
Ebook Info
- Published: 1995
- Number of pages: 1424 pages
- Format: PDF
- File Size: 4.40 MB
- Authors: Bhikkhu Nanamoli
Description
This book offers a complete translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon, the authorized scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. This collection–among the oldest records of the historical Buddha’s original teachings–consists of 152 suttas or discourses of middle length, distinguished as such from the longer and shorter suttas of the other collections. The Majjhima Nikaya might be concisely described as the Buddhist scripture that combines the richest variety of contextual settings with the deepest and most comprehensive assortment of teachings. These teachings, which range from basic ethics to instructions in meditation and liberating insight, unfold in a fascinating procession of scenarios that show the Buddha in living dialogue with people from many different strata of ancient Indian society: with kings and princes, priests and ascetics, simple villagers and erudite philosophers. Replete with drama, reasoned argument, and illuminating parable and simile, these discourses exhibit the Buddha in the full glory of his resplendent wisdom, majestic sublimity, and compassionate humanity.The translation is based on an original draft translation left by the English scholar-monk Bhikkhu Nanamoli, which has been edited and revised by the American monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, who provides a long introduction and helpful explanatory notes. Combining lucidity of expression with accuracy, this translation enables the Buddha to speak across twenty-five centuries in language that addresses the most pressing concerns of the contemporary reader seeking clarification of the timeless issues of truth, value, and the proper conduct of life.Winner of the 1995 Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Book Award, and the Tricycle Prize for Excellence in Buddhist Publishing for Dharma Discourse.
User’s Reviews
Editorial Reviews: From Library Journal This new translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, part of the Pali Canon touching on the nature of Nirvana and the Four Noble Truths, is considered by scholars to be the most reliable source for the original teachings of the historical Buddha. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review “A triumph.” ― The Middle Way”Everyone who reads The Middle Length Discourses must be struck by the richness of its contents.” ― Buddhist Studies Review”A book to be kept close at hand for a lifetime–like the teacher and beneficial friend it will surely become for those with a deep interest in the dhamma…a book for our generation that will, I think, long endure as a classic of scholarship and render the teachings of the historical Buddha accessible to any who have eyes to see and the interest to look.” ― Inquiring Mind”This new translation of the Majjhima Nikaya…is considered by scholars to be the most reliable source for the original teachings of the historical Buddha.” ― Library Journal”…remarkable both in its scope and in its contemporary rendering of the Buddha’s words.” ― Tricycle”Most welcome…” ― Mountain Record”It can be difficult for Westerners to penetrate the ‘official’ Buddhist canon, but one English-language translation stands above the rest: The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, published by Wisdom Publications.” — Mark Schneider, religion reporter, Canadian Television News From the Publisher Winner of the 1995 Outstanding Academic Book Award- Choice Magazine and the Tricycle Prize for Excellence in Buddhist Publishing for Dharma Discourse From the Back Cover This book offers a complete translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon, the authorized scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. About the Author Venerable Nanamoli (1905-60) was born in England and became a monk in Sri Lanka in 1949. During the eleven years he spent as a monk, he translated from Pali into lucid English some of the most difficult texts of Theravada Buddhism, including Buddhaghosa’s Path of Purification.Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City, born in 1944. He obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. After completing his university studies he traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received novice ordination in 1972 and full ordination in 1973, both under the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk, Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya (1896-1998). From 1984 to 2002 he was the editor for the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, where he lived for ten years with the senior German monk, Ven. Nyanaponika Thera (1901-1994), at the Forest Hermitage. He returned to the U.S. in 2002. He currently lives and teaches at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York. Ven. Bodhi has many important publications to his credit, either as author, translator, or editor. These include The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima Nikaya, 1995), The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Samyutta Nikaya, 2000), and The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha (Anguttara Nikaya, 2012). In 2008, together with several of his students, Ven. Bodhi founded Buddhist Global Relief, a nonprofit supporting hunger relief, sustainable agriculture, and education in countries suffering from chronic poverty and malnutrition. Read more
Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:
