1. The Middle Length Discourses Of The Buddha

This book offers a complete translation of the Digha Nikaya, the long discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon, the. Accounts of his life, discourses. Which followed the sangha on a long journey to Rajagaha. Gautama Buddha.

The Majjhima Nikaya The Middle Length Discourses The Majjhima Nikaya, or 'Middle-length Discourses' of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Tipitaka. This nikaya consists of 152 discourses of the Buddha, which together constitute a comprehensive body of teaching concerning all aspects of the Buddha's teachings. The sutta summaries appearing below that are marked 'BB' were adapted from Bhikkhu Bodhi's summaries (in The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha) and used with permission. Those marked 'TB' were provided by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

This book offers a complete translation of the Digha Nikaya, the long discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon, the authorized scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. This collection-among the oldest records of the historical Buddha's original teachings, given in India two and a half thousand years ago-consists of thirty-four longer-len This book offers a complete translation of the Digha Nikaya, the long discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon, the authorized scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. This collection-among the oldest records of the historical Buddha's original teachings, given in India two and a half thousand years ago-consists of thirty-four longer-length suttas, or discourses, distinguished as such from the middle-length and shorter suttas of the other collections.

These suttas reveal the gentleness, compassion, power, and penetrating wisdom of the Buddha. Included are teachings on mindfulness (Mahasatipatthana Sutta); on morality, concentration, and wisdom (Subha Sutta); on dependent origination (Mahanidrana Sutta); on the roots and causes of wrong views (Brahmajala Sutta); and a long description of the Buddha's last days and passing away (Mahaparinibbana Sutta); along with a wealth of practical advice and insight for all those travelling along the spiritual path. Venerable Sumedho Thera writes in his foreword: 'These suttas are not meant to be 'sacred scriptures' that tell us what to believe. One should read them, listen to them, think about them, contemplate them, and investigate the present reality, the present experience, with them.

Then, and only then, can one insightfully know the truth beyond words.' Introduced with a vivid account of the Buddha's life and times and a short survey of his teachings, The Long Discourses of the Buddha brings us closer in every way to the wise and compassionate presence of Gotama Buddha and his path of truth. I'm reading this for a reading group, regardless it is useful to read in full some things I have previously only read referenced. The introduction is excellent, a clear, brief overview of the times and the main ideas of Buddhism. Now, also it is true, the full texts came to be what they are as a result of an oral (repeated and memorized) tradition, not a reading one.

The Middle Length Discourses Of The Buddha

This is the reason for the many repetitions that occur (which are usefully elided in this text). What I am pulling from this reading I'm reading this for a reading group, regardless it is useful to read in full some things I have previously only read referenced. The introduction is excellent, a clear, brief overview of the times and the main ideas of Buddhism. Now, also it is true, the full texts came to be what they are as a result of an oral (repeated and memorized) tradition, not a reading one.

This is the reason for the many repetitions that occur (which are usefully elided in this text). What I am pulling from this reading is: 1) the fascinating similarity between some of the Suttas and Platonic Dialogue, 2) how much salesmanship occurs, 3) a sense of the lives of religious seekers in India during the early centuries BCE. 1) Hurray for conspiracy theories (and Popper's 'Axial Age') which note the simultaneous appearance of various levels of culture spreadyy widely across the globe! Of course, cultural dissemination pretty well explains this as well. 2) Many of the suttas are filled with denials of Brahminical beliefs and replies with the teaching of the Buddha. Certainly these are present in order to provide early monks with means of out-arguing their competing religious seekers.

3) As with the similarity to dialectic, it seems to me that the logical, reasoned approach of the Buddha (Buddhism is a science of the mind, not a religion) was a shocking, innovative approach. The Pali Canon is like life itself: it is the same stuff over and over; it is mostly boring, but can be amazing if you pay attention; it goes on and on and seems like it is never going to end (until it does). The Pali Canon and the commentaries constitute an immense work. I have been reading a few Suttas a day for years, and am only now nearing the end of my final Nikaya. Let’s be honest: the work as a whole is really long, very repetitive, and mostly boring.

