The Foundations of Buddhism (OPUS)

Occasionally, you read a book so rich, informative, and well-written, you're a bit sad about finishing it. This was one of those books for me. I had read a handful of books about Buddhism before, so I knew the basics. But this one really tied it all together and deepened my knowledge of those basics.And while this book certainly isn't simplistic, it is focused on the basics. As Gethin puts it in his Introduction: "The approach I have adopted in the present volume, then, is to try to identify and focus on those fundamental ideas and practices that constitute something of a common heritage shared by the different traditions of Buddhism that exist in the world today." In other words, the focus here is on the unity, not the diversity, of Buddhist belief.Thus, it might be fruitful to pair this book with one that explicitly focuses on the diversity of Buddhist belief. I can't yet make a firm recommendation about a book that focuses on the diversity of Buddhism; but the next book on my own reading list (Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience by Donald W. Mitchell) is one that certainly *seems* to fit that bill.One last word of praise for Gethin's book has to do with his superb balance of factual information and evaluative editorializing. The book is, by and large, simply factual. However, Gethin would occasionally switch into evaluative mode (e.g.: Yes, Buddhist's have said such-and-such about there being "no self," but is this idea actually philosophically coherent?) It's very difficult for authors to insert this kind of evaluative material into an introductory book without being overbearing, but Gethin manages it, and I think this comes down to two aspects of how he does it: (1) the critical evaluation of Buddhist beliefs is rarely in his own voice, rather it feels like he is summarizing what others have said when critically evaluating Buddhist beliefs; and (2) the critical evaluation never took up a disproportionate amount of space. In my opinion, it's important to have the critical evaluation in there - that's what makes it a scholarly work, and not simply the work of a religious "insider" telling you about his own beliefs without being able to step back and be critical about them - but it's difficult to insert scholarly criticism with a "light touch," as it were. Gethin manages to do it with a light touch, better than most authors I've come across in the broad field of religious studies.Overall, just a wonderful book.

The other reviewers have spelled out the many ways in which this book is excellent.So I will boil my review down to one word: RELIABLE. When you are struggling with Abhidhamma or other questions, go to this book first for a RELIABLE overview and summary.Yes, I am utterly familiar with "What the Buddha Taught," an excellent book. But it says little or nothing about the two main streams of Buddhism, Theravada & Mahayana --- and yes, I am aware that some people hate these terms. I also live in a Buddhist country --- have done so for many years --- and am quite interested in the subject of "Export Buddhism" versus "Buddhism in our Daily Life in Thailand.""Export Buddhism" seems to have been fashioned as a replacement product for Unitarianism or other forms of nearly-godless Protestantism. A lot of Americans, including myself, used to say that Buddhism was really more of a philosophy than a religion, since it was not a God-religion like Christianity.Well, welcome to Thailand. Sure, you're right, Buddhism is not a God-religion; it's a religion with a thousand gods, demigods, and Arahants. Rather than being a "pure philosophy" which preaches the doctrine of reincarnation, Thai Buddhism embraces both the idea of going to heaven AND the idea of being reborn. For example, if you have been a really good person, you may go to Heaven for a thousand years, and then be reborn as a great spiritual leader. If you messed up, you may go to Hell for a while, and be reborn as a snake. The central Buddhist ritual in Thailand is "tham boon" == "making merit." This is done in the frank hope of having a better life to come. Rupert Gethin mentions such things, and so the consumers of "Export Buddhism" are naturally shocked!By the way, my current interest is in dhyana / jyana states in meditation. Apparently, these are states of mind available to anyone willing to put in the time and work. And, for a quick look to remind me about this, Gethin's book is RELIABLE.That's pretty high praise!

I have read nearly every introduction and history of Buddhism and Buddhist thought. Rupert Gethin has written in what I consider the best yet. Very well written; he evidences a very deep understanding of the tangled complexities. It is an excellent introduction, his bibliography will inform the reader to more specific facets of Buddhist thought and practice. He is very good explaining ambiguities of Buddhist philosophical terminology without getting bogged down in convoluted explanation. I highly recommend this book to one who is interested and wants to know something about Buddhism, as well as to those who are informed. My only criticism is that I think his discussion of Tibetan Buddhism was a little weak, while good at describing the schools of Buddhism in Tibet. He did not mention the reme movement that arose toward the end of the nineteenth century. to put it awkwardly, an unrestrictve approach to the teachings of all Buddhist schools. A lot can be said of this movement. I recommend the wikipedia as a point of departure for better a understanding.

