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.
The Suttanipāta: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha’s Discourses Together with Its Commentaries
The Suttanipāta: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha’s Discourses Together with Its Commentaries
The Suttanipāta, or “Group of Discourses” is a collection of discourses ascribed to the Buddha that includes some of the most popular suttas of the Pāli Canon, among them the Loving-Kindness Sutta. The suttas are primarily in verse, though several are in mixed prose and verse. The Suttanipāta contains discourses that extol the figure of the muni, the illumined sage, who wanders homeless completely detached from the world. Other suttas, such as the Discourse on Downfall and the Discourse on Blessings, establish the foundations of Buddhist lay ethics. The last two chapters—the Aṭṭhakavagga (Chapter of Octads) and the Pārāyanavagga (The Chapter on the Way to the Beyond)—are considered to be among the most ancient parts of the Pāli Canon. The Aṭṭhakavagga advocates a critical attitude toward views and doctrines. The Pārāyanavagga is a beautiful poem in which sixteen spiritual seekers travel across India to meet the Buddha and ask him profound questions pertaining to the highest goal.
The main commentary, the Paramatthajotikā, relates the background story to each sutta and explains each verse in detail. The volume includes numerous excerpts from the Niddesa, an ancient commentary already included in the Pāli Canon, which offers detailed expositions of each verse in the Aṭṭhakavagga, the Pārāyanavagga, and the Rhinoceros Horn Sutta.
Translator Bhikkhu Bodhi provides an insightful, in-depth introduction, a guide to the individual suttas, extensive notes, a list of parallels to the discourses of the Suttanipāta, and a list of the numerical sets mentioned in the commentaries.