Audiobooks by Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Good, The Beautiful, and The True Audiobook

This is an audiobook of Bodhi Leaves No.154 by Bhikkhu Bodhi, 'The Good, The Beautiful, and The True' found in the Pariyatti Edition of Collected Bodhi Leaves Vol. V. Excerpt from The Quest for Happiness by Bhikkhu Bodhi All human beings, by their very nature, seek to be free from suffering and to find happiness. This aim, however, proves so elusive because our desire for happiness does not automatically entail knowledge of how to find it. If the knowledge of how to attain happiness automatically came along with the desire to be happy, there would be no need for a Buddha to arise in the world. We would all be able to achieve perfect happiness entirely on our own. We need the guidance of a Buddha because, though we naturally wish to avoid suffering and to attain happiness, we have no clear conception of the path that can bring this desire to fulfilment.

Bhikkhu Bodhi (Author), Joseph Jacob (Narrator)

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The Taste of Freedom

If one practises the Dhamma to a limited extent, leading a house-hold life in accordance with righteous principles, then one experiences in return a limited measure of freedom; if one practises the Dhamma to a fuller extent, going forth into the homeless state of monkhood, dwelling in seclusion adorