The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha

by Edwin Arthur Burtt (editor)

With its origins in ancient India, Buddhism is a system of thought that has enriched the religious lives of billions--and in more recent times, swept through the Western world as well. Now anyone who wants to learn more about Buddhism can go directly to the source, with this collection of original documents--edited, with commentary, by a Cornell University professor of philosophy.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Buddhism, Nonfiction, Spirituality, History, Theology

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1955

About the author

Edwin Arthur Burtt (1892 – September 6, 1989) was an American philosopher who wrote extensively on the philosophy of religion. His doctoral thesis published as a book under the title The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science has had a significant influence upon the history of science that is not generally recognized, according to H. Floris Cohen. He was educated at Yale University, Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University. He became the prestigious Susan Linn Sage Professor of Philosophy at Cornell University in 1941. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Ar...)

Reviews

[Ben Morrison]

this is what i read when there is nothing going on at my job. it makes me want to kill people just a little less.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good collection of original documents. Through the original works, readers become acquainted with some of the basic precepts of Buddhism, the differences between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, and the eloquent words and teachings of the Buddha often expressed in parables.

[Sylvia Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a light read but informative. I had never fully understood the arguments between Theravada and Mahayana buddhism, but now I do, and yes those disagreements are as pointless as all spiritual and religious conflict is. Much of the content I already know well from my years of reading books about the buddhas teachings but a few gems here and there really helped. Being right or in the right camp doesn't matter, what matters is one's individual connection with that teaching and your own spiritual nature

[Elizabeth]

Read 1974. 95 cents.

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent selection of Buddhist texts with some helpful introductions.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultimately I feel kind of torn about this book. On the one hand I like that it uses Buddhist writings directly instead of just trying to provide a distilled, simplified summary. The glossary at the back is also helpful for those not familiar with some of the Buddhist terminology, as are the footnotes. The general overview method is nice, but I find it kind of odd that Tibetan Buddhism gets completely neglected. On the other hand, the language was seriously stuffy at points and it was filled with Christian terms that don't really apply well to Buddhism. The section on Mayahana philosophy was a huge drag to get through. I felt like something better could have taken its place. Overall decent, but I'm not really sure if I'd recommend it to a beginner.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely invaluable guidebook for anyone interested in the history, theory, and practice of Buddhism. This useful volume includes: Gautama Buddha's origin story, the Fire Sermon, several key selections from the Dhammapada, several ancient Buddhist psalms, a glossary of Buddhist terms, and much more. This book is a more than satisfactory read for anyone who wants to begin the practice of Buddhism, or for one who merely wants to educate himself/herself about the Enlightened One and the religion he founded.

[Frank Jude · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a book I'd recommend to any of my students. The translations are stilted, perfused with western (Christian?) sentiments and often quite boring! It dates from 1955, but the language is not at all 'user friendly.' And for those more interested in an academic survey, there are definitely better collections.

To its credit, it is broad-viewed, and contains texts from most of the important traditions (except for Tibetan/Tantra).

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canonical intro to Buddhism

[Sasha Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection intended to represent the fundamental teachings of both Theravada and Mahayana. The introduction is a bit annoying in a 1950s sort of way - lots of attempts to contrast "civilised" and "primitive" religion, and some Orientalism - and some of the translations now seem a bit stilted, especially the poetry. For some reason, the Theravada texts seem to suffer from this more than the Mahayana ones (or perhaps I had just adjusted to it by the time I got to the latter). Given that, I'm not sure this is the starting-point I'd recommend for someone new to Buddhism, but if you have some familiarity with the concepts and enough sympathy for them to see past the dated language, it's a worthwhile read.

In terms of factual knowledge of different Buddhist traditions, I think I have a much better understanding than before of Pure Land Buddhism in particular (one of the Mahayana traditions). On a more personal level, Buddhism is sufficiently similar in approach to Advaita that I found some of the passages very helpful, and felt much calmer after reading them. Seng Ts'an's poem On Trust in the Heart in particular seemed quite relevant to some issues I was grappling with while reading.

