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Early Buddhist Discourses
Twenty discourses from the Pali Canon--including those most essential to the study and teaching of early Buddhism--are provided in fresh translations, accompanied by introductions that highlight the main themes and set the ideas presented in the context of wider philosophical and religious issues. Taken together, these fascinating works give an account of Buddhist teachings directly from the earliest primary sources. In his General Introduction, John J. Holder discusses the structure and language of the Pali Canon--its importance within the Buddhist tradition and the historical context in which it developed--and gives an overview of the basic doctrines of early Buddhism.
240 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 31, 2019
Indeed, this book is quite philosophical and difficult to understand for someone who is unfamiliar with the Enlightened One's teachings. But if you are interested in learning about Eastern religions, especially Buddhism, then this book can be of benefit. Each chapter starts with the discussion about the discourse, and then the author moves onto the discourse itself. I do think that Buddhism's reductionistic philosophy on feelings is important to their doctrine, and it could be of benefit to other folks as well. But the states of consciousness is were I lose the book. There is no such thing according to science, and their philosophy just doesn't seem to sit well with me. And the fact that one cannot be two things at once (according to Buddhism) doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny, as there is already a theory stating that one (say a cat, the classic example) can be both alive and dead at the same time, and that one can collapse into one state of being or consciousness likewise.
January 13, 2024
"Bhikkhus, you should live with yourself as a guiding light, with yourself as a refuge, without another as a refuge; live with the dhamma as a guiding light, with the dhamma as a refuge, without another as a refuge."
I recently delved into Early Buddhist Discourses, edited and translated by John J. Holder. The book comprises 16 suttas from the Pali canon, which effectively communicate the core of Early Buddhism. It also features an insightful introduction and in-depth analyses preceding each sutta. As a Soto Zen Buddhist, which falls under the Mahayana branch, I was eager to explore the Pali canon of Early Buddhism.
Numerous scholars have provided comprehensive examinations of Early Buddhism, so I will keep my review concise. I will highlight what I believe to be the most significant aspects, but I highly recommend reading the book yourself.
Firstly, it is crucial to comprehend the religious and cultural context in which the Buddha was born. The Buddha critiqued the Self doctrine of the Upanishadic or Brahmanic tradition, which posits a permanent Self with three fundamental properties: permanence, blissfulness, and pure agency (xvi). Contrarily, the Buddha introduced the no-Self doctrine, which asserts an impermanent, "dependently arisen self, composed of the 'five aggregates'—body, feeling, perception, dispositions to action, and consciousness—rather than a permanent essence" (xvii). In short, it is an aggregation of processes. Moreover, anything one tries to grasp or cling to in life is dependently arisen, impermanent, and devoid of a fixed, defining essence. "Dependently arisen" implies that something arises in dependence on something else, and the Buddha presents a systematic 12-fold chain of dependent arisal.
Instead of providing direct metaphysical solutions to life's mysteries (e.g., "the ten speculative questions"), the Buddha emphasizes the Four Noble Truths: 1) suffering (dukkha); 2) the origin of suffering (stemming from selfish craving and ignorance); 3) the cessation of suffering (through eliminating its causes); and 4) the "middle way" -- the Noble Eightfold Path, which offers a means to eradicate suffering. To elaborate further: life is fundamentally unsatisfactory or marked by suffering due to craving and ignorance, which result in attachments to sensual lust and speculative views. These attachments make coping with old age, sickness, and death challenging and reveal the futility in trying to hold onto any phenomena, much like sand slipping through one's fingers. The cessation of suffering arises from non-attachment and adherence to the Noble Eightfold Path (i.e., right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration). Here is a relevant passage from the "Discourse to Vacchagotta on Fire":
Therefore, I say that because of the destruction, fading away, cessation, abandoning, and relinquishing of all conceptions, all cogitations, all predispositions of I-making, mine-making, and conceit, the Tathāgata is without attachment.
