Description
Book SynopsisIn this highly readable handbook, Sangharakshita guides the reader through the at times complex Buddhist tradition. Part one tackles the essentials of the religion in sections devoted to the Buddha, his teachings, and the spiritual community while part two tackles the practicalities of trying to lead a Buddhist life. A Guide to the Buddhist Path is a reliable map of the Buddhist way that anyone can follow.
Table of ContentsPreface PART ONE Introduction THE BUDDHA - Who is the Buddha? - Archetypal Symbolism in the Biography of the Buddha - The Symbolism of the Five Buddhas, 'Male' and 'Female' - The Five Wisdoms THE DHARMA - The Word of the Buddha - Wrong View, Right View, Perfect View - The Wheel of Life and the Spiral Path - The Six Realms - The Twelve Links - Stopping the Wheel - The Spiral Path THE SANGHA - The Traditional Significance of the Sangha - The Primacy of Going for Refuge - What Members of the Spiritual Community Do - Communication - Friendship - Unfailing Mutual Kindness PART TWO Introduction MORALITY - The Criterion of Ethics - The Five Precepts - The Principle of Non-Violence - The Principle of Non-Exploitation - Contentment - Levels of Communication - Awareness MEDITATION - A System of Meditation - The Five Basic Methods of Meditation - Alienated Awareness and Integrated Awareness - The Four Brahma-Viharas - The Dhyanas - The Symbolism of the Five Elements in the Stupa - The Stupa Visualisation Practice WISDOM - The Three Characteristics of Existence - The Bodhicitta - How the Bodhicitta Arises - Enlightenment, Eternity, and Time - The 'Goal' of Nirvana - Enlightenment Further Reading Notes Index
