I agree with above 2 posters.
IMHO, the best book for the introduction is
In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha)
Bhikkhu Bodhi.

I think its actually pretty clear once we remove The Buddha from the pantheon of avatars of Vishnu. He needed to continue to work to maintain his View. The Bo Tree event was not a one- off. Once fully liberated, one does not need to reinforce 'to maintain his view (your expression)'. The Awakened O...

Hello whynotme, all, You may find this of interest: How to tell if you are an arahant: SN 35:152 Atthinukhopariyaayo Sutta: Is There a Criterion? - translated from the Pali by Maurice O'Connell Walshe http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.152.wlsh.html" onclick="window.open...

Every once in a while at a temple or Dhamma center a n00b will attend and ask, "I think I am enlightened, can you certify or tell me for sure that I am enlightened? If I am asked, I'll tell them "you're not enlightened." n00b: "how do you know?" Me: "I can tell." ...

I am late but happy birthday.
(I don't really celebrate 'birth' but for the conventional reality's sake, yes, happy birthday.)
I wish your conviction on the genuine Dhamma will reach its fruition sooner than later.
Metta.

Stephen Batchelor does not deny that the Buddha taught Rebirth. He says that he, Batchelor has no personal knowledge of Rebirth and so puts it to one side. Which seems to be in my eyes very honest. Of course he does . In his previous book Buddhism without out beliefs Batchelor was agnostic about Ka...

B. Not even a sip of alcohol AND not used in cooking as well

Calling defenders of orthodox Dhamma as Hinayana is not only derogatory but also oxymoronic. Dhamma IS the small raft/vehicle. It can only carry one person per one trip. Nobody cross the flood of Samsara by package trip deal. There's no big raft/vehicle to carry a group of people at once. The Awaken...

Thank you Bhante.
May you attain the ultimate goal of holy life.
May the body you wear be the very last one.
Metta.

@Digity and Virgo, both of you handle the issue with sex and relationship wisely. It is wise not to inform your colleague about your motivation of avoiding sex and relationship. In the eyes of regular people, we'd be seen as lunatic. They would never understand that the fundamental nature of sex and...

Even though commentators/interpreters are wonderful, they cannot replace the Buddha and his direct teachings.
Dhamma is already perfect as it is.
It's doesn't need to be expanded.
Metta.

Preach it, brother! 12924375.png I am sorry to utter harsh sounding speech but the only thing that matters, in terms of Dhamma, is the direct core teachings of the Awakened One. I refrain from uttering harsh speech. But in this case, it's more important to tell the truth than to tell something plea...

Skill in means isn't a carte blanche for any Mahayana sutra because the Buddha didn't teach them; the Buddha's skill in means is in the Nikayas/Agamas, nowhere else. Calling such sham Dhamma skillful means is ad hoc and ridiculous, and misrepresents what the Blessed One said. Deverupa, you are abso...

Theravada is the tradition that is following the original teachings of the Buddha as much as possible. In other words, it is genuine Dhamma and it's not candy coated for mass consumption. It is difficult, challenging, and uncompromising. Life as a human is short. You will not have an option to pract...

Greetings.
I am from Los Angeles as well.
Metta.