⭐When I first started to practice, I was told that the Buddha’s discourses were repetitive and boring, and that I should not bother with them. For years I followed that advice, but eventually I got frustrated at being told what the Buddha said. I really didn’t want to hear about it second hand. One year I bought a copy of the Majjhima Nikaya. Life has never been the same since. What I found was that a great deal of what I was being told was wrong, and a great deal was being omitted.The Majjhima Nikaya is my answer to “the book you would want to have if stranded on a desert island”. Of all the Nikayas, this is the one to read (although lately I know that many people start with “In the Buddha’s Words”, which is Bhikkhu Bodhi’s version of “The Buddha’s Greatest Hits”).I admit that the canonical literature is not exactly a quick read (!). But I strongly suggest to anyone who is seriously interested in the Buddha’s teachings that they take the time and effort and read it for themselves. It is the closest thing we have to the true words of the Buddha, and whatever its faults the canon has been quite carefully preserved for over 2400 years. I took a year to read the Majjhima Nikaya. I read a discourse or two a day. I savored it. And it was worth every moment.There is some basic misunderstanding about the Pali canon. Many consider the Pali canon to be “Theravada Buddhism”, as opposed to “Mahayana Buddhism” (like Zen and Tibetan Buddhism). In the first millennium in India, when India was nominally a Buddhist country, all of the schools of Buddhism studied the same texts. Where the schools diverged was not in their basic source material, but in how they interpreted them, and in what aspects of Buddhist practice they chose to emphasize. To be sure, we also have Chinese versions (the Agamas) and two partial Tibetan versions (the Tengyur and the Kangyur), but they all came from essentially the same original Sanskrit texts. So to characterize the Pali canon as Theravadan is not really accurate. Thus I think a reading of at least the Majjhima Nikaya is worthwhile for any Buddhist, if for no other reason than to see how their own tradition has diverged from the original teachings.(To be sure, Theravadan Buddhism has evolved from the original teachings almost as much. And that is not in any way to disparage such developments. It is only, I think, useful to know what is original and what came later.)Bhikkhu Bodhi (who is an American) humbly credits Bhikkhu Nanamoli as a co-author. Bhikkhu Nanamoli was Bhikkhu Bodhi’s teacher in Sri Lanka. But I think at this point the work is largely that of Bhikkhu Bodhi’s, and a remarkable work it is. He is, I think, clearly the master Pali to English translator of all time. He not only has a masterful grasp of both languages, he is also a master of the subtleties and nuances of the Buddha’s teachings. This is the only way one can truly translate not only the literal meaning of the texts, but the substance as well. You will find his footnotes are required reading as you go through the discourses. It’s the only way to really make sense of documents that have been preserved across time and vastly different cultures for so many centuries.(Also note that Bhikkhu Bodhi has given several years of in-depth talks on the Majjhima Nikaya, all of which are available on the Internet.)The Pali canon is, I believe, the greatest literary treasure in the world. It has been carefully preserved, century after century, by dedicated monastics. As a result we have access to this astonishing tradition. We are profoundly fortunate to be able, with a click of a mouse, to order such a volume from Amazon. When I am reading works like the Majjhima Nikaya, I am often struck by what a privilege it is to have access to such a great gift, and how many hundreds and thousands of people over the centuries were involved in making it available. It is very humbling.
⭐Great on Kindle. Such books were preserved since 2500 years ago. Direct Buddha’s words. No opportunity to hear Dharma missed. I bought it.
⭐This is a powerful collection of Buddhist Suttas, (also referred to as Suttras in some traditions). Whether you are a practicing Buddhist of any tradition or a student wanting to learn more about Buddhism these Suttas are treasures of Buddhism. There are 152 Suttas in this volume that cover a broad range of teachings. These Suttas are all translated from the Pali Cannon.I initially purchased this because I wanted translations of specific Suttas to help me study better how to meditate and to deepen my concentration. There are several key Suttas here which give great instructions and enlightening guidance on these topics. One of the most important Suttas in the Theravada tradition, and also written about by Thich Nhat Hahn is the Satipatthana Sutta, on the Foundations of Mindfulness. This is a powerful Sutta on establishing mindfulness. Another important one is Anapanasati Sutta on the Mindfulness of Breathing. There is a Sutta on the Mindfulness of the Body, called the Kayagatasati Sutta. A Sutta on the Removal of Distracting Thoughts, called the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, and one on Right View called the Sammaditthi Sutta, and others on concentration, as well as many other topics of the Buddha’s teachings.It is a hardcover book and nicely bound. This is a book to use for many years of studying. Since there isn’t commentary on these Suttas, you may wish instead to purchase individual books some of these Suttas, such as Satipatthana by Analayo on the Satipatthana Sutta. Or perhaps the wonderful book, Breathe You Are Alive, which has the Anapanasati Sutta along with great commentary by the venerable Thich Nhat Hahn. But, this particular collection of Suttas has so many and offers a wonderful chance to read so many of these treasured teachings, all translated from the Pali Cannon.
