The Buddha Before Buddhism
by Gil Fronsdal /
2017 / English / PDF
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This book is in the tradition of the best-selling Dhammapada, a
translation with commentary of one of the earliest of the
surviving Buddhist texts, which reveals the teachings to be
remarkably simple and free of religious trappings.
This book is in the tradition of the best-selling Dhammapada, a
translation with commentary of one of the earliest of the
surviving Buddhist texts, which reveals the teachings to be
remarkably simple and free of religious trappings.
One of the earliest of all Buddhist texts, the Atthakavagga, or
Book of Eights, is a remarkable document, not only because it
comes from the earliest strain of the literature - before the
Buddha, as the title suggests, came to be thought of as a
"Buddhist" - but also because its approach to awakening is so
simple and free of adherence to any kind of ideology. Instead the
Atthakavagga points to a direct and simple approach for attaining
peace without requiring the adherence to doctrine. The value of
the teachings it contains is not in the profundity of their
philosophy or in their authority as scripture; rather, the value
is found in the results they bring to those who live by them.
Instead of doctrines to be believed, the Book of Eights describes
means or practices for realizing peace. Gil Fronsdal's rigorous
translation with commentary reveals the text to be of interest
not only to Buddhists, but also to the ever-growing demographic
of the spiritual-but-not-religious, who seek a spiritual life
outside the structures of religion.
One of the earliest of all Buddhist texts, the Atthakavagga, or
Book of Eights, is a remarkable document, not only because it
comes from the earliest strain of the literature - before the
Buddha, as the title suggests, came to be thought of as a
"Buddhist" - but also because its approach to awakening is so
simple and free of adherence to any kind of ideology. Instead the
Atthakavagga points to a direct and simple approach for attaining
peace without requiring the adherence to doctrine. The value of
the teachings it contains is not in the profundity of their
philosophy or in their authority as scripture; rather, the value
is found in the results they bring to those who live by them.
Instead of doctrines to be believed, the Book of Eights describes
means or practices for realizing peace. Gil Fronsdal's rigorous
translation with commentary reveals the text to be of interest
not only to Buddhists, but also to the ever-growing demographic
of the spiritual-but-not-religious, who seek a spiritual life
outside the structures of religion.