Awakening Wisdom: The Buddha

The Buddha (Siddhattha Gotama) was one of history's most important and influential thinkers-a visionary whose moral and spiritual ideals have inspired countless men and women throughout the centuries. AWAKENING WISDOM: THE BUDDHA has been written to provide readers with a clear and concise introduction to the essential teachings of the Buddha as they were recorded in the texts of the Pali Canon and other early Buddhist works. Although written primarily for newcomers to the field of Buddhism, this anthology will also be of interest to practicing Buddhists who may never have had the opportunity to read original Buddhist sources. What we discover when we return to these original texts is that the Buddha's insights about the nature of reality, the cause of suffering, and the way to eliminate suffering remain as valid today as when they were developed over 2,600 years ago.