⭐Love the book! Great translation and a very powerful, large book for a reasonable price.Have to give it 4 stars, however, because of Amazon delivering the cover very damaged. The book is still pretty without the cover; it was just disappointing.
⭐Not being fluent in Pali, I am not the best person to ask about the translation itself, but it seems excellent to me. I’ve read some of these suttas in other translations and passages that made no sense to me at all then are crystal clear in this one. When there are uncertainties or disputes about a word or a phrase, this is clearly explained in the footnotes–which, by the way, are voluminous. The footnotes are so numerous and detailed that you almost have a commentary here along with the suttas. The book is of excellent quality physically and it’s well-edited (I don’t think I’ve found two errors in over 1,000 pages).If you are thinking of working your way through the entire canon, I’d actually suggest you start with this volume. I couldn’t find any direction on that and so began with the DN kind of on the toss of a coin, but find the MN stuffed with practical advice on meditation, on living ethically, and more. I really think it’s easier and more useful for a beginner.
⭐The Middle Length Discourses are an essential and expansive part of the Pali Canon — the oldest extant writing of early Buddhism. These discourses cover a broad range of topics from the Four Noble Truth and Eightfold Path to the nature of craving, the importance of generosity, the value of honesty, dealing with fear, the foundations of mindfulness and mindfulness of the breath. It is said that one can learn all of the Buddha’s teaching from this one group of discourses.Beautifully bound, this book is a gift to the English speaking world from Bhikkhus Nanamoli and Bodhi. I plan to enjoy it for years to come.
⭐This is as part of the Dhamma the teaching of the great teacher the Buddha, covering the Majjhima-Nikaya, translated with the most amazing accuracy by one of the most well known Buddhist authors Bhikkhu Bodhi, the teachings are told as a large collection of stories taken from the many lives of the Buddha, these stories are Inspirational, Emotional and very thought provoking, and all of the teaching have at least some application in the modern day with some more then others. I do recommend however reading the book In The Buddha’s Words, An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, this is a good introduction to reading the Dhamma and the returning to one of the massive collections of teachings such as this one.
⭐Compared with the Long Discourses (available in a companion volume, translated by Maurice Walshe) there’s less legendary material here, though there are still plenty of picturesque similes, parables and touches of local detail; e.g. I love the idea that there was, so long ago, such a thing as a ‘squirrels’ sanctuary’ (where, unusually – and refreshingly – a discourse is delivered by a woman). I’m attracted to many of the ideas, and admire the combination, in most suttas, of compassion and tolerance, alongside searching philosophical and psychological enquiry. There were a few disappointing ones (e.g: sadistic descriptions of – albeit temporary – hells), which I hope do not reflect Buddha’s actual views. The translation (Bhikkhu Nanamoli, revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi) is easy to read and often enjoyable.
⭐Probably the Nikaya with the greatest breadth of teachings without becoming too deep and esoteric. Ideal if you were trying to choose which Nikaya to buy. For anyone serious about learning the most authentic Buddhist teachings this is really one book you will appreciate. 152 suttas covering many aspects of the teachings, it has proved a great aid to my Buddhist reading.
⭐Must to have for serious Buddhist scholars and practioners! Good introductions and if you are ready to use some time and effort with the extensive notes section you will find it very useful. Not easy reading though, but this is not meant for quick-fix of things but slow and lifelong reflections.
⭐Great book to add to my collection of Discourses. There was a problem with the way some of the pages had been cut but it doesn’t take away from the pleasure of being able to read the Buddha’s discourses.
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