Description
DEV PUBLISHERS How Buddhism Began: The Conditioned Genesis Of The Early Teachings by Richard F. Gombrich
Written by one of the worlds top scholars in the field of Pali Buddhism this new and updated edition of How Buddhism Began discusses various important doctrines and themes in early Buddhism. It takes early Buddhism to be that reflected in the Pali canon and to some extent assumes that these doctrines reflect the teachings of the Buddha himself. Two themes predominate. Firstly the author argues that we cannot understand the Buddha unless we understand that he was debating with other religious teachers notably Brahmins. The other main theme concerns metaphor allegory and literalism. This accessible well-written book is mandatory reading for all serious students of Buddhism.