Overview

An abridged translation of one of the most important books on Theravada Buddhism in recent history-authored by the esteemed Thai monk P. A. Payutto. This masterpiece of scholarship is an authoritative overview of Theravada Buddhism, the form of Buddhism that is predominant in Southeast Asia and has in recent decades been popularized in the West through the mindfulness movement and vipassana meditation. Venerable P. A. Payutto unpacks in great detail the core views and practices that are said to bring the Buddhist practitioner to the state of nibanna, or enlightenment. Replete with passages from the ancient Pali canon of Buddhist texts, Payutto frames the Buddhist teaching in terms of broad existential questions that all of us face- ""What Is Life?""; ""What Is Life Like?""; ""How Does Life Work?""; ""How Should Life Be?""; and ""How Should Life Be Lived?"" Payutto's illuminating expertise shows Theravada Buddhism to be a thorough explication of how reality unfolds according to natural processes-as well as a way of life that can yield the highest form of happiness. This book offers discussions of unparalleled sophistication on such foundational Buddhist teachings as the five khandas, dependent arising, kamma, the noble eightfold path, spiritual friendship, wise attention, the four noble truths, the nature of enlightenment, and more. This is an essential guide for anyone walking the Theravada Buddhist path.

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9781645472353

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“For many centuries in the Southern Buddhist world, Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga was the go-to text for a compendium of Buddhist teachings and an exegesis of the Pali canon. In the current age, Ven. P. A. Payutto’s magnificent and comprehensive Buddhadhamma has begun to replace that venerable text, analyzing and explaining the essential teachings of the Buddha and making them accessible for a contemporary readership. This new publication, The Essential Buddhadhamma, is a somewhat condensed version of the original treatise, ably presented by Bruce Evans. I cannot recommend it too highly, as it contains the core Buddhist teachings of the Pali canon in a wonderfully systematic and practical format. Anyone interested in understanding the Theravadin view of life and Buddhist practice will be blessed with a treasure trove of teachings if they delve into this book and explore its myriad elucidations.” —Ajahn Amaro, abbot of Amaravati Monastery

Author Information

A Theravada Buddhist monk since 1961, BHIKKHU P. A. PAYUTTO is widely acknowledged as one of Thailand's foremost Buddhist scholars. He is a prolific writer whose works in Thai span the gamut of social issues such as Buddhist approaches to economics, administration, education, and science, as well as more traditional Buddhist works, including Buddhist dictionaries and commentaries. He was awarded the 1994 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education and is the abbot of a monastery called Wat Nyanavesakavan in Thailand. BRUCE EVANS is a translator and Theravada Buddhist practitioner. He took bhikkhu ordination under Ajahn Chah in the 1970s and lived for seventeen years as a monk in Thailand. From 1985 to 1992, he served as abbot of a remote monastery on the Thailand-Laos border, during which period he translated several works by Ajahn Chah. Since returning to lay life in 1992, Evans has continued to translate Thai Buddhist works.

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