What the Buddha Taught

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Overview

What the Buddha Taught is a short introduction to Buddhism by Walpola Rahula, a Sri Lankan Theravada monk and scholar, first published in 1959. It sets out the core teachings in plain language for a general reader: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the teaching of non-self and the practice of meditation. It became one of the most widely read introductions to Buddhism in English because it is clear, concise and presents the teaching as a rational path open to inquiry.

Context

The book appeared in the years after Sri Lankan independence, when Buddhist scholars were presenting their tradition to an international audience. Rahula had studied in Ceylon, Calcutta and Paris. He wrote from the Theravada tradition, which draws on the Pali scriptures. The book belongs to a movement often called Buddhist modernism, which stressed reason, ethics and meditation.