Sand Dancer
Crazy Cat Lady
I want to be able to get knowledgeable on all of the different schools, so give me your best suggestions.
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
I think I would recommend this as a first, even if it turns out to be "just" a starting point. It's quite long but well structured. Presumably to aid memorisation the discourses are tediously repetitive so you just have to grit your teeth. If you dive into other trads/schools (Mahayana / Vajrayana) before this it might be rather confusing (given these post-date the Pali canon).In the Buddha's Words - An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon.
ed. Bhikkhu Bodhi.
Personally I found that really dated in style.It would probably be best to start with the basics of Buddhism, so you can pick out the main teachings from the different schools and the different school's interpretation of the basics.
Walpola Rahula: What the Buddha Taught
It would probably be best to start with the basics of Buddhism, so you can pick out the main teachings from the different schools and the different school's interpretation of the basics.
Walpola Rahula: What the Buddha Taught
Ok then crazy cat lady. Regarding Zen, I can't speak for anything that's come out in recent years, but you may wish to take a look at Opening the Hand of Thought by Kosho Uchyama. He was a Soto Zen priest and abbot. It is a book that has survived my occasional culls, although it is a little dusty.I think at this point I have the basics down and that is why I feel comfortable learning about the specifics of each school. Thank you!
Ok then crazy cat lady. Regarding Zen, I can't speak for anything that's come out in recent years, but you may wish to take a look at Opening the Hand of Thought by Kosho Uchyama. He was a Soto Zen priest and abbot. It is a book that has survived my occasional culls, although it is a little dusty.
Quiet please. Meditation in progress.Crazy cat lady thanks you.