The Buddha takes great care to emphasize that one should not cling to his teachings, as they are merely like a raft to take one to the other shore. His teachings serve as skillful means to reach nibbāna ("the cessation of perception and feelings"). Additionally, he discourages excessive speculation, argumentation, frivolous conversation, sloth, and other detrimental states. Nonetheless, I often sensed the Buddha hinting at a subtle metaphysical reality, such as in the "Discourse to Potthapāda":
17. “So, whenever a bhikkhu here is self-conscious, he then goes step-by-step until he gradually attains the summit of perception. When he has attained the summit of perception, he thinks in this way: ‘Intentional thinking 9 is bad for me. It would be better for me to have no intentional thinking.’ But if I were to go on producing intentional thoughts and mental constructions, these perceptions might pass away in me, but other, coarser perceptions might arise. Suppose I were not to produce intentional thoughts and mental constructions?’ Thus, he neither produces intentional thoughts nor mental constructions. Then, for him, producing neither intentional thoughts nor mental constructions, these perceptions pass away, but other, coarser perceptions do not arise. He attains cessation. Thus, he attains deliberately, step-by-step, the cessation of perception.
18. “What do you think, Potthapāda? Have you heard this previously, that one attains deliberately, step-by-step, the cessation of perception?” “No, sir. I understand it just as the Exalted One said it [repeating verbatim section 17 ].”
“Yes, that is right, Potthapāda.”
19. “Sir, does the Exalted One declare that the summit of perception is one? Or does he declare that the summit of perception is many?”
“Potthapa ̄da, I declare that the summit of perception is one. Also, I declare that the summit of perception is many.”
“But how, sir, does the Exalted One declare that the summit of percepion is one? And how does he declare that it is many?”
“According to someone’s level of attainment of cessation, Potthapāda, that is how I declare the summit of perception. Thus, I declare that the summit of perception is one. Also, I declare that the summit of perception is many.”
The passage resembles a koan that cannot be unraveled by the discursive, intentional mind. I interpret it as stating "pluralism = monism," which can also be viewed as a precursor to the Heart Sutra's "form is emptiness, emptiness is form." Only a mind devoid of all concepts, without an intention to "grasp" any phenomena, can apprehend the Tathāgata, which remains unfathomable, as made evident in the "Discourse on the Parable of the Water Snake":
13. “So, being freed in mind, when the devas associated with Indra, Brahmā, or Prajāpati go searching for that bhikkhu, they do not find him [if they search thinking]: ‘He depends on the consciousness of a Tathāgata.’ What is the reason for this? Because, having realized the dhamma, I say ‘a Tathāgata is unfathomable.’
As expressed in the "Discourse to Vacchagotta on Fire," it is stated, "It is peaceful, excellent, beyond the sphere of mere reasoning, subtle, and understood by the wise."
The Buddha emphasizes the significance of mindfulness (sati) in attaining such a "stateless state." Mindfulness entails being fully aware of the emergence and dissolution of each factor or object in one's experience. In the "Greater Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness", practitioners are encouraged to cultivate awareness of the body, feelings, mind, and mental objects while maintaining an attitude of non-reactivity and non-attachment.
Additionally, the Buddha posits that enlightenment is quite rare for lay practitioners, suggesting that one should seek seclusion or an awakened teacher for guidance in their practice. The following quote from the "Discourse to Potthapāda" further illustrates this point:
9c. (67) “In this way, by his being endowed with this noble aggregation of moral conduct, with this noble restraint of the sense faculties, with this noble mindfulness and awareness, and with this noble satisfaction, he resorts to lodgings in a secluded place—in a forest, or at the root of a tree, in a mountain cave, in a gorge, in a cemetery, deep in a jungle, in the open air, or in a heap of straw. In the afternoon, having returned from his almsround, he sits down, having crossed his legs, keeping his body erect, and having caused mindfulness to be established before him.
9d. (68) “Having abandoned covetousness for the world, he lives with his mind freed from covetousness. He has purified his mind from covetousness. Abandoning ill will and anger, he lives with his mind freed of ill will. Being friendly and compassionate to all living beings, he purifies his mind of ill will and anger. Abandoning sloth and laziness, he lives without sloth or laziness. Being illuminated by awareness, mindful and attentive, he purifies his mind of sloth and laziness. Abandoning agitation and worry, he lives with an unagitated mind. Having calmed his mind internally, he purifies his mind of agitation and worry. Abandoning perplexity, he lives having crossed over from perplexity. Having no uncertainty regarding wholesome mental states, he purifies his mind of perplexity.
Overall, I experienced immense joy in revisiting the Pali canon. To me, Buddhism holds true not due to a compulsion to blindly accept the Buddha's teachings, but because it resonates with the unfathomable essence of the cosmos. However, even if you are not a Buddhist, you can still benefit from reading this book as an introduction. Ultimately, Buddhism is a path that directs us towards loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity (brahmavihārā). There is nothing nihilistic about Buddhism, and the Buddha strongly advocates against taking life, stealing, committing sexual misconduct, lying, and consuming intoxicants. Buddhism represents the middle way between eternalism and nihilism.
