- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (Jun 24 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0415278589
- ISBN-13: 978-0415278584
- Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.6 x 0.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #551,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
I think this book is excellent. A philosophical introduction to Buddhism is just what is needed, and I would very much welcome it. It is written by an accomplished moral philosopher, who treats the material in a careful, sensitive and philosophically rigorous manner.
–Jonardon Ganeri, Nottingham University
–Jonardon Ganeri, Nottingham University
Product Description
Philosophy of the Buddha is a philosophical introduction to the teaching of the Buddha. It carefully guides readers through the basic ideas and practices of the Buddha, including kamma (karma), rebirth, the not-self doctrine, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, ethics, meditation, non-attachment, and Nibbâna (Nirvana).
The book includes an account of the life of the Buddha as well as comparisons of his teaching with practical and theoretical aspects of some Western philosophical outlooks, both ancient and modern. Most distinctively, Philosophy of the Buddha explores how Buddhist enlightenment could enable us to overcome suffering in our lives and reach our full potential for compassion and tranquillity.
This is one of the first books to introduce the philosophy of the Buddha to students of Western philosophy. Christopher W. Gowans' style is exceptionally clear and appropriate for anyone looking for a comprehensive introduction to this growing area of interest.
The book includes an account of the life of the Buddha as well as comparisons of his teaching with practical and theoretical aspects of some Western philosophical outlooks, both ancient and modern. Most distinctively, Philosophy of the Buddha explores how Buddhist enlightenment could enable us to overcome suffering in our lives and reach our full potential for compassion and tranquillity.
This is one of the first books to introduce the philosophy of the Buddha to students of Western philosophy. Christopher W. Gowans' style is exceptionally clear and appropriate for anyone looking for a comprehensive introduction to this growing area of interest.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Followers of the Buddha are increasingly visible to people in Western societies. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Followers of the Buddha are increasingly visible to people in Western societies. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Place To Start,
By Tom Callahan (Bronx, New York United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Philosophy of the Buddha: An Introduction (Paperback)
Chris Gowans is my philosophy professor, and he makes his classes read this book as part of the syllabus. I am glad that he does. He breaks everything in Buddhism down into terms that are very easy to understand for the Western stream-observer. In one chapter, he manages to compare a theory of dualism and the process self to a tape recorder. And it makes total sense. I recommend this book if you are interested in Buddhism, because this guy knows about all there is to know, even though he's just a grown up hippie from San Francisco who's done a lot of reading and meditation. He even took the cover photo.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great philosophical introduction,
By civilized discontent - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Philosophy of the Buddha: An Introduction (Paperback)
I found this book to be a helpful text with under-graduate audiences in mind. That said, it is well-written and, I believe, accessible to the layman. It is written in straightforward prose with helpful sections on further reading at the end of each chapter. The author gently guides the reader through an introductory look at the philosophical implications of the not-self doctrine, Karma, the four noble truths, the eightfold path and more. Whilst this is a sympathetic look at Theravada Buddhism it is by no means dogmatic. Ultimately the reader is left with an academic introduction which tempts the reader at the end with the empirical challenge to experiment with the Buddha's words as a final means of investigating the practical worth of this ancient philosophy. Simple yet highly recommended reading. Thank you Mr Gowans.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Place To Start,
By Tom Callahan - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Philosophy of the Buddha: An Introduction (Paperback)
Chris Gowans is my philosophy professor, and he makes his classes read this book as part of the syllabus. I am glad that he does. He breaks everything in Buddhism down into terms that are very easy to understand for the Western stream-observer. In one chapter, he manages to compare a theory of dualism and the process self to a tape recorder. And it makes total sense. I recommend this book if you are interested in Buddhism, because this guy knows about all there is to know, even though he's just a grown up hippie from San Francisco who's done a lot of reading and meditation. He even took the cover photo.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stream-Observers: Start Here,
By Reader - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Philosophy of the Buddha: An Introduction (Paperback)
The Buddha was one of history's greatest psychologists, phenomenologists, diagnosticians, and ethicists. He taught that men and women can achieve bliss-in-life (and afterwards) through the painstaking transformation of their deepest beliefs and desires. The Buddha's mental technology calls for years of hard work, with no assurance of success (in this life anyway), but Christopher Gowans' "Philosophy of the Buddha" does a fantastic job of making the venture seem worth the effort. Gowans doesn't pretend to know the truth of every Buddhist doctrine -- he seems agnostic about karma and rebirth -- but he does defend the plausibility of Buddhism's no-self doctrine and its analysis of human suffering. With these fundamentals in place, Gowans hopes readers will be motivated to "enter the stream" and take up Buddhist practice. He writes clearly about profound issues. This is a great book.
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