Description: Buddhist origins and discussion of the Buddha's teachings are amongst the most controversial and contested areas in the field. This bold and authoritative book tackles head-on some of the key questions regarding early Buddhism and its primary canon of precepts. Noting that the earliest texts in Pali, Sanskrit and Chinese belong to different Buddhist schools, Roderick S. Bucknell addresses the development of these writings during the period of oral transmission between the Buddha's death and their initial redaction in the first century BCE. A meticulous comparative analysis reveals the likely original path of meditative practice applied and taught by Gautama. Fresh perspectives now emerge on both the Buddha himself and his Enlightenment. Drawing on his own years of meditative experience as a Buddhist monk, the author offers here remarkable new interpretations of advanced practices of meditation, as well as of Buddhism itself. It is a landmark work in Buddhist Studies.
Brief description: Roderick S. Bucknell holds a doctorate in Chinese linguistics and is an Honorary Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Queensland, where for eighteen years - prior to his retirement - he taught Chinese and Buddhist studies. Having become interested in the techniques of insight meditation on an earlier visit to the country, he was formerly (from 1967-71) a bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) based in Thailand. His previous works include The Twilight Language: Explorations in Buddhist Meditation and Symbolism (1995, co-authored with Martin Stuart-Fox, who has edited and provided the Postscript to the present volume) and Sanskrit Manual: A Quick Reference Guide to the Phonology and Grammar of Classical Sanskrit (2010).
Review Quotes: 'This book proposes a radical and new understanding of the Buddha's path to awakening (based on a detailed analysis of the earliest textual sources available to us) that will undoubtedly prove provocative and controversial. It will certainly generate much discussion in scholarly circles, within Buddhist communities, and among those interested in understanding the Buddha's teaching and engaging in its practice.' Mark Allon, University of Sydney