Having been passed down by a verbal t The Pali Canon is like life itself: it is the same stuff over and over; it is mostly boring, but can be amazing if you pay attention; it goes on and on and seems like it is never going to end (until it does). The Pali Canon and the commentaries constitute an immense work. I have been reading a few Suttas a day for years, and am only now nearing the end of my final Nikaya. Let’s be honest: the work as a whole is really long, very repetitive, and mostly boring. Having been passed down by a verbal tradition, it is full of stock phrases easy for monastics to memorize, and after reading these over and over for years, I can usually anticipate the form and message of a new Sutta a few words in. My interest in and enthusiasm for Buddhism has fluctuated over the years (ranging on a spectrum from fanatical to loosely affiliated) but the one constant has been this text. As a historical document, it is really a remarkable thing to consider.

Reading it is sort of like an alternative form of meditation – the phrases repeat ad nauseam and go largely unnoticed until the conditions are right and they become imbued with a new meaning. The text is prescriptive, and for a religious text there is remarkably little mysticism, and few miracles. It reads like a dry accounting of earthly problems and an earnest, systematic search for their roots. I’m not sure that the discourses of the Buddha were meant to be read as a single work (they are certainly not arranged in any logical order), but as I come to the “end” I am left wondering what to do next.

If you are new to reading the Buddha's teachings; do NOT start here. Start with majhima nikaya. This is unless you want to understand Buddhist cosmology, time and myth.

More practical teachings will be found in MN. This said, DN does contain a few of my favourite suttas and is an essential read for anyone with some experience reading the suttas. DN15 illustrates the causality which leads to rebirth.

DN16 the final days of the Buddha's life DN22 the 4 foundations of mindfulness DN31 is excellent and If you are new to reading the Buddha's teachings; do NOT start here. Start with majhima nikaya. This is unless you want to understand Buddhist cosmology, time and myth. More practical teachings will be found in MN. This said, DN does contain a few of my favourite suttas and is an essential read for anyone with some experience reading the suttas. DN15 illustrates the causality which leads to rebirth.

DN16 the final days of the Buddha's life DN22 the 4 foundations of mindfulness DN31 is excellent and timeless advice to householders. This book is a modern translation of the Long Length Discourses of the Buddha, a seminal collection of early Buddhist texts. The Digha is part of the scripture of the Theravada school of Buddhism. The Theravada school is is the oldest surviving form of Buddhism and is still practiced in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and elsewhere.

Together with other forms of Buddhism, Theravada has attracted a great deal of interest in the West, and this book will be invaluable in making its teachings accessible. This book is a modern translation of the Long Length Discourses of the Buddha, a seminal collection of early Buddhist texts. The Digha is part of the scripture of the Theravada school of Buddhism. The Theravada school is is the oldest surviving form of Buddhism and is still practiced in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and elsewhere. Together with other forms of Buddhism, Theravada has attracted a great deal of interest in the West, and this book will be invaluable in making its teachings accessible. This collection of discourses is considered canonical by all other schools of Buddhism. Subsequent understanding of the Buddha's teachings built upon it, even when they seemed to depart from it.

The Digha is a collection of 34 discourses (suttas), originally written in Pali. The form of the teaching differs from that of later Buddhist teachings in that in the Digha, the Buddha is presented as a person wandering through India and teaching his disciples, followers of other sects, kings, princes, gods, and anyone who is open to listen. The teachings are difficult but the emphasis in this collection is on psychology more than metaphysics. The Buddha described his dhamma as designed to end suffering and to teach people how to be happy. That is the core of this volume.

Many scholars believe that the Digha was written specifically to introduce the Buddha's teaching to lay followers. Most (but not all) the suttas in the collection involve discussions between the Buddha and various lay people or followers of other sects. The suttas in the collection include a great deal of mythology and story-telling.

These factors, together with the content of the discourses, tend to show it was designed for a large audience, rather than only for close followers of the Buddha's teachings. They remain an outstanding source for those wanting to make a serious effort to study the Buddha. Many of the Suttas in the collection present important expositions of the Buddha's dhamma (teaching). The first sutta in the collection, translated here as 'What the Teaching is Not' is basic but difficult. The reader coming to the Digha might want to begin with the second sutta, 'The Fruits of the Homeless Life'.

