The Buddha and His Dhamma (Set of 2 Volumes)

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Late Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita was the founder-president of Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru. Since 1956 he had established many Buddhist centres in India and abroad and rendered yeomen spiritual and humanitarian services. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the Sixth Buddhist Synod (Chattha Sangayana) in Yangon, which brought out a complete edition of the Buddhist scriptures.

He established Mahabodhi Monastic Institute in Bangalore, India, Buddhayoga Meditation Centre in USA and conducted many Dhamma and Pali courses, meditation courses and written numerous books and translation of Buddhist texts. Mahabodhi Research Center and Bhagavan Buddha University of Pali and Theravada Buddhism, Bangalore are the result of his effort and research to provide a systematic Buddhist education as widely as possible.

The Buddha and his Dhamma is a presentation of the life and teachings of the Buddha as found in the Tipitaka the sacred Pali scripture, which has preserved the original teachings of the Supremely Enlightened One, the Buddha.

Every effort has been made to faithfully present the authentic teachings. Several discourses (Suttas) of the Buddha have been adduced. This is to compare and contrast the interpolations by sectarian scholars or others motivated by political, social or religious bias.

For forty five years, Lord Buddha taught his Dhamma in Pali, the language of the common people, out of profound compassion. When a learned monk who hailed from a priestly family, requested the Buddha to allow him to render the Dhamma into Chandas, language of the Vedas, the Buddha forthwith refused to grant because it would then be confined to a very small group of upper class brahmin scholars and priests who could pass on only to brahmin students.

If the privileged scholars and elitists, had the knowledge of the Dhamma restricted only to a group who claim to be at the top of the social hierarchy, the whole purpose of benefiting every one regardless of caste and status, would have been lost.

The Buddha taught his Dhamma "For the benefit, well- fare and happiness of the many and out of compassion for the world-Bahujana hitaya, sukhaya, lokanukampaya". Therefore he choose to deliver his discourses only in Pali, not in chandas or Vedic Samskrit.