Books

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Oatmilk, modificat fa 3 anys at 26/01/21 16:37
Created 3 anys ago at 25/12/20 13:12

Books

Apunts: 141 Data d'incorporació: 30/07/20 Publicacions recents
I'm interested in reading Buddhist Sutras/old texts - are there any books that provide them? I'm a total newbie and am just aware that there are two websites, like suttacentral.net and accesstoinsight.org but I'd actually prefer them in form of a book. 
I could as well need some help regarding how those old texts are structured. Ie. There's the Pali Canon, there are the Yoga Sutras, than there's the Visuddhi Magga etc. - I'm totally lost emoticon Some clarification is really appreciated, thanks!
Sam Gentile, modificat fa 3 anys at 25/12/20 14:19
Created 3 anys ago at 25/12/20 14:19

RE: Books

Apunts: 1310 Data d'incorporació: 04/05/20 Publicacions recents
Oatmilk:
I'm interested in reading Buddhist Sutras/old texts - are there any books that provide them? I'm a total newbie and am just aware that there are two websites, like suttacentral.net and accesstoinsight.org but I'd actually prefer them in form of a book. 
I could as well need some help regarding how those old texts are structured. Ie. There's the Pali Canon, there are the Yoga Sutras, than there's the Visuddhi Magga etc. - I'm totally lost emoticon Some clarification is really appreciated, thanks!


The Pali Cannon has been published in a number of books by Wisdom: The Middle Length Discources of the Buddha, The Long Discources, The Connected Discources, and the Numerical Discources. They'll take up a chunck of your bookshelf!

I believe the Visuddimaga is also considered part of the Pali Cannon. They are the original teachings of the Buddha.
The Yoga Sutras don't have anything to do with this stuff.
Martin, modificat fa 3 anys at 25/12/20 22:54
Created 3 anys ago at 25/12/20 22:54

RE: Books

Apunts: 859 Data d'incorporació: 25/04/20 Publicacions recents
I enjoyed "In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon," by Bhikkhu Bodhi. It's not super short (over 400 pages) but it's a lot shorter than reading the whole Pali Canon, and it's a pretty representative sampling (more than just the standard greatest hits playlist). By the time I finished it I felt I had a much better lay of the early Buddhist land. It might also give you a sense of what you are interested in reading, so you can go on to explore more. 
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chris mc, modificat fa 3 anys at 26/12/20 11:54
Created 3 anys ago at 26/12/20 11:52

RE: Books

Apunts: 57 Data d'incorporació: 31/05/12 Publicacions recents
Oatmilk:
...
I could as well need some help regarding how those old texts are structured. ...


Theravada Buddhism is the oldest sect and has the oldest texts.  They're structured into three 'baskets', one is rules for monastics, two for all the suttas, and three for the Abhidhamma.  Within Theravada Buddhism there are further subdivisions, some teachers recognize the Vissudhimagga, and some don't (it was written long after the Buddha died).

The second basket - there are four big books called the Nikayas (these are what someone is usually referring to when they say "the suttas" in conversation), and there's a fifth Khuddaka Nikaya which contains collections of miscellaneous sayings.  Here's a chart:   https://readingfaithfully.org/simple-chart-of-the-sutta-pitaka/

I've only seen people reading the four main nikayas, and the Dhammapada, Ituvitaka and Udana.  The other texts in the Khuddaka Nikaya are a bit obscure?

It's a noble goal to read the suttas, but they're prettty dry reading.  I agree with what Martin posted, try "In the Buddha's words" as an intro before buying 40+ pounds of books.
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Oatmilk, modificat fa 3 anys at 28/12/20 08:18
Created 3 anys ago at 28/12/20 08:18

RE: Books

Apunts: 141 Data d'incorporació: 30/07/20 Publicacions recents
Hey guy's, sorry for the late reply, I haven't been feeliing so weil lately but thank you very much for the great informations! 
Sam Gentile, modificat fa 3 anys at 28/12/20 12:14
Created 3 anys ago at 28/12/20 12:14

RE: Books

Apunts: 1310 Data d'incorporació: 04/05/20 Publicacions recents
"{It's a noble goal to read the suttas, but they're prettty dry reading.  I agree with what Martin posted, try "In the Buddha's words" as an intro before buying 40+ pounds of books."

Yah, I have that 65 pound bundle of books that I listed that take up most of ahelf. But I find I don't use them much. When they say dry, believe them. I find the sutras really dry and boring. You should start with the book they list.
Yu Tsen, modificat fa 3 anys at 03/02/21 04:45
Created 3 anys ago at 02/02/21 02:32

RE: Books

Apunt: 1 Data d'incorporació: 31/01/21 Publicacions recents
Hi, thanks for the book "In the Buddha's Words" its very good to start! ;)