Preface

What is Buddha?  If you have ever wondered about what the  Buddha really taught. Should Buddhists be ambitious?  What does Buddhism say about sex, marriage and divorce?  How is meditation practised?  These are just some of the many questions yet to be answered.

“All About Buddhism” is an in-depth study of the most important teachings of Buddhism.  This will be the first of its introductory courses in Buddhism and will eventually be used for a comprehensive course in Buddhist education. It presents the ancient teaching as it is ; a humane and dynamic philosophy of life as relevant today as when it was first proclaimed nearly twenty-five  centuries ago. The inclusion of Pali terms only where necessary, or where they might be of particular interest.

Over the past decade, there has been an increased interest in Buddhism, an interest which seems to be accelerating yearly. With this growth in interest, the need for a thorough introduction to Buddhism has also arisen.  

The likelihood that most Buddhists at some time or other will be questioned about their beliefs, or perhaps even be called upon to defend them from unfair criticism is, unfortunately, very likely. This being so, an introduction to Buddhism should answer some of the questions that are most commonly posed, it should include some comparisons between Buddhist doctrines and those of other faiths, and it should remind the reader of the importance of non-retaliation, tolerance and good manners.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, an introduction to Buddhism should be written primarily from the Buddhist standpoint.

 

In this content almost all the quotations are used from the Pali Tipitaka or from Buddhist classical literature. After all, the Pali Tipitaka contains the teachings of the Buddha in his own words, and thus must take precedence over the opinions of enlightened scholars and philosophers. The classical literature of Buddhism, on the other hand, has been drawn upon frequently because with its profundity and beauty it deserves to be more well-known by the  general Buddhist public.