An eminently readable, complete summary of all the essentials of Buddhist teaching and practice, Buddhism Explained is useful both for those wanting an understandable introduction to the subject and experts wishing a comprehensive but brief reference. It covers topics as diverse as meditation methods, the daily life of Buddhist monks, and the meaning of profound concepts such as Nirvana. The use of Thai, Pali, and Sanskrit terms has been kept to a minimum, with clear explanations of those included.

TOC:

• This much-anticipated volume contains a full translation from the Pali of the Anguttara Nikaya, the fourth collection of the canonical discourses of the Buddha. The primary focus of the Anguttara Nikaya is practice, which it treats from a wide-angle perspective, advancing from basic ethical observances, through the pillars of mind training, to the highest meditative attainments. The Anguttara is also distinguished among the Nikayas by its interest in types of persons, which it describes in detail and with memorable similes. The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha

TOC:

• P.1 : Instructions on the Six Lamps Extracted from the Oral Transmission of the Great Perfection in Zhangzhung
• I. The Lamp of the Abiding Base
• II. The Lamp of the Flesh-Heart
• III. The Lamp of the White and Smooth Channel
• IV. The Water Lamp of the Far-Reaching Lasso
• V. The Lamp of the Direct Introductions to the Pure Realms
• VI. The Lamp of the Moment of the Bardo Colophon
• P.2 : Complementary Instructions
• VII. Parallels between the Six : Lamps and Other Works of the Zhangzhung Nyengyu
• VIII. The Complementary Works to the Six Lamps