| |
Two thousand five hundred years
ago, in the Deer Park at Sarnath, India, close to the
ancient city of Baranasi (Benares), was heard the Message
of the Buddha which was to revolutionize the thoughts
and life of the human race. Though this Message was first
heard by just five ascetics, it has now penetrated peaceably
to the remotest corners of the world, and the demand for
better and deeper under-standing of its meaning is great.
Many expositions of the Buddha's Teaching in English have
appeared in recent years, but a great number of them lack
authen-ticity and do not represent the Buddha-word correctly.
I have in all humility undertaken to set out as accurately
as possible the Teaching of the Buddha as it is found
in the Pili Canon, the Tipitaka, of the Theravada which
has preserved the oldest and most faithful tradition.
This book, therefore, gives a comprehensive account of
the central conception of Buddhism-the Four Noble Truths--with
special emphasis on the Noble Eightfold Path which is
Buddhism in practice. I have named the book The Ancient
Path (purana maggam), the very words used by the Buddha
in reference to the Eightfold Path.
|
