Bhikkhu Bodhi Lectures: In the Buddha's Words

[unspoken]

Hi Unspoken,

How long is the duration of all the dhamma talks posted there? So I listen to ALL the mp3 of the provided link and it will be same as reading a book except that I do not need to read?

It might be possible to just listen, but I would recommend having the book, since the talks often assume you've looked at the passage under discussion. It's a relatively cheap paperback (less than $20).


Mike

Actually I'm just a teenager living in Malaysia. If its in dolar, convert to malaysian ringgit, it will be rm60 which I could not afford it. I think I'll be fine just download the mp3

[Jhana4]

I can relate to that.

I first got interested in Buddhism in the 90s when I was a student. I was living off about $500 a month. Wisdom's "Middle Length Discourses", I think, was even more expensive back then. There were no Amazon or used book discounts. It wasn't in the library system as it is now. Buying a copy would have been like sacrificing a week and half's worth of grocery money.

Luckily, the sutta class I went to didn't mind sharing books at classes or providing photocopies. John Bullit of Access To Insight was also working with the Buddhist Publication Society to put a lot of their pamphlets on the web ( I still read a few of them as text files and converted a few to HTML myself ) and about the same time Thanisarro Bhikkhu started putting his translations on Access To Insight. My Buddhist education would have been shut down back then if not for these things.

[danieLion]

Thanks for this original poster. What a great resource! I just started reading In the Buddha's Words and just finished Wings to Awakening. I have been listening to these talks while I do stuff around the house. I also like Thanissaro's Handful of Leaves I, but am still in the introduction of that. Wings was much easier to read at a faster pace compared to In the Buddha's Words which I like just as much but something about it makes me want to read more reflectively and and hence slower. Also, so far, Wings seems more thesis driven (to support his opinion of the importance of the bodhipakkiyadhamma?) whereas IBW more expository.

What are your experiences with these anthologies?

Thanks,

Dan

[mikenz66]

Hi Dan,

Of course, I agree. Ven Thanissaro's books seem to me to be written to make particular points (nothing wrong with that, of course, same goes for many authors!). Bhikkhu Bodhi's anthology does attempt to be a broad cross-section of suttas giving a reasonably balanced view of the breadth of advice that is in the Canon. I have found his classification system very useful and it's seldom that I read a sutta that contains material that is not hinted at in that volume, though of course I can point to suttas that go into the various aspects in more detail.

The criticism that some have is that he deliberately downplayed verse, but verse (such as the Dhammapada, the Sutta Nipata, and the first book of the Samyutta Nikaya) is difficult to render both accurately and poetically. Yes, it would be nice to include the Ratana, Mahāmaṅgala Sutta, and Metta Suttas, but it would require a lot of explanation (which he gives here: http://www.bodhimonastery.net/bm/about-buddhism/audio/84-sutta-nipata.html).


Mike

[Gibraltariana]

I am going to order this book today. Thanks!

[past is dead]

I have started to read this book few days ago and it's really good so far. Can you guys recommend me other books by Bhikkhu Bodhi or other Theravada related books?

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Past Is Dead,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.

Check out this topic...

Introductory resources
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=148

Metta,
Retro.

[past is dead]

Greetings Past Is Dead,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.

Check out this topic...

Introductory resources
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=148

Metta,
Retro.

Thanks you Retrofuturist for the help, I am new here so I will need some time to learn my way around

Which are your favorite introductory, intermediate and advanced books on Theravada?

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Which are your favorite introductory, intermediate and advanced books on Theravada?

In a nutshell...

Introductory: anything from the topic I referenced, or anything by Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Chah, Bhikkhu Bodhi, or Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Intermediate: anything from the Sutta Pitaka
Advanced: anything by Bhikkhu Nanananda, Nanavira Thera, Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero... then going back to the Sutta Pitaka and reading it, taking what these people have said into account



Metta,
Retro.

[past is dead]

Greetings,

Which are your favorite introductory, intermediate and advanced books on Theravada?

In a nutshell...

Introductory: anything from the topic I referenced, or anything by Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Chah, Bhikkhu Bodhi, or Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Intermediate: anything from the Sutta Pitaka
Advanced: anything by Bhikkhu Nanananda, Nanavira Thera, Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero... then going back to the Sutta Pitaka and reading it, taking what these people have said into account



Metta,
Retro.

Thanks a lot again

[Ron-The-Elder]

In Bhikkhu Bodhi's first lecture (MN002_SamyojanaAnusayaAsava.pdf) he has an extensive discussion regarding Asava (taints). Found the following which I found quite helpful in this regard: http://wisdomthroughmindfulness.blogspo ... -work.html