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The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha) Hardcover – June 15, 1995


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The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha) + The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (Teachings of the Buddha) + The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya
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Product Details

  • Series: Teachings of the Buddha
  • Hardcover: 648 pages
  • Publisher: Wisdom Publications; 2nd edition (June 15, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0861711033
  • ISBN-13: 978-0861711031
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This translation of the Digha Nikaya, a collection of 34 sutras and a companion volume to The Middle Length Discourses (below), deals with a variety of topics such as the rewards of monastic life, early Buddhist philosophy, and the duties of laypersons.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This is an amazing work that speaks to us across 2500 years... Each person who undertakes to read and study The Long Discourses of the Buddha will, I believe, open up new paths of thought and new and precious insights into the depths of Buddhist history and thought." (Mountain Record)

"These teachings... unfold in fascinating procession of scenarios that show the Buddha in living dialogue with people from the many different strata of ancient Indian society... Replete with drama, with reasoned argument, and with illuminating parables and similes, these discourses exhibit the Buddha in the full range of his wisdom, majestic sublimity, and compassionate humanity." (Branches of Light)

Customer Reviews

It appears in lucid english language and easy to read.
laihp@po.pacific.net.sg
This book is a modern translation of the Long Length Discourses of the Buddha, a seminal collection of early Buddhist texts.
Robin Friedman
You might find it helpful to read a few passages, contemplate them for a day or so and then return and read more.
M. Dillon

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 76 people found the following review helpful By Robin Friedman HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on January 31, 2004
Format: Hardcover
This book is a modern translation of the Long Length Discourses of the Buddha, a seminal collection of early Buddhist texts. The Digha is part of the scripture of the Theravada school of Buddhism. The Theravada school is is the oldest surviving form of Buddhism and is still practiced in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and elsewhere. Together with other forms of Buddhism, Theravada has attracted a great deal of interest in the West, and this book will be invaluable in making its teachings accessible. This collection of discourses is considered canonical by all other schools of Buddhism. Subsequent understanding of the Buddha's teachings built upon it, even when they seemed to depart from it.
The Digha is a collection of 34 discourses (suttas), originally written in Pali. The form of the teaching differs from that of later Buddhist teachings in that in the Digha, the Buddha is presented as a person wandering through India and teaching his disciples, followers of other sects, kings, princes, gods, and anyone who is open to listen. The teachings are difficult but the emphasis in this collection is on psychology more than metaphysics. The Buddha described his dhamma as designed to end suffering and to teach people how to be happy. That is the core of this volume.
Many scholars believe that the Digha was written specifically to introduce the Buddha's teaching to lay followers. Most (but not all) the suttas in the collection involve discussions between the Buddha and various lay people or followers of other sects. The suttas in the collection include a great deal of mythology and story-telling. These factors, together with the content of the discourses, tend to show it was designed for a large audience, rather than only for close followers of the Buddha's teachings.
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41 of 41 people found the following review helpful By M. Dillon VINE VOICE on February 25, 2002
Format: Hardcover
Maurice Walsh's work is amazing. He has taken several volumes from the Pali Canon, and by editing down the repetitions, (which you can reference back to if you so desire) condensed these important teachings into a very user-friendly book.
Like Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of The Middle Length Discourse of the Buddha, this book is probably not best for a beginner, but, once you have a little interest and background into the Buddha's teachings, this is a must have resource. If I could only have a few books on Buddhism/the Buddha's teachings, this would be one of them. The suttas, as the title informs, tend to be long, but they don't need to be read in one short sitting. You might find it helpful to read a few passages, contemplate them for a day or so and then return and read more. This way you can begin to apply them in your life. The Buddha didn't lay down a gospel to follow. He simply pointed A Way. We can read his words, try them in our life, and see if they are true though our direct experience. There is no need for `faith' or `belief' in the words, try them and see for yourself.
This book starts off with a short background into the Buddha's life, the times in which he was alive, and his basic teachings. Each sutta, (Discourse) is summarized to give you an overview of the topic however, the majority of this enormous book consists of the Discourses of the Buddha.
I hope you find great pleasure in reading what is arguably, the closest we can come to the actual words of the Buddha.
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65 of 69 people found the following review helpful By Roger H. Fisher on December 18, 1999
Format: Hardcover
Superlatives alone serve to describe this great achievement of scholarship, translation and dedication to fundamental Buddhism. Walshe was not only a master of languages but a practicing Buddhist -- and it certainly shows. This particular product of his knowledge and his faith is one of the most inspiring and elucidating volumes of Buddhist text available to the English-speaking reader.
I will leave it to others to describe the wonderful prose into which Walshe turns the complexities of the Pali language, and the clarity with which he manages to capture in readable English the most arcane Buddhist concepts. I prefer instead to recommend this book because of my own favorite part: The dozens of witty, insightful notes and asides which Walshe buries throughout, waiting for the reader to stumble upon them and have them explode like intellectual land-mines, bursting with clarity, erudition -- and gentle humor.
I find myself turning to this book all the time simply to consult its remarkable introduction and ample appendices. Walshe is consistently the most accurate and reliable source of basic information about tbe Buddha, Buddhism, the Pali language and Pali literature I have encountered. In my awe at his ability to teach, I can only assume that Walshe took as his model the Buddha himself. Deprived of the opportunity to have had first-hand contact as a student of either one, I content myself with the belief that Walshe's book represents the second-best chance to study at the feet of both.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful By Sarakani on September 23, 2001
Format: Hardcover
The Digha Nikaya was apparently the first portion of the Pali Canon to be recited after the Buddha's passing and contains some of his most important discourses. This book compresses all 30 odd discourses (suttas) into a relatively slim volume compared to the original with its repetitions which would run into tens of volumes.
The only alternative to this edition which is reputable is still probably Rhys David's translation for the PTS in 3 volumes which is actually good but archaic, harder and pricier to get hold of.
Walshe's translation reads easily and his notes are quite chatty but a few of his comments could have been avoided. The Buddha comes across as quite human is his speech and earnest in conveying something to his listeners (the English is highly readable and fairly simple as opposed to older and archaic rendering), commanding as usual but cool and detached with a tremendous sense of compassion.
More abstruse passages within certain suttas will not be understood by most readers without meditation practice or guidance from teachers and the book itself lacks sufficient explanation, in fact some elements of the translation may be wrong or mis-interpretted.
This book is a boon companion for anyone who feels s/he needs the highest security.
Most of the suttas here are applicable to lay people as well as monks (the usual audience the Buddha addressed) and this volume contains seminal discourses such as 1. The Great Discourse on the foundations of mindfulness, 2. The discourse of the Great decease of the Buddha and 3. Fruits of the homeless life. There are many others such as one specifically as to how lay-people should live and guard their worldly affairs and at least two dealing with gods or conversations with celestial beings.
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