A thoroughly researched tour of Buddhist cosmology, schools, and the philosophies that underpin them. The major sutras (reported saying of the Buddha) and canonical works (the Abhidharma or higher dharma and those from the later Mahayana and Yogacara thinkers) are cover.A valiant attempt at articulating the no-self doctrine is given a whole chapter, while the equally challenging conceptions of emptiness and dependant arising are well covered.While the Buddhist path (the 4th Nobel Truth) is itself devoted a full chapter, the book is not a a "how to" manual. It is a detailed scholarly overview of East Asian Buddhism's foundations (as the title says). In this context it is worth mentioning that Buddhist Modernism as encountered here in the west is not really covered, except in the final chapter describing the contemporary practices of Buddhism around the world.A must read for anyone interested in more than a superficial gloss on Buddhism.

I purchased this book after reading a footnote form Bikkhu Bodhi in his anthology of the Pali Canon. The footnote suggested this book as a deeper dive into the philosophical and psychological aspects of the Buddhist ontology and metaphysics, and this is exactly that it is.Though the title may suggest otherwise, I would begin by clarifying what this book is, and what it is not. Though a suitably enthusiastic beginner would certainly learn a great deal by beginning with this book, I do not believe it is suitable for absolute beginners with no prior knowledge of the main tenets of Buddhist thought. Whilst it certainly begins at the beginning, by chapter 5 or 6, the philosophical exposition of the deep and interconnected systems that make up the core Buddhist concepts read like the texts I was studying in my philosophy MA. I say this not to brag, but to try to give an idea of the tone of the book.Potential readers should be under no illusions; this is an academic book that covers deeply academic topics. Philosophical concepts are posed like philosophical arguments, and the discourse is considered in the form approaching an academic essay.That said, what this book does, it does very well. I have found it not only incredibly informative, but captivating to read. The topics, whilst deep and quite tricky to comprehend, are clearly laid out, and the author does not shy away from delving into the minutiae of the philosophical frame work.The chapters on the link between the mind, consciousness, and reality itself, and how these underpin the twin concepts of karma and rebirth, are some of the finest philosophy I have ever read, and while this is, in part, due to the development of Buddhism itself over 2,500 years, credit must be given to the author for the way in which it has been presented.I would recommend this book whole heartedly to those wishing to explore the deeper philosophical aspects of Buddhist thought, from both a practitioner's perspective and as an intellectual study. I would, however, urge caution for those with little or no prior knowledge. Bikkhu Bodhi's introductions are perhaps more gentle introductions to the very basics, whilst this is a much more specific and thorough survey of the philosophy which underpins the core concepts.

As a relative newcomer to Buddhism, I found this book very informative and well written. Some of the concepts described are a little mind bending but that is the nature of these things. Would highly recommend to any person wishing to explore Buddhism.

A good primer on Buddhism, its terminology, history and evolution into the various traditions and schools that exist today. This is not a “how to” manual but rather a what, when and why on Buddhist philosophy.I was particularly interested in the core learning such as the four noble truths and the eight-fold path that is explained in detail. The story of Gautama Buddha is, as usual, always engaging and enlightening. The sections on Theravada, Mahayana, Tripitaka (Chinese) and Kanjur (Tibetan) traditions help outline their differences and similarities.What struck me was that even though Buddhism is supposed to be devoid of the schisms that exist in Christianity, here too we see the teachings of a master being subjected to the desires and motivations of his adherents and therefore being set to evolve differently in different geographies and cultures long after the master has passed on. To discover the pure teaching, we need to go back to the master and his message, which, having taken place at a time where only the oral tradition prevailed, is bound to be wrapped, interpreted and changed through the fallible lenses of his disciples and followers. Rupert Gethin has done an admirable job in gathering the multi-various strands of this complex philosophy and presenting it in a single book.

Studio gli insegnamenti buddhisti da anni e posso assicurare che questo testo non è soltanto per i novizi (questa era la mia principale preoccupazione prima dell'acquisto); anche chi studia Dharma da un bel po', riuscirà a trarre importanti informazioni da questo libro.Due cose in particolare ho apprezzato (e tanto)1) L'organizzazione degli argomenti nei diversi capitoli: si comprende che, da parte dell'autore, c'è stata una grossa riflessione al fine di rendere la stesura del lavoro quanto mai chiara, precisa e ottimale, evitando sovrapposizioni di temi e non linearità degli stessi2) Una sincerità, nei confronti di specifici argomenti, non comune agli studiosi occidentali, specie se provenienti dal mondo accademicoConsigliato? ASSOLUTAMENTE SI. Sia per i novizi e i curiosi, sia per gli studiosi più avanzati