NIRVANA THE HIGHEST HAPPINESS is the fruit of a lifetime of meditation, and contemplation of Buddhist questions. Written in a lucid style, this book covers all the major aspects of Buddhism such as karma, meditation, the illusion of 'I', the belief in a Creator-God, the personality of the Buddha, Ambapali, Angulimala, sincere friendship, the power of paritta chanting, our debt of gratitude to our parents and Nirvana.Did the Buddha condone or condemn meat eating ? There is abundant evidence that the Buddha, when he was a man of advanced years, denounced the practice of meat eating. That is the message for posterity from the Mahaparinirvana Sutra and the Lankavatara Sutra (a Mahayana text). Vegetarianism springs from the purified inner states of loving-kindness (Metta) and compassion (Karuna).Weeraperuma has beautifully restated in his own words the 41 verses of the Khaggavisanasutta wherein the Buddha stressed the importance of leading a solitary life --- "One must be alone, like the horn of a rhinoceros".Freed from all attachments, the highest happiness of Nirvana is attainable right here and now, in this very life itself.

"A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world's most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science. Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational; compatible with cutting-edge science; indeed, "a science of the mind." In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism's place in our world today."--Provided by publisher.

An innovative meditation master cuts through common misconceptions about Buddhism, revealing what it truly means to walk the path of the Buddha So you think you’re a Buddhist? Think again. Tibetan Buddhist master Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, one of the most creative and innovative lamas teaching today, throws down the gauntlet to the Buddhist world, challenging common misconceptions, stereotypes, and fantasies. In What Makes You Not a Buddhist, Khyentse reviews the four core truths of the tradition, using them as a lens through which readers can examine their everyday lives. With wit and irony, he urges readers to move beyond the superficial trappings of Buddhism—beyond the romance with beads, incense, or exotic robes—straight to the heart of what the Buddha taught. Khyentse’s provocative, non-traditional approach to Buddhism will resonate with students of all stripes and anyone eager to bring this ancient religious tradition into their twenty-first-century lives.

The Conception of Buddhist Nirvana provides an English Translation of Nagarjuna`s chapters on Causality and Nirvana and Chandrakiriti`s comprehensive commentary on the Sanskrit Text and presents a rare exposition of the Madhyamaka Dialectic. The book is edited by Jaideva Singh with an exhaustive introduction, containing the historical background of the Madhyamaka philosophy, a lucid exposition of its merciless logic, an admirable presentation of its uncanny metaphysics and a systematic account of its soteriology and Buddhol;ogy. The editor has also provided and Analysis of Contents and has added those portions of the text and the Sanskrit commentary on the basis of which Stcherbatsky wrote out his book. This will enable the reader to make a comparative study of Stcherbatsky;s version with the Original Sanskrit.