The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

HEVmws 383
Buddha as Related by the Master Himself ('11l'Vl11V1~1";;1!1mm~iflH.b first
published in 1936. Now comes the present ~ork under review as the
latest publication in this category, ln fact, it is not merely the latest,
it is also the first, that is, the first English collection ever published by
a Thai hand or a Thai organization. Notably, this work is a synthesis
of works in the two categories, as the collector uses as his material a
number of extant translations by various scholars, some belonging to
the first category, others to the second one. The names of noted
translators like Ven. Nyanamoli Thera, Ven. Nyanaponika Mahathera
and V en. N arada Thera speak well for the selections.
Also characteristic of this book is the aim of its production which
is more of dissemination, carried to the extent of having its copies
placed in all leading hotels. As accepted in the Foreword, the idea is
derived from the B.D.K. (The Bukkyo Dendo Kokai or Buddhism
Promoting Foundation) which has achieved the popularity of the
Teaching of the Buddha by managing to place copies of it in almost all
hotels in Japan.
The extracts in the present work are arranged in eight chapters,
beginning with (1) The Buddha and His Teaching. Then follow six
chapters on the Dhamma dealing with (2) The Round of Birth and Death.
(3) Wrong Views and Right Views, (4) Faith and Understanding, (5)
Good Conduct, (6} Mind-Training and Meditation, and (7) The
Development of Wisdom. The eighth chapter, The Enlightened
Community, is devoted to the teachings on the Sangha. Thus,
roughly speaking, the book deals with the Three Treasures of the
I
Buddhists: the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha respectively. For
the six chapters on the Dhamma (Chapters 2 to 7), the Collector takes
the well-known Threefold Training as the theme. The first three of
these (Chapters 2, 3 and 4) serve as an introduction to the knowledge of
the Dhamma, distinguishing between Buddhist and non-Buddhist beliefs,
and thus as a theoretkal foundation, establishing in the beginners the
right view which is required before practice. The three theoretical
chapters are followed by the three practical ones on Sila (Chapter 5: Good
Conduct,, Samadhi (Chapter 6: Mind-Training and Meditation), and
Pafifia (Chapter 7: The Development of Wisdom). This is a meaningful
arrangement, proving the work to be a systematic collectiop. of the
13vddha's teachin~s.