The unfathomable truth is discovered when one is liberated from lust, hatred, delusion, and reaches the 4th jhana of "abandoning both happiness and suffering, from the extinction of the elation and despair experienced previously... where there is neither suffering nor happiness, but the purity of mindfulness and equanimity." This state is achieved through consistent meditative and contemplative practice, when one's detached mind is neither disturbed by pleasing things nor repulsed by undesirable ones.
Buddham saranam gacchami.
Dhammam saranam gacchami.
Sangham saranam gacchami.
I take refuge in the Buddha.
I take refuge in the Dharma.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
June 5, 2022
I'm reviewing this from the perspective of someone just beginning the study of Buddhism from a historical/philosophic perspective.
This collection gathers something like 16 buddhist sutras that together represent a seemingly good panoptic on what are decidedly the earliest, or at least foundational teachings of buddhism. I read this after the dharmapada and this felt like the perfectly natural next step.
As a fan of greek and broadly existentialist philosophy, I was delighted by Buddhisms unique responses to problems the west didnt start to struggle with for at least another millenia. There are elements of skepticism, cogent phenomenological investigations, a sort of ethic reminding me of both stoic virtue and epicurean equilibrium. I, like many others, see a sort of daoistic excellence in the teachings of Buddha that left me wondering about their relationship. Buddhism will be good for fans of the daodejing, it seems like a more gnostic approach to some insights contained in the daodejing and its successors—not to erase its destinct character!
In many places I was shocked at how these sutras challenged my preconception of buddhist position on subjects like eternal rebirth and enlightenment. It is a strong counterweight to much of the great vehicle/zen readings I have done since beginning this book. Fans of Socrates will appreciate this collection.
The introductions before each sutra are good primers for the translation to come. Before starting, I'm confident I'll know what major themes to look for, that I'll have a briefing on the dimensions of meaning couched in allegory or metaphor, and havd a synopsis of the actual narrative events structuring the teaching. They are very enlightening without getting in the way at all. There are a few claims expressed by the author (such as "buddha was an empiricist") that I was unsure of, and which I remain unconvinced of (although I will say that there is something like a germ of—or conceptually similar to—what we call "empiricism,") but these are all forgivable, perhaps defensible. And as always, a critial reader should always keep salt at hand, and a look out over their shoulder.
As others will note, there are abridgements, but these usually only delete repetitions. I do sometimes enjoy the force of repitition in sutras (pro: it really drills in the subject—you remember it with more ease after a single reading; con: it's easy to lose interest—or lose track in the place or of the logic of an argument) but nothing is lost here, and it keeps the book from being too bulky.
I am approaching the end of my first readthrough, and lookforward to rereading it soon (this time with a copious amount of notes and with a much better understanding of the intellectual-historical-context of the writings) and rereading it many times after that.
tl; dr - for those with a philosophic interest in buddhism (who like to dive headfirst into the sauce)
This collection gathers something like 16 buddhist sutras that together represent a seemingly good panoptic on what are decidedly the earliest, or at least foundational teachings of buddhism. I read this after the dharmapada and this felt like the perfectly natural next step.
As a fan of greek and broadly existentialist philosophy, I was delighted by Buddhisms unique responses to problems the west didnt start to struggle with for at least another millenia. There are elements of skepticism, cogent phenomenological investigations, a sort of ethic reminding me of both stoic virtue and epicurean equilibrium. I, like many others, see a sort of daoistic excellence in the teachings of Buddha that left me wondering about their relationship. Buddhism will be good for fans of the daodejing, it seems like a more gnostic approach to some insights contained in the daodejing and its successors—not to erase its destinct character!
In many places I was shocked at how these sutras challenged my preconception of buddhist position on subjects like eternal rebirth and enlightenment. It is a strong counterweight to much of the great vehicle/zen readings I have done since beginning this book. Fans of Socrates will appreciate this collection.
The introductions before each sutra are good primers for the translation to come. Before starting, I'm confident I'll know what major themes to look for, that I'll have a briefing on the dimensions of meaning couched in allegory or metaphor, and havd a synopsis of the actual narrative events structuring the teaching. They are very enlightening without getting in the way at all. There are a few claims expressed by the author (such as "buddha was an empiricist") that I was unsure of, and which I remain unconvinced of (although I will say that there is something like a germ of—or conceptually similar to—what we call "empiricism,") but these are all forgivable, perhaps defensible. And as always, a critial reader should always keep salt at hand, and a look out over their shoulder.
