Buddhist Books

[chris98e]

I read a Buddhist book once by a Thai Forest monk who came from the U.S. The book has a lily on the cover. I think it was called the mind and the way but when I looked that book up on the Internet it did not show the cover that I once had which was a cover with a lilly on it. Anyway the book said on the back don't throw the book away but instead to burn the book. So my question is has anyone on here every burn a Buddhist Book for out of reverence?

[bodom]

I read a Buddhist book once by a Thai Forest monk who came from the U.S. The book has a lily on the cover. I think it was called the mind and the way but when I looked that book up on the Internet it did not show the cover that I once had which was a cover with a lilly on it.

Not sure about the whole book burning buisness but the book your referring too is The Mind and the Way by Ajahn Sumedho. If the book is in good shape donate it to your local library or give it to someone who may benefit from it rather than burn it.

[chris98e]

I think the whole book burning business is why I made the post. The title and the author was secondary to the whole book burning business.

[SamBodhi]

I have heard about this kind of thing, but I have never heard of it being printed on the back of a book. I would have a hard time burning a book out of reverence by myself. I would probably just donate it to a local Dhamma Center or see if one of my friends wanted it. I suppose that is the point of your comment, though? Is it better to burn something in reverence to the teaching or is it better to loan it to a friend where it will be neglected, stepped on, coffee covered, dog-eared-all-over-the-place...I can't even bear to think of it. I would follow the advice above and donate it.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Anyway the book said on the back don't throw the book away but instead to burn the book.

For what it's worth, this practice is not to be found mentioned in the Tipitaka, nor (to the best of my knowledge) anywhere at all in the corpus of traditional Theravada literature.



Metta,
Retro.

[Kim OHara]

Greetings,

Anyway the book said on the back don't throw the book away but instead to burn the book.

For what it's worth, this practice is not to be found mentioned in the Tipitaka, nor (to the best of my knowledge) anywhere at all in the corpus of traditional Theravada literature.



Metta,
Retro.

... for very good reasons: books (in any form) were extremely rare and expensive until long after all the Canon was compiled. The Tipitaka, in fact, was complete long before it became a 'book' by being written down.
Ritual destruction of broken/damaged sacred objects would be the nearest equivalent practice. I've heard of that in other religions but I don't know anything about it in Theravada tradition.



Kim