I've seen on /lit/ that pic related is a "controversial work" because the author takes liberties with the texts and makes assumptions / makes statements that the wider Buddhist community may not agree with. How true is that claim?
I picked up this book because I wanted a more in depth and detailed look at Buddhism, if the above claim is true, what books should I be buying if I want an authentic look into this religion?
>>7836580
I'm also curious about this question. Read this a couple months ago and mostly enjoyed it. I know it's the textbook for the intro to buddhism class at ucla, but don't know much other than that.
There are many schools of Buddhism. In the Buddha's Word is an anthology of discourses from the Pali Canon written by a Theravada monk. If you are interested in Theravada and the Pali Canon then I see no problem. Expecting a work like this not to be controversial is problematic given the wide variety of philosophies within the umbrela of "Buddhism". Would you expect to find a single book that every branch of Christianity agrees with? Most churches have their own official translations of the Bible and their own key philosophical works. Same with Buddhism.
>>7837287
Then I guess I'm looking for more suggestions of trustworthy books to read that expand on what little I know of the religion in totality, in any direction.
>>7838989
Read the Wikipedia articles first.
Learn the differences between the different schools (Theravada, Tantric, Mahayana, Chancellor, etcetera).
From what I know the Pali Canon is read by most if not all schools, just remember that Bhikku's interpretations (as with any interpretation) will be bias.
>>7838989
bikhu bodhi want a translation one word in pali = one word in english. Of course, the endeavor is bound to fail and not be accurate. But his work is a good introduction, and as usual with any work, you must have several translations. The best remains to learn pali.
today, people tend to split the formal practice into
-tranquility, samatha, of the consciousness [where you make your mind quiet]
-insights, vipassna, [where you see that it is unbecoming, in order to be happy, to desire to take for personal and permanent what you always took for personal and permanent [typically your mind, your consciousness, your emotions, your sensations]
there are many books, talks and videos on the dhamma, so I cannot list all. I prefer to list only the free materials.
I give a bit of everything, in the school called the theravadan. this school is the most straightforward and does not insist on ''the vacuity (of personality and permanence) '', like the Zen buddhists and the tibetans love to talk on, but it remains the same (the practices preliminary to the jhanas [=the practice of morality in daily life] differ a lot though)
this is the first thing to take: watch videos of these retreats, especially the Q&A. this monk is famous and easy to follow. he is a good introduction, with some hippies flavors. he is quite rigorous in demanding that the jhanas are states where you no longer feel the 6 senses [people tend to lower the bar of these states, but they still call them jhanas]
watch first videos of talks during a retreat
https://www.youtube.com/user/AjahnBrahmRetreats/videos
especially this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9wWluu564c
another first thing to watch:
a short video on the jhanas
[YouTube] What is Jhana? By Ven. Henepola Gunaratana Nayaka Maha Thera(Bhante G) (embed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lv0PFLZ12o
[YouTube] Bhante Gunaratana (1) What is samatha-vipassana? Part 1: samatha (embed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFOjJtEd2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESQOi9djyaA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41NpmB2le3I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=div3NnAIoYU
and all the others videos from this series
The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation by Henepola Gunaratana
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html
Mindfulness in plain English, Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf2/Mindfulness%20in%20Plain%20English%20Book%20Preview.pdf
http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.php
Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English: An Introductory Guide to Deeper States of Meditation, Book by Henepola Gunaratana
http://www.wisdompubs.org/sites/default/files/preview/Beyond%20Mindfulness%20Book%20Preview.pdf
>>7839026
>This site is dedicated to the teachings of Venerable Ayya Khema (1923-1997), a Theravada Buddhist nun ordained in Sri Lanka . Her teachings (which were prolific) describe simple and effective meditation methods for development of calm and insight, for expanding feelings of loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity towards others, and for overcoming obstacles to practice. She also gives detailed and lucid instructions for the meditative absorptions (jhanas) which provide access to higher states of consciousness, the way the Buddha himself practiced.
http://ayyakhematalks.org/
>insisting on the setting the samatha first, this book recast the use of the mindfulness through the three angas, [swift introduction to the various sources PLUS good introduction to ''mindfulness'']
A History of Mindfulness Bhikkhu Sujato.pdf
http://santifm.org/santipada/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/A_History_of_Mindfulness_Bhikkhu_Sujato.pdf
>Moment to Moment Mindfulness, A PICTORIAL MANUAL FOR MEDITATORS, Achan Sobin S. Namto
http://vipassanadhura.com/momenttomoment.htm
There's nothing controversial at all about Bhikkhu Bodhi's work, it's the standard English translation of the Pali canon, widely used and quoted by Buddhists and scholars.
With terms that are uncertain he uses the commentaries to clarify terms. The commentaries belong to a later strata of the tradition, but to call reference to them 'taking liberties' is a massive exaggeration.
suttacentral.net is a good place for exploring the suttas. When reading a sutta there is a side menu in which you can click "discuss and discover" to find resources based on that sutta.
eg https://suttacentral.net/en/sn36.21
>>7840309
"sayings of the buddha" is a great collection of works from the pali cannon with fantastic footnotes
>>7841449
Yep, this is a good alternative sutra anthology for dipping into. Rupert Gethin is a western academic, not a monk, so it's a different perspective than Bikkhu Bodhi.
