The Holy Buddha

The Holy Buddha taught mankind on this blessed soil of India, over 2500 years ago. For 45 years He walked from city to city and from village to village on dusty paths of India preaching His message of love and compassion, of morality and equality. 'The words He spoke were the words of profound wisdom and the message He gave was the message of universal brotherhood. Every word He spoke was immediately effective with the people: this partly because of His winsome manners and towering personality but mainly because of His speaking in the language of the people and from the depths of His Direct Realizations'. The Holy Buddha generally spoke in the language of Magadha and adjoining areas, which thereby acquired a literary dignity and became the common vehicle of communication under the name of 'Pali'. The Pali Canon, called 'Tipitaka' or 'Tripitaka', compiled by the worthy disciples of the Buddha, soon after His Mahaparinirvana, is divided into three Pitakas (Baskets): Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka. The Vinaya Pitaka contains the Rules of Discipline of the Sangha. The Sutta Pitaka is a collection of the Sermons and Sayings of the Buddha, and the Abhidhamma Pitaka presents philosophical treatment of the Teachings of the Holy Buddha. This book presents an exposition of the Teachings of the Holy Buddha in His own words, as recorded in the Pali Canon, the sacred scriptures of Theravada Buddhism followed by the Buddhist countries of South East Asia. The study begins with a brief life-sketch of Gautama the Buddha, and is followed by a chapter on the Bhikkhu Sangha, a unique monastic institution founded by the Holy Buddha. An analysis of the entire Pali Canon, the Tripitaka, is given in the third chapter. The Basic Teachings of the Holy Buddha are presented in the fourth chapter. The topics covered are: 1. Three Essential Characteristics of Buddhism (Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta), 2. Dependent Origination 3. The Law of Karma, 4. Ahimsa, 5. Nirvana. In the fifth chapter are presented Selected Sermons and Sayings of the Buddha derived from all the five Nikayas of Sutta Pitaka. This chapter is not only the longest chapter but is also the very life of this book. The sermons of the Buddha specifically addressed to the laity and/or meant for the lay Buddhists have been put together in the sixth chapter. And in the seventh chapter has been given a brief resume of Milinda-panha (Questions of King Milinda) and two other Non-Canonical Pali Works.

**Contents and Sample Pages**