Perspective of Buddhism: Thirty Dhamma Talks

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Dedicated to the revered memory of my great Vinaya teacher, the late most Venerable Widurapola Piyatissa Maha Nayaka Thera, and the late Most Venerable Candamanı Maha Thera of Kushinara Vihara, India, and in the memory of all other teachers, Venerable Nänatiloka Maha Thera and Venerable Candavimala Maha Nayaka Thera of Sri Lanka, and Mahası Sayadaw Venerable U Sobhana, Aggamahāpandita, the Mulapatthana Sayadaw Venerable Närada. Aggamahāpandita and the Yamaka Abhidhamma Acharya Sobhita Maha Thera of Myanmar, and in memory of my departed parents. May all my teachers and parents attain Nibbana!

Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita is the founder-president of Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore. 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. Since then he has established many Buddhist centres in India and abroad and rendered yeomen spiritual and humanitarian services. 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. They have been published all over the world, including some German, Portuguese, Korean and Chinese translations. He has been editing and publishing English monthly DHAMMA for last five decades.

Mahabodhi Academy of Pali and Buddhist studies and Bhagavan Buddha University of Theravada Buddhism, Bangalore are the result of his effort and research to provide a systematic Buddhist education as widely as possible, the first of its kind in whole of India.

Today, we are celebrating 2600 years of Lord Buddha's first teaching - Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma. Through this long journey of history, the Buddha Dhamma has reached us because of the Buddha's compassion, wisdom and virtue.

The Venerable Dr. Acharya Buddharakkhita, the founder- president of the Maha Bodhi Society, Bengaluru, and its sister organizations, is among the pioneers introducing in Buddhism in South India in modern times. Since he started the Mahabodhi Vihara in 1956 in Bengaluru, he has been teaching the Dhamma to all those who come with thirst for knowledge of it. This programme of teaching continues till today. Over the years, the Venerable Acharya has touched the hearts of thousands of people through his discourses on various subjects.

In this volume we have put together some of the discourses delivered by the Venerable Acharya on the basic teachings of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-Fold Path as applied in daily life, the householders' practice of Dhamma, and, particularly, on metta or universal loving-kindness.

We are grateful to Shri Vasanth Kumar from Chennai, who was a temporary monk as Ven. Bodhirakkhita, for transcribing these discourses. Our grateful thanks also go to Shri P. Jayaram and Shri Ramprakash for initial readings of this text, and to Shri Timmarayappa Gowda, who took great interest in printing this book. Last but not least, we thank wholeheartedly Mr. Alex Auf der Maur and Mr. Peppino Beltrami from Switzerland, who admire the teachings of Bada Bhante and expressed keen interest in publishing Dhamma book and donated towards printing of this book. May all of them progress on the path of Nibbana!