As others will note, there are abridgements, but these usually only delete repetitions. I do sometimes enjoy the force of repitition in sutras (pro: it really drills in the subject—you remember it with more ease after a single reading; con: it's easy to lose interest—or lose track in the place or of the logic of an argument) but nothing is lost here, and it keeps the book from being too bulky.
I am approaching the end of my first readthrough, and lookforward to rereading it soon (this time with a copious amount of notes and with a much better understanding of the intellectual-historical-context of the writings) and rereading it many times after that.
tl; dr - for those with a philosophic interest in buddhism (who like to dive headfirst into the sauce)
February 11, 2025
An excellent short Pali Canon anthology, ably translated and introduced. (Holder apparently comes from the analytic philosophical tradition, but he takes the material seriously on its own terms.)
I think it's fair to say that the Buddha comes off as something of a religious pragmatist and skeptic. For him, the purpose of religion is to extinguish suffering: hence the core of his teaching, the Four Noble Truths. Any question or "speculative [metaphysical] view" that doesn't address this fundamental need is dismissed as irrelevant and, indeed, an object of clinging and hence a source of dissension and suffering.
The Buddha's rejection of the "self" is best understood in the context of the Brahmanical tradition he rejects, but the argument is essentially this: what we call our "self" can be broken down into components, and each of these components can be examined in turn and found to be dependent either on the next component or on something else. This is the doctrine of Dependent Causation or Origination. Note that the claim isn't that the self is nonexistent or illusory: it does exist, but it is not fundamental, irreducible, immortal, or immutable.
So much for the self. But there are two beliefs, traditional in India, the Buddha does not reject: the doctrines of karma and rebirth. These are fundamental and inseparable: without them, the whole thing doesn't work, since nibbana or cessation (of suffering) is achieved on death automatically. The question is, then, what exactly is reborn? For the Brahamanist, this is easy: the self. For the Buddhist, this is not so easy. The Buddha himself is quite clear that the self isn't what is reborn, but he is, as far as I can tell, somewhat coy on what is. Perhaps he regarded this as another unhelpful speculative view, but if we follow the chain of dependent causation, starting with the fact of suffering, going through the self that suffers, past the cycle of birth-and-death, all the way to the root, we find: ignorance. It's as if ignorance itself, through its craving and grasping, continually throws selves into the cycle of existence in order to suffer... But then where is ignorance located? In the ignorant mind, mistaking its own nature, to which the Buddha addresses his message... Or something like that.
Like any great religion or philosophy, at once strikingly beautiful and elegant, and also completely nutty, depending on how you squint at it.
I think it's fair to say that the Buddha comes off as something of a religious pragmatist and skeptic. For him, the purpose of religion is to extinguish suffering: hence the core of his teaching, the Four Noble Truths. Any question or "speculative [metaphysical] view" that doesn't address this fundamental need is dismissed as irrelevant and, indeed, an object of clinging and hence a source of dissension and suffering.
The Buddha's rejection of the "self" is best understood in the context of the Brahmanical tradition he rejects, but the argument is essentially this: what we call our "self" can be broken down into components, and each of these components can be examined in turn and found to be dependent either on the next component or on something else. This is the doctrine of Dependent Causation or Origination. Note that the claim isn't that the self is nonexistent or illusory: it does exist, but it is not fundamental, irreducible, immortal, or immutable.
So much for the self. But there are two beliefs, traditional in India, the Buddha does not reject: the doctrines of karma and rebirth. These are fundamental and inseparable: without them, the whole thing doesn't work, since nibbana or cessation (of suffering) is achieved on death automatically. The question is, then, what exactly is reborn? For the Brahamanist, this is easy: the self. For the Buddhist, this is not so easy. The Buddha himself is quite clear that the self isn't what is reborn, but he is, as far as I can tell, somewhat coy on what is. Perhaps he regarded this as another unhelpful speculative view, but if we follow the chain of dependent causation, starting with the fact of suffering, going through the self that suffers, past the cycle of birth-and-death, all the way to the root, we find: ignorance. It's as if ignorance itself, through its craving and grasping, continually throws selves into the cycle of existence in order to suffer... But then where is ignorance located? In the ignorant mind, mistaking its own nature, to which the Buddha addresses his message... Or something like that.
