The Word Of The Buddha

by Nyanatiloka Mahathera

An outline of the ethico-philosophical system of the Buddha in the words of the Pali Canon

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Nonfiction

191 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 25, 2010

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, to the point and a great reference resource. I keep coming back to this again and again and I value that it also has the original version of several discourses in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali canon. It is restricted to the 4 Noble Truths and the 8-fold path of the Noble ones, no other lists or more complex concepts, and it stays with the basics, but the discussions are superb.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Buddhist sangha used this book for a study group on the 8 Fold Path. I was interested in getting a better understanding of the 4 Noble Truths and their relationship to 8 Fold Path. This book walks you through the Buddha's fundamental teachings presented in his own words as recorded in the Sutta Pitaka of the Buddhist Pali Cannon. In laymen's terms: this book presents the Buddha's primary teachings based on several reliable ancient sources. Having read and now discussed the book's contents with my group, I found it to be succinct and to the point in providing a bare bones understanding of the 4 Nobles Truths and the 8 Fold Path. With this clear understanding, I can now continue my studies and discover what other Buddhist scholars and teachers have added to the understanding of these fundamental teachings from the Buddha. I'd recommend this book for anyone looking to get a basic understanding of the Buddhist 4 Noble Truths and the 8 Fold Path.

[james · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic summary of the path. Reading The Word of the Buddha, you'd think it wrote itself. Like a divine revelation, void of ego, the middle way is laid out for any interested, open person to begin their journey. Take off your shoes, put on your shoes, however you best walk, this book will have you well on your way. It's an encapsulation of the Buddha's most foundational teachings. You can take any section and find expanded commentaries for further readings. I'm off to Bhikkhu Soma's "The Way of Mindfulness."

[Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short text, but very, very dense. Worth reading. Free from Theravadan Buddhist centres.

[Jakub Krajňák · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's astonishing how such old lore is up to date. This could be must-read for teenagers.

[PJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super interesting but the way it is written makes it difficult to get into it.