Buddhism
Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world going by number of adherents. It is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, a man mostly likely from the the current border between Nepal and India and most likely in the 5th Century BCE. The provisional nature of exact details is not surprising, considering the passage of time and the quick attraction of legend-making to the growth of the religion. Indeed, even the concept of “religion” is not to be attached too firmly to a philosophy that is decidedly pragmatic and unpretentious. Elaboration in literature and visual art and just about everything that Buddhists have turned their attention to is inevitable, but the core is clear. “Suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end. The notion of suffering is not intended to convey a negative world view, but rather, a pragmatic perspective that deals with the world as it is, and attempts to rectify it.”
The literature of Buddhism is vast, historic, diverse, and ranges from poetically direct to intricately arcane. Whistlestop Bookshop’s holdings are relatively few but have proven durably popular and useful over the years. Basic texts are important, of course. The current Dalai Lama is prolific and eloquent, as is the recently-deceased Thich Nhat Hanh. Zen Buddhism is a fascinating manifestation — I will be adding more of the titles I have as I have time. There is Buddhist poetry and Buddhist fiction, and I will be adding that as I glean it from the shelves. A good Buddhist principle is not to wait until everything is ready but to go ahead with what is at hand.
Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy
Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy
A perennial favorite, Great Disciples of the Buddha is now relaunched in our best-selling Teachings of the Buddha series.
Twenty-four of the Buddha’s most distinguished disciples are brought to life in ten chapters of rich narration. Drawn from a wide range of authentic Pāli sources, the material in these stories has never before been assembled in a single volume. Through these engaging tales, we meet all manner of human beings—rich, poor, male, female, young, old—whose unique stories are told with an eye to the details of ordinary human concerns. When read with careful attention, these stories can sharpen our understanding of the Buddhist path by allowing us to contemplate the living portraits of the people who fulfilled the early Buddhist ideals of human perfection. The characters detailed include:
Sāriputta
Nandā
Mahāmoggallāna
Mahākassapa
Ānanda
Isidāsī
Anuruddha
Mahākaccāna
Aṅgulimāla
Visākhā
and many more.
Conveniently annotated with the same system of sutta references used in each of the other series volumes, Great Disciples of the Buddha allows the reader to easily place each student in the larger picture of Buddha’s life. It is a volume that no serious student of Buddhism should miss.