''What the Buddha Taught'', by Theravadin

Walpola Rahula Walpola Rahula Thero (1907–1997) was a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, scholar and writer. In 1964, he became the Professor of History and Religions at Northwestern University, thus becoming the first bhikkhu to hold a professorial chair in the Weste ...

, is a widely used introductory book on

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

. Using quotes from the sutras, Rahula gives his personal interpretation of what he regards to be Buddhism's essential teachings, including the Four Noble Truths, the Buddhist mind, the

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path (Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth, in the form of nirvana. The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: ...

, meditation and mental development, and the world today.What the Buddha Taught
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Background and reception

Rahula's book is an example of "Protestant Buddhism," the Sinhalese version of

Buddhist modernism Buddhist modernism (also referred to as modern Buddhism, modernist Buddhism, and Neo-Buddhism are new movements based on modern era reinterpretations of Buddhism. David McMahan states that modernism in Buddhism is similar to those found in other ...

. Due to its rational presentation of Buddhism, which suited western expectations, ''What the Buddha Taught'' is a widely read and highly influential introduction to Buddhist thought.

Publication data

* Rahula, Walpola ''What The Buddha Taught'', Oneworld Publications: Oxford, (1959) (revised 1974).

Notes

References

Sources

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External links

''What the Buddha Taught''
(e-text) Buddhism studies books Books about Gautama Buddha {{Buddhism-book-stub