Like any great religion or philosophy, at once strikingly beautiful and elegant, and also completely nutty, depending on how you squint at it.
June 1, 2019
I'm having a hard time knowing what to say about this book. When I first read it, I loved it, but not because of the work that Holder did, simply because the ancient texts themselves are so transformative.
At this point, I guess I see Holder's compilation is a good second or third book to read on Buddhism but even then, I think it may be redundant because the texts can be found for free online at accesstoinsight.org.
It can be difficult for a beginner to make sense of these early texts because they are "terse, formulaic, methodical, and unappealing," to quote Krishnan Venkatesh, another contemporary Buddhist scholar. Holder does introduce each chapter with a summary of the traditional interpretation of the text and his introduction helps the reader to place these texts within their cultural context but Holder doesn't do much to unpack the nuanced cultural peculiarities present in the discourses, which can leave the reader confused. He also does little to explore the important linguistic challenges present in translating specific words from Pali to English. Although he includes a "dictionary," many of the words being translated are incredibly nuanced and difficult to understand from a simple definition. I think this is an excellent book for any teacher to use in an introductory course to Buddhism but I think it would be a difficult text to pick up and read on your own without any instruction.
I would rather recommend Venkatesh's book to a beginner. Venkatesh is a skilled teacher who is steeped in both the Eastern and Western traditions. He does a better job of introducing the texts, pointing out and discussing those nuanced linguistic and cultural issues, and perhaps more importantly, he shows a modern reader how to unpack these formulaic texts, a practice called hermeneutics, so that they cease to be a methodical list of states of consciousness or mindfulness practices and become a meaningful guide to living life with greater ease and less suffering.
That said, there is something important about reading the texts yourself that does have a different kind of impact than reading someone else's interpretation of the texts. In the end, I think Holder's and Venkatesh's books are wonderful companions. Each is enriched by the other.
At this point, I guess I see Holder's compilation is a good second or third book to read on Buddhism but even then, I think it may be redundant because the texts can be found for free online at accesstoinsight.org.
It can be difficult for a beginner to make sense of these early texts because they are "terse, formulaic, methodical, and unappealing," to quote Krishnan Venkatesh, another contemporary Buddhist scholar. Holder does introduce each chapter with a summary of the traditional interpretation of the text and his introduction helps the reader to place these texts within their cultural context but Holder doesn't do much to unpack the nuanced cultural peculiarities present in the discourses, which can leave the reader confused. He also does little to explore the important linguistic challenges present in translating specific words from Pali to English. Although he includes a "dictionary," many of the words being translated are incredibly nuanced and difficult to understand from a simple definition. I think this is an excellent book for any teacher to use in an introductory course to Buddhism but I think it would be a difficult text to pick up and read on your own without any instruction.
I would rather recommend Venkatesh's book to a beginner. Venkatesh is a skilled teacher who is steeped in both the Eastern and Western traditions. He does a better job of introducing the texts, pointing out and discussing those nuanced linguistic and cultural issues, and perhaps more importantly, he shows a modern reader how to unpack these formulaic texts, a practice called hermeneutics, so that they cease to be a methodical list of states of consciousness or mindfulness practices and become a meaningful guide to living life with greater ease and less suffering.
That said, there is something important about reading the texts yourself that does have a different kind of impact than reading someone else's interpretation of the texts. In the end, I think Holder's and Venkatesh's books are wonderful companions. Each is enriched by the other.
October 19, 2021
Really cool that the repetitions are printed in this edition of the Pali discourses. Reemphasizes that this is a sonically meditative text. Water Snake and Honeyball are the reason I give it some favor here
February 19, 2019
Excellent book. Excellent translation. Wisdom, straight from the horse’s (Buddha’s) mouth ... before the error of separation took his words and spread them around and mussed ‘em up.
November 24, 2012
you have to be really interested in this material to enjoy the book. whether you come at it as a dharma practitioner or from the religious studies side, the author really makes the buddha's points understandable. this is complex stuff and the author, through footnotes and just plain old good writing, makes it accessible. as accessible as 2500 year old indian philosophy can be. :). really great book!
May 19, 2012
I struggled reading this book more than with any other book I can think of at the moment. The Buddha's humanist perspective is dismal and pointless to me. I found several points within his teachings contradictory with other points he made, but I suspect that is a symptom of my ignorance and distaste for his teaching style and philosophy. Forgive me, but I wouldn't be sorry if I never read Buddha's teachings again.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews