- Theravada: "Teaching" (vada) of the [Enlightened] "Elders" (theras). How old were these elders? They were of all ages because it has to do with seniority (how many rains retreats as a monastic). They were the first disciples of the historical Buddha, the theris (nuns) and theras (monks).
- Buddhist canons: Tipitaka ("Three Baskets")
- Pali canon: Pali language collection of texts
- Theravada Abhidhamma ("Higher Doctrine")
British Buddhist monk explains
What the Buddha Taught
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| What the Buddha Taught |
“An exposition of Buddhism conceived in a resolutely modern spirit.”—from the Foreword.
“For years,” says the Journal of the Buddhist Society, “the newcomer to Buddhism has lacked a simple and reliable introduction to the complexities of the subject. Dr. Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught fills the need as only could be done by one having a firm grasp of the vast material to be sifted. It is a model of what a book should be that is addressed first of all to ‘the educated and intelligent reader.’ Authoritative and clear, logical and sober, this study is as comprehensive as it is masterly.”
A classic introductory book to Buddhism, What the Buddha Taught, contains a selection of illustrative texts from the original Pali canon texts, including the suttas (discourses, sutras) and the Dhammapada ("Imprint of the Dhamma," specially translated by the author), 16 illustrations, and a bibliography, glossary, and index. More
- What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada by Walpola Rahula (author) and Paul Demieville (foreword)
