In the Buddha's Words

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
Lombardi4
Posts: 1551
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:53 pm

In the Buddha's Words

Post by Lombardi4 »

I hear a lot of people mention this book. What is it? Is a collection of suttas; commentaries?
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by tiltbillings »

Stefan wrote:I hear a lot of people mention this book. What is it? Is a collection of suttas; commentaries?
http://www.wisdompubs.org/pages/display ... yValue=104" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
Lombardi4
Posts: 1551
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:53 pm

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by Lombardi4 »

tiltbillings wrote:
Stefan wrote:I hear a lot of people mention this book. What is it? Is a collection of suttas; commentaries?
http://www.wisdompubs.org/pages/display ... yValue=104" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:thanks: :twothumbsup:
User avatar
bodom
Posts: 7216
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by bodom »

The best introduction to the suttas of the pali canon in my opinion.

:namaste:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
User avatar
Tex
Posts: 703
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:46 pm
Location: Austin, TX, USA

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by Tex »

bodom_bad_boy wrote:The best introduction to the suttas of the pali canon in my opinion.

:namaste:
Seconded. It's very well organized and Bhikkhu Bodhi writes several pages to introduce each section. Every Buddhist bookshelf should have a copy of this one.
"To reach beyond fear and danger we must sharpen and widen our vision. We have to pierce through the deceptions that lull us into a comfortable complacency, to take a straight look down into the depths of our existence, without turning away uneasily or running after distractions." -- Bhikkhu Bodhi

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." -- Heraclitus
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Tex,
Tex wrote:Every Buddhist bookshelf should have a copy of this one.
But why get the greatest hits collection, if you have all the albums?

(Serious question, I'm not being a smart ass)

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
bodom
Posts: 7216
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by bodom »

In the introduction bodhi stated that his purpose in writing this book was two fold: first for those who are not yet acquanted with the suttas who feel the the need for a systematic introduction as the "Nikayas apear to be like a jungle - entanglng and bewildering, full of unknown beasts like the ocean". Second is for those "already acquanted with the suttas who still cannot see how they fit together in an intelligable whole. Individual suttas are comprehensible in themselves. but the texts in there totality appear like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle scattered across a table". This book has definitely helped me in those two regards. I dont feel it necessary anymore to read all of the nikayas after reading this book. Plus it can get quite expensive collecting all those "albums" lol.

:namaste:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings BBB,

Thanks for the summary of Bhikkhu Bodhi's intent behind the compilation.

Just be mindful though that as with any other selected compilation of suttas, you will be getting that particular editor or translaters view of the Pali Canon and what is important to them... and as we know from interacting with others, the degree to which certain people prioritise different suttas (let alone the Pali Canon as a whole) means we should at least be aware that BB is providing a systematic framework that accords to his understanding, not the systematic framework that is in any way official, absolute or exclusively correct.

To keep with the music analogy, pop into a forum of one of your favourite bands and start up a conversation on what tracks should be on the "ultimate greatest hits CD"... see if you can find any 2 people who agree on both the tracks and the sequencing!

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
Kare
Posts: 767
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:58 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by Kare »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Tex,
Tex wrote:Every Buddhist bookshelf should have a copy of this one.
But why get the greatest hits collection, if you have all the albums?

(Serious question, I'm not being a smart ass)

Metta,
Retro. :)
And why get only the cover versions, when you can get the original?

(Trying to be a smart ass ... ) :stirthepot:
Mettāya,
Kåre
User avatar
mikenz66
Posts: 19941
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:37 am
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Retro,
retrofuturist wrote: Just be mindful though that as with any other selected compilation of suttas, you will be getting that particular editor or translators view of the Pali Canon and what is important to them...
Of course, but Bhikkhu Bodhi seems to have been quite careful in his selections. After studying that collection, I find that when I read other Suttas they usually turn out to be an expansion on concepts that are at least touched on in that collection.

One of the big differences between that collection and most others I am aware of is that it covers quite a breadth, including Suttas on worldly things such as "how to be a good son/wife/husband/king/etc" and a small selection of devotional and mythological passages, as well as the key Suttas on meditation, dependent origination, and so on that most collections seem to focus on.

By the way, I don't think your comparison between "albums" and "greatest hits" is particularly accurate. The organisation of most of the Nikayas is rather obscure and fragmented (the Samyutta Nikaya is the only one that has any real organisation by subject). It's more like Bhikkhu Bodhi's selection being a play list selected from an Ipod's worth of tracks... :reading:

Mike
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Mike,
mikenz66 wrote:By the way, I don't think your comparison between "albums" and "greatest hits" is particularly accurate. The organisation of most of the Nikayas is rather obscure and fragmented (the Samyutta Nikaya is the only one that has any real organisation by subject). It's more like Bhikkhu Bodhi's selection being a play list selected from an Ipod's worth of tracks... :reading:
That may be true to a point with regards to the internal structure of each nikaya (though I'm sure the original editors had their reasons), but viewed across nikayas, the SN has a different feel to the MN which has a different feel to the (frustrating) DN and so on.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
mikenz66
Posts: 19941
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:37 am
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Retro,

There is certainly a difference is feel, but my point was that the SN is the only place where there is much value in reading Suttas sequentially. I'm most familiar with the MN, and there are various ways of approaching that, including Bhikkhu Bodhi's talks (which were the basis of the structure of "In the Buddha's Words"), and reading lists by Shaila Catherine which we've used locally to study it.

Of course, there's nothing to stop you just reading the Nikayas in sequence, but if you do that then, apart from a few groupings, the topics are largely in a random sequence (apart from in the SN).

Metta
Mike
User avatar
jcsuperstar
Posts: 1915
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:15 am
Location: alaska
Contact:

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by jcsuperstar »

i just wish he woundnt use words like niggardly... seriously, modern translation bodhi, modern
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
adamposey
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:16 pm

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by adamposey »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings Tex,
Tex wrote:Every Buddhist bookshelf should have a copy of this one.
But why get the greatest hits collection, if you have all the albums?

(Serious question, I'm not being a smart ass)

Metta,
Retro. :)
Quick access to the hits. :)
User avatar
appicchato
Posts: 1602
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:47 am
Location: Bridge on the River Kwae

Re: In the Buddha's Words

Post by appicchato »

Image
Post Reply