This sutta is widely studied and is a beautiful exposition of the Buddha's teaching and its value. Sutta 15 of the collection, the 'Great Discourse on the Origination' is the most detailed single discussion in the Pali Canon of the Buddha's fundamental and uncompromisingly difficult teaching on dependent origination - impermanence, selflessness, and interconnectedness. Sutta 22, 'The Greater Discourse on the Foundation of Mindfulness' is the basic meditation sutta which should be studied by those wishing to develop a meditation practice. Sutta 16, the longest sutta in the Pali Canon, tells the story of the Buddha's last days and of his passing. In it the Buddha exhorts his followers to 'strive on with diligence' to achieve their goal of enlightenment.

Sutta 31, the Sigala Sutta, differs markedly from the remaining suttas in the collection in that it consists of the Buddha's rather worldy advice to a worldly young man. I have the good fortune to belong to a Sutta Study group led by an able teacher where for the past year or so (the group has been meeting much longer) we have explored this collection in depth. We generally have one person assigned to lead the discussion of a Sutta (our group averages about ten) and we all read and discuss it over a two-hour session. (The longer, more difficult suttas require several sessions.) This is an ideal way to study the text. If such a group is unavailable to you, the best way to proceed, I think, is to read the collection slowly - do not try to rush or to do it at once - concentrate on the sections that seem to speak to you and go back to them. This is a text that is not meant to convey history or dogma but to encourage reflection, meditation and study. The translation of the text is by Maurice Walshe, a scholar and a distinguished Buddhist lay practioner who also translated the works of the Christian mystic, Meister Eckhardt.

Walshe wrote a useful introduction covering key Buddhist concepts, a summary of each sutta, and brief notes. His translation is homespun, colloquial, and accessible. It serves its function of allowing the reader to approach the text and the Dhamma. An excellent translation. This book is, to my knowledge an unabridged translation of the Digha Nikaya.

There are some minor omissions in that sections that are repeated verbatim (traditionally done to help memorization when Buddhist texts passed along as an entirely verbal tradition) are indicated by an ellipsis instead of recapitulating the entire passage twice or more; but that is for most reader a blessing and a minor technical issue. Walshe does an excellent job to give background informatio An excellent translation. This book is, to my knowledge an unabridged translation of the Digha Nikaya.

There are some minor omissions in that sections that are repeated verbatim (traditionally done to help memorization when Buddhist texts passed along as an entirely verbal tradition) are indicated by an ellipsis instead of recapitulating the entire passage twice or more; but that is for most reader a blessing and a minor technical issue. Walshe does an excellent job to give background information and includes all kinds of 'reference' material (such as listing all the various realms, types of beings discussed in the text, general explanation of karma) to help the reader follow along. There is a substance amount of end notes to help understand the text, and personally I would have preferred footnotes to ease reading, but that's a minor issue. There are probably better, simpler texts to start with for an introduction to Buddhism (such as Old Path White Clouds, but for a direct translation this is remarkably accessible and straight-forward. To my knowledge no one has since written a comparable translation.

This is one of the many books of original Buddhist scriptures. There is tons of it. Fortunately, unlike Christianity, Buddhism does not depend on belief. It does not depend on knowing the story. It is a practice, not a religion.

(OK, lots of Buddhist sects and popular versions are VERY religious - OK, most) So, no need to read the original. Or at least it helps to have guidance. Heck, try reading the Old Testament without a little help. Old writing styles and logic when mixed with dead cultures make This is one of the many books of original Buddhist scriptures.

There is tons of it. Fortunately, unlike Christianity, Buddhism does not depend on belief. It does not depend on knowing the story.

It is a practice, not a religion. (OK, lots of Buddhist sects and popular versions are VERY religious - OK, most) So, no need to read the original. Or at least it helps to have guidance. Heck, try reading the Old Testament without a little help.

Old writing styles and logic when mixed with dead cultures make readings like this tough. But I like the old stuff.