VI. Specific Teachings

Basic Position of Sila, I.B. Horner, Colombo, Ceylon: Bauddha Sahitya Sabha, 1950, 27p. A lecture on morality given at the University of Ceylon.(Sp#009)

Buddha's Doctrine of Anatta, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Bangkok: Dhamma Study & Practice Group, 1990, 100p, 974-7680-16-5. A clear description of the Buddha's principle of not-self from an influential Thai monk known for his balance of research and practice.(Sp#012)

Buddhist Doctrine of Life After Death, Ven. Piyadassi, Taipei, Taiwan: Buddha Educational Foundation, [1981], 44p, An eloquent lecture on the subject of rebirth accessible to the general reader, supplemented by stories of rebirth and child prodigies.(Sp#020)

Buddhist Reflections on Death, V.F. Gunaratna,  Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 2001, 38p, (WH 102/103), 955-24-0226-3. Mindfulness of death is presented, in seven sections, as a subject that can purify and refine the mind.(Sp#260)

Dana: The Practice of Giving, Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.), 1990, 71p, (WH 367/369), 955-24-0077-5. Dana -- the Pali word means giving, generosity, self-sacrifice: the quality of the heart that moves a person to give away his or her own possessions for the sake of others. Giving in Buddhism is not a mere moral virtue to be randomly engaged in or followed as an obligatory duty. It is, rather, an aspect of training, a means of practice, by which a spiritual aspirant learns to overcome selfishness and attachment and to express a compassionate concern for the welfare of others. In this booklet four practicing Buddhists of today (Susan Elbaum Jootla, Lily de Silva, M.O'C. Walshe, and Nina van Gorkom), and one classical Buddhist commentator (Acariya Dhammapala), set forth their understanding of giving and examine it in relation to the wider body of Dhamma practice. The writers demonstrate the great range of the Buddhist practice of giving and its vital connections with the quest for enlightenment and final liberation from suffering.(Sp#133)

Dependent Origination: the Buddhist Law of Conditionality, P.A. Payutto, Bangkok: Buddhadhamma Foundation, 1994, 135p, 974-89148-2-8. A detailed presentation of the twelve-linked chain of dependently arisen conditions along with selections from the Pali Canon and Commentaries.(Sp#137)

Do You Believe in Rebirth?, K. Sri Dhammananda, Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society, 1973, 2^nd ed., 47p. An introductory booklet with illustrative case histories of rebirth.(Sp#037)

Egolessness (Anatta): Collected Essays, {Three Basic Facts of Existence Part III}, Kandy: BPS, 1974, 102p, (WH 202/204). Eleven essays on the Buddha's doctrine of not-self written by monks and lay practioners.(Sp#039)

Feeling Buddha: A Buddhist Psychology of Character, Adversity and Passion, David Brazier, London: Constable, 1997, 207p, 0-09-476290-2. A lucid account of enlightenment, nirvana and the four Noble Truths. The person Gotama, called Buddha, emerges as a very human figure whose success lay not in his perfection, but in his method of positively utilizing the energy generated by personal suffering.(Sp#160)

For a Future to be Possible: Commentaries on the Five Wonderful Precepts, Thich Nhat Hanh et al, Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1993, 281p, 0-938077-65-1. The Five Wonderful Precepts are the basic statements of ethics and morality in Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh and 14 prominent co-authors discuss these mindfulness trainings and offer insights and challenges for how they might play an important role in our personal lives and society.(Sp#159)

Four Noble Truths, Francis Story, Kandy: BPS, 1968, 69p, (WH 34/35). A commentary on the central concepts of the Buddha's teaching.(Sp#046)

Four Noble Truths, Ven. Ajahn Sumedho, Hertfordshire, England: Amaravati Publications, 1992, 73p., 1-870205-10-3. A booklet of edited talks given by the abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery.(Sp#153)

Good, Evil and Beyond: Kamma in the Buddha's Teaching, Bhikkhu P.A. Payutto, Bangkok: Buddhadhamma Foundation, 1995, 2^nd ed., 123p, 974-575-262-2. A Thai Buddhist scholar monk writes about kamma for a Western audience.(Sp#096)

Impermanence (Anicca): Collected Essays, {Three Basic Facts of Existence: Part I}, Kandy: BPS, 1981, 73p, (WH 186/187). Five essays on the Buddha's doctrine of Anicca written by monks and laypersons.(Sp#244)

Kamma and its Fruit: Selected Essays, Nyanaponika Thera (ed.), Kandy: BPS, 2^nd ed., 1990, 122p, (WH 221/224), 955-24-0021-X. Five practising Buddhists, all with modern backgrounds, offer their reflections on the significance of kamma and its relations to ethics, spiritual practice, and philosophical understanding.(Sp#122)

Mind Like Fire Unbound: an Image in the Early Buddhist Discourses, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Barre, MA: Dhamma Dana Pub., 1999, 3^rd ed., 126p. Early Buddhism borrowed two of its central terms from the workings of fire. Upadana, or clinging, originally referred to the fuel that kept fire burning; nibbana, the name of the goal, to a fire's going out. The author examines how these terms have affected Buddhist doctrine in general, and the practice of meditation in particular. Includes extensive extracts from the Pali Canon.(Sp#295)

Nibbana as Living Experience & The Buddha and the Arahant: Two Studies from the Pali Canon, Lily de Silva, Kandy: BPS, 1996, 52p, WH 407/408, 955-24-0128-3. A well-known scholar looks at nibbana from the point of view of its four outstanding experiential attributes as set out in the Pali texts. In her second essay she examines the two types of individuals who have realized the ultimate goal.(Sp#201)

Noble Eightfold Path and its Factors Explained, Ledi Sayadaw, Kandy: BPS, 1977, 92p, (WH 245/247). A handbook of the Eightfold Path by a respected Burmese meditation master.(Sp#059)

Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Kandy: BPS, 1994, 2^nd ed., 128p, (BP 105S), 955-24-0116-X. Using simple and clear language, the author presents a concise yet thorough explanation of the Eightfold Path, the practical method the Buddha prescribed to uproot and eliminate the underlying causes of suffering. Basing himself solidly upon the Buddha's own words, the author examines each factor of the path to determine exactly what it implies in the way of practical training. Finally, in the concluding chapter, he shows how all eight factors of the path function together to bring about the realization of the Buddhist goal: enlightenment and liberation.(Sp#119)

Real Facts of Life: Practical Reflections on the Three Marks of Existence, Sumano Tong, Kandy: BPS, 2000, 34p, WH 435, 955-24-0205-0. Gives a detailed survey intended to uncover the three characteristics (i.e. impermanence, suffering, selflessness) in the everyday realities we encounter in our lives. An exercise in "wise refection".(Sp#169)

Suffering (Dukkha): Collected Essays, {Three Basic Facts of Existence: Part II}, Kandy: BPS, 1973, 100p, (WH 191/193). Eight essays on the Buddha's doctrine of Dukkha written by monks and laypersons.(Sp#136)

Thirty-One States of Being and Becoming (Re-birth), Egerton C. Baptist, Singapore: Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, [1981], 58p, 9971-84-099-5. An exposition on the realms of existence.(Sp#075)

Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche, New York: HarperCollins, 1992, 428p, 0-06-250793-1. A Buddhist meditation master brings together the ancient wisdom teachings of Tibet with modern research on death and dying and the nature of our universe. Presents simple yet powerful practices from the heart of the Tibetan tradition that anyone, whatever their religion or background, can do to transform their lives, prepare for death, and help the dying.(Sp#164)

To Cherish all Life: a Buddhist View of Animal Slaughter and Meat Eating, Roshi Philip Kapleau, Rochester, NY: The Zen Center, 1981, 106p, 0-940306-00-X. An American-born Zen monk questions meat eating. The treatise is divided into three sections: the sufferings of animals raised for slaughter, meat eating and the First Precept, and nutritional supplements.(Sp#110)

Wheel of Birth and Death, Bhikkhu Khantipalo, Kandy: BPS, 1970, 47p. (WH 147/149). A description of the teaching of Dependent Arising. The commentaries to the suttas contain references to a wheel as a simile for Dependent Arising. The author sketches the tradition of the wheel simile, its symbolism, and the practical meaning of its elements.(Sp#232)

Wheel of Life and Death: a Practical and Spiritual Guide, Philip Kapleau, New York: Doubleday, 1989, 370p, 0-385-26058-X. A Western Zen Buddhist teacher examines the subjects of death, dying, karma, and rebirth in a manner that is accessible to the general reader. The author considers the writings of both Eastern and Western religions.(Sp#082)