Teachings of the Buddha [Paperback]

Jack Kornfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 1996

This treasury of essential Buddhist writings draws from the most popular Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese sources. Among the selections are some of the earliest recorded sayings of the Buddha on the practice of freedom, passages from later Indian scriptures on the perfection of wisdom, verses from Tibetan masters on the enlightened mind, and songs in praise of meditation by Zen teachers. The book also includes traditional instruction on how to practice sitting meditation, cultivate calm awareness, and live with compassion. Jack Kornfield, one of the most respected American Buddhist teachers, has compiled these teachings to impart the essence and inspiration of Buddhism to readers of all spiritual traditions.

This revised and expanded edition of the Shambhala Pocket Classics version of the same title offers a broad array of teachings representing the full spectrum of the Buddhist tradition, including new selections on the role of women in early Buddhism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A remarkably readable book that records some of the earliest recorded sayings of the historic Buddha."— East and West Series



"An inspirational treasury of essential teachings from Buddhist literature—selected by one of the best-known American Buddhist teachers."— Snow Lion

Product Details

• Paperback: 209 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; Rev Sub edition (February 6, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570621241
• ISBN-13: 978-1570621246
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.7 x 7.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stellar Sampling of Buddhist Gems, January 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Teachings of the Buddha (Paperback)

This is the best concise compendium of original Buddhist teachings available in (smooth) English, in my opinion. The selection is excellent and covers the full range of Buddhist traditions. The titles are generally thematic, leaving the designation of the actual sutra to a small note at the end of each selection. It is the perfect and most natural choice for those who are looking for a small bedside edition of concise Buddhist teachings rather than a complete translation of the entire Majjhima Nikaya, or some such (for that check out Wisdom Book's excellent Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, for example). In short, I can't recommend this book highly enough!

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thankyou Jack Kornfield, December 30, 2003

By 

Swing King (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teachings of the Buddha (Paperback)

Outstanding! This is what comes to mind when reviewing Jack Kornfield's compilation of the sayings accredited to the Buddha Shakyamuni retrieved from various sources. What I would recommend to the person buying this book is perhaps to read an excerpt before sitting down to meditate, or in the morning before heading off to work or school. It truly is much like a daily devotional, to be savored and "picked apart."

I love these types of works where the "author" really just plays role of "editor." In this particular case Jack is more of a compiler, retrieving these sayings from a large variety of sources. I appreciate how he simply presents us with the material, but does not do our homework for us. I am always reminded by a man who asked a shaman to interpret a dream he had, while the shaman replies, "Sure, that's great.You should hire me to interpret all of your metaphors for you, I could be your wife, too. In the night you can just roll over and ask me what it all meant. I can spoonfeed you breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well." The man who asked for the interpretation then laughs, realizing the shaman's wonderful teaching. We must find our own commentary for our Buddhist practice to grow any, much like Basho's famous "Ancient Pond" poem.

I hope you enjoy this book:)!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars nice companion, May 19, 2005

By 

D. L. Harder (usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teachings of the Buddha (Paperback)

Jack Kornfield did a great job in putting this together.The book gives concise Buddist teachings a smooth english read.I travel alot on my job and take this on my travels for short mind breaks.
this is a great take anywhere book. I highly recommend it.