[Avery C. M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Buddhism has a lot of practical application to everyday life which could stand to improve quite a few peoples' level of happiness. It bears many similarities to Stoicism. That being said, I don't agree with everything that is literally said, which is okay. And I'm aware that there are many different modern sects and interpretations of Buddhism which adhere more to a modern existence. I think that's awesome. I could hardly see what harm would come of an increased popularity of Buddhist ideology.

It is important to realize at a certain point that it is inherently pessimistic.

[Eric Villalobos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of translations of texts that expound Buddhist doctrine as it developed over time. It is not a summary of Buddhist doctrine. As such, it could be used as introductory material, but those readers that had absolutely no background in the study of Buddhism would have to rely on the glossary, footnotes,and introductory passages. Even then they would run the risk of finishing a text without fully understanding the significance of what they had read.

The book gains its value from Burtt's reliance on actual texts and his (generally) judicious selectivity of those texts. You actually get to read a selection from the Sermon at Benares instead of reading about that sermon. I really liked that Burtt took the time to delve into Theravada Doctrine, as many scholars in describing the different paths often take a sort of retroactive, Mahayana-leaning stance, where Theravada is the self-centered path but the true path comes later in the Bodhisattva ideal in Mahayana. Of that section, I particularly the two passages that "give...the answer of Theravada Buddhism to questions that troubled the Mahayana thinkers..." I thought Burtt was being very fair in doing this as Mahayana literature, including some of the selections that follow, are filled with references to the idea that Theravada is an incomplete or less effective form of the Buddha's teachings because it focuses on the individual.

The book does not cover anything on Tibetan Buddhism, and some readers have expressed their dissatisfaction with this fact. There are two reasons for this. First, the book was published in 1955, but the Tibetan Diaspora didn't begin to spread until 1959, and so a lot of the texts had not been translated, a lot of the teachings had still not been revealed, a lot of the teachers were still in their homes in Tibet, and, consequently, Tibetan Buddhism at that time was less accessible and less popular than it is today. Second, the book focuses on the Theravada and Mahayana traditions, and Tibetan Buddhism is a Vajrayana (Tantric) tradition (something that we still have a bit of difficulty describing today). Burtt couldn't just put a small explanatory paragraph before those selections like he did with Pureland, and so the book would had to have been much longer and more expensive to cover a topic that wasn't necessarily that popular or accessible at the time.

Overall, the translations were adequate. Certain sections were a little dense. Parts of the Mahayana Philosophy section were difficult to read, but other than those few sections, the texts were pretty enjoyable.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skip the introduction. Anyone with any training in history, anthropology or archaeology will be irritated by the outdated concepts of religion and civilization presented by Burtt in the introduction. Granted, the book was written in the 1950s, but I was still irritated. So then, why read this book? The book provides a great compilation of writings on and by the Buddha. Some of Burrt’s commentary provides an insightful context into the culture and practice. For example, Burrt describes where Theravada Buddhism is practiced and the differences between the original teachings, Mahayana, and Theravada Buddhism as an introduction for the Buddhist texts. I enjoyed being able to read the original writings and the fundamental teachings from which Buddhism grew.

[JeneralDisarray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly scholarly interpretation but also some canonical stories and poetry. While interesting and occasionally profound, I struggled to finish the book. I suspect there are plenty of other books that illuminate Buddhism in a more modern, approachable way.

[Nathan]

Who doesn't like them some Buddha?

[Brandon Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best introduction to original Buddhist texts. I have used it in class several times, and it was taught to me in several classes.

[Alisha G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really vouch for its accuracy since my knowledge of Buddhism is limited, but this was a comprehensive and accessible introduction.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

hard to read.....but full of good information

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/14/14

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would like to seek out a different translation of this.

[Marianne Ogden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book and key to understanding Buddhism.