The Buddha's teachings center around two basic principles. One is the Four Noble Truths, in which the Buddha diagnoses the problem of suffering and indicates the treatment necessary to remedy this problem. The other is the Noble Eightfold Path, the practical discipline he prescribes to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying causes of suffering. The present book offers, in simple and clear language, a concise yet thorough explanation of the Eightfold Path. Basing himself solidly upon the Buddha's own words, the author examines each factor of the path to determine exactly what it implies in the way of practical training. Finally, in the concluding chapter, he shows how all eight factors of the path function in unison to bring about the realization of the Buddhist goal: enlightenment and liberation.

Knowing that reliable information on the practice of insight meditation was much needed by practitioners in the West, the renowned Burmese master Ledi Sayadaw wrote the The Manual of Insight. He covers many topics, such as the distortions of perceptions, the Noble Truths, the higher knowledges, Nibbana, and others, fully expounded and furnished with brief descriptions, some of which are drawn from the Pali texts, while others are the product of Ledi Sayadaw's own teachings. The second manual, The Noble Eightfold Path and Its Factors Explained, was written by the Ven. Ledi Sayadaw in Burmese and later translated into English by U Saw Tun Teik. It contains all the path-factors clearly explained by the venerable author who, as a senior member of the Sangha (Order) in Burma, was both deeply learned and well-practiced in meditation.

This book offers a clear, concise account of the Eightfold Path prescribed to uproot and eliminate the deep underlying cause of suffering--ignorance. Each step of the path is believed to cultivate wisdom through mental training, and includes an enlightened and peaceful middle path that avoids extremes. The theoretical as well as practical angles of each of the paths--right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration--are illustrated through examples from contemporary life. The work's final chapter addresses the Buddhist path and its culmination in enlightenment.

This Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the integration of Buddhism into daily life. What are the distinctive features of Buddhism? Who was the Buddha, and what are his teachings? How has Buddhist thought developed over the centuries, and how can contemporary dilemmas be faced from a Buddhist perspective? Words such as 'karma' and 'nirvana' have entered our vocabulary, but what do they mean? Damien Keown's book provides a lively, informative response to these frequently asked questions about Buddhism.

In this treatise, noted Burmese scholar and monk Ledi Sayadaw explains the bodhipakkiya dhamma: the 37 requisites of enlightenment. The requisites are comprised of the four foundations of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of success, five controlling faculties, five mental powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and the eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path. This book is valuable to those interested in understanding the Buddha’s teaching at a deeper level, while providing the inspiration to continue walking step by step on the path.

The Brahmajala, one of the Buddha’s most important discourses, weaves a net of sixty-two cases capturing all the speculative views on the self and the world. The massive commentary and subcommentary allow for a close in-depth study of the work. The book contains a lengthy treatise on the Theravada conception of the Bodhisattva ideal. The long introduction is itself a modern philosophical commentary on the sutta.