. a "religion". Maybe one day in the future we will have Christian Buddhists, Muslim Buddhists and even Jewish Buddhists. Though the great modern religions of the middle east have all derived from the early monotheistic viewpoints going back to Abraham and Moses, the divide between these may take millennia to overcome whereas Buddhism does not necessarily or directly conflict with these religions fundamental principles.
36 people found this helpful
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MoCee
5.0 out of 5 stars If You Want to Learn About Buddhism - without Superstitions - Read This
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2019
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There are no Chakras, no feng shui, no magic or miracles or superstitions in Buddhism, just good common sense that teaches you how to live your life in a way that will reduce the difficulties we all face. No savior, no god, just a blueprint for your life. The wonderful thing about Buddhism is that no genuine teaching of the Buddha (Siddhartha Guatama) insist that you believe in magic or miracles or saviors. "Seek your own salvation," the Buddha said. This book lays it all out in clear and focused terms. Too many cultures have infused superstitions and their folk religions into Buddhism, moving it away from common sense into the weird make-believe of Chakras and Feng Shui. That is NOT Buddhsim. Read this book if you really want to learn. Highly recommended by many genuine Buddhist.
17 people found this helpful
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Daniel M. Michon
1.0 out of 5 stars but it is useless.
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2018
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The e-book is just a scanned version that is full of errors. I am not giving the actual book one star, but I am surprised the publisher would offer this e-book without making sure there are no errors. Just one example: "vipasaka" is written as "vpaska". I was going to suggest my students buy the ebook, but it is useless.
29 people found this helpful
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Bon Voyage
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on authentic Buddhist teachings I ever read: not for those who are looking for fairy tales: very deep and complex!
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2017
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The best book for anyone is looking for authentic Theravada Buddhist teachings! I have been sickened by reading books written by by half-educated or misunderstood people in this subject: this was written by a highly regarded and educated Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka. It’s a high concentration of pure Buddhist teachings: not for superficial readers: this is for the intelligent reader who can understand deep Buddhist analysis of mind and exsistancial truths!
14 people found this helpful
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Rick S.
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent starting point.
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2019
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If you are interested in Buddhism this book is a good place to start. I've recommended this text as a launching pad hundreds of times. The book will expose the reader to the basic doctrine laying a foundation to build upon should the reader choose to do so.
This edition includes some material from the Dhammapada, a collection of the short sayings from the Pali Nikāyas (The closest thing we have to the Buddha's actual words). The depth of wisdom contained in its verses are often lost to the casual reader. The basic text of What the Buddha Taught as written by the venerable Wapola Rahula does not contain this material but may offer some guidance to those who choose to plumb its depths.
5 people found this helpful
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Shawn Klein
5.0 out of 5 stars Straightforward Introduction
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2014
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This book is a solid and straightforward overview of the basic philosophic tenets of Buddhism. The text itself is relatively short (less than 100 pages), but it is not simplistic. Rahula explains the main points and directs the reader to the sources for these ideas. For the most part, it doesn’t get into more esoteric details or points of dispute between different branches of Buddhism. He does indicate a few points of disagreement over interpretations, but leaves that more for the reader to go and explore on his own. Rahula explains the ways that Buddhist ideas have been misinterpreted or misunderstand by Western thinkers and he tries to correct these errors. The latter half of the book contains translations of original sources for those interested. This is definitely a good starting place for people interested in Buddhist ideas.
10 people found this helpful
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Doc Wood
5.0 out of 5 stars Tiny book packs a punch
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2016
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Translations by a native speaker make all the difference in the world. This is great for a beginner--doesn't talk down to you at all (college reading level required) but does boil down the central tenets and organizes them for you. Highly recommend! I keep going back and back to it. #1, it makes a great reference (for example, as my sangha works its way through weekly discussions of the Eightfold Noble Path) but perhaps more importantly, #2 every time a re-read a section I get a better and deeper understanding of the material. Tiny book with a big punch.
7 people found this helpful
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Anon
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and profound
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2013
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I have been interested in Buddhism for most of my life. Although I have always been familiar with the ideas behind Buddhism I have not attempted any serious study of Buddha's teachings. I bought this book believing it to be a simple introduction to this subject.
The book is a commendably clear and uncomplicated explanation of Buddha teachings. Buddhism is presented as offering a singular perspective on how we see ourselves and how we relate to the world around us.
Two ideas in the book have been life changing for me:
1. The concept that attachment leads to suffering. That non-attachment is the way to end suffering.
In other texts Buddha's teaching is presented as saying desire leads to suffering. The concept of leading a life without desire is difficult for me because my motivation in life is to follow my passions.
On the other had the concept of leading a life without attachment is much more useful to me. After pondering this it became clear that I had suffered in my life due to seeking attachment. On becoming aware of this I felt my need for attachment falling away. I became at peace with my life for the first time.
2. The concept of learning to observe my emotions with detachment.
I am aware that my emotional response to situations are predetermined through past experience and genetic programing. Acting according to raw emotion is rarely the best course of action in the long term. As I learn to observe my emotions with detachment I am no longer a slave to them.
_
Despite my admiration for Buddha and his remarkable wisdom and insight I would not call myself a Buddhist. There are aspects of Buddha's teachings which I feel are inapplicable to the world I find myself in. Nevertheless I am eternally grateful to him and the author of this remarkable book for sharing this knowledge with the world.
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30 people found this helpful
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Ludwig von Schinken
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, just hoped it could have been a little bit longer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2015
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An excellent insight in to the intricacies, thought-processes and themes of "existence" and "life"; Rahula takes an impossibly neutral and accurate approach to the explanations of Buddha's teachings. This is followed by a large appendix of references, to which the scholar of Religion will find very useful, and the more interested will be keen to scan through.
Most other reviews have adequately covered all of the positives contained in the book, the only points I wish to make are that 1) It could have been longer, such as explaining how Buddhism spread and how this influenced certain cultures, and 2) the practical examples (such as the breathing meditation), were expanded upon. I understand that my first point would have been contentious and hence was most likely excluded as the purpose in the book was to present unbiased, uncontested and accurate translations and examples, however, as an addendum it would have been useful. Especially as the writing style is so clean and middle-of-the-road. It's rare to read something written with such vigour, interest, all the while maintaining a scientific approach. Arguably this is exactly the teaching of Buddha, which makes sense for the writing style.
Overall highly recommended.
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3 people found this helpful
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Pradeep M.
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to Buddhism...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2018
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Bought this almost 12 years as a gift to a friend who was interested in learning the elements of Buddhism. While I didn't get to read it at that time, years later I had the opportunity to read it. Without a question it's a great introduction to Buddhism but I found that it could be a little overwhelming for an absolute beginner. Nevertheless it's a very good read. Highly recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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Alex Man
5.0 out of 5 stars Can't be too long...gotta get...back...to ...this book...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2011
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In all seriousness though, this book is the best book I have ever read on Buddhism. I found it un-put-a-down-able. (Yes I create new words when I want to!)
This book is clear, easy to understand and left me with a completely new perspective on Buddhism.
There were points where after reading a passage of what the Buddha said (Apparently via very accurate translations) I would put the book down for a few minutes and just take in what I had just read.
I would highly recommend this book to new comers to Buddhism, or those (like me) who know something about it but want to know more from a credible source.
Would recommend!
7 people found this helpful
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Shepo
4.0 out of 5 stars What the Buddha Taught Paperback
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2012
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A very interesting read. Each chapter holds your attention very nicely. I hadn't read anything on Buddhism before this and although some of it was a bit confusing to me, halfway through some chapters I'd be thinking "I'm not sure what he's trying to say" but by the time I got to the end of said chapter it somehow made sense and I got some understanding of what the author was saying. It is definitely a book that I will be reading again, the concepts of Buddhism are fascinating and I will be looking more into their philosophy. A good place to start from. All in all 4/5.
2 people found this helpful
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