Spirit of the Buddha
In this slim, enlightening volume, internationally recognized Buddhist teacher Martine Batchelor presents the basic tenets and teachings of the Buddha through a selection of essential texts from the Pali canon, the earliest Buddhist scriptures. Viewed by scholars as the actual substance of the historical teachings (and possibly even the words) of the Buddha, these texts are essential to an understanding of the Buddhist faith, and Batchelor illuminates them with her lucid analysis and interpretations. Both accessible to nonpractitioners and helpful to scholars, "The Spirit of the Buddha" touches upon key themes, including dharma, compassion, meditation, and peace, among others, creating a panoramic view of one of the world's most widely practised faiths that is deeply rooted in its most vital texts.
About the Author
Martine Batchelor, a former Buddhist nun, studied Zen Buddhism under the guidance of Kusan Sunim and is the author of "Let Go", "Women in Korean Zen", "Buddhism and Ecology", "Principles of Zen", "Meditation for Life", and "The Path of Compassion: The Bodhisattva Precepts", a translation of the "Chinese Brahma's Net Sutra". She lives in France.
Reviews
"A slim, illuminative and scholastic book" – Kate Harley, Spirit
"The series of texts translated at the instigation of the International Sacred Literature Trust will make the world's heritage of spiritual and ethical insights available to a much wider audience. I hope it will help to break down the barriers of suspicion and ignorance and encourage understanding and tolerance in this age of tension and conflict" – His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
"I welcome the work of the International Sacred Literature Trust in making available to so many people books revealing the great teachings of love, compassion and universal responsibility – themes that underlie all the world's great sacred traditions" – His Holiness The Dalai Lama
"For readers of poetic and inspired literature, as well as for those interested in international understanding on the deepest level, it is hard to imagine a publishing venture more radical, more imaginative, more desirable or more exciting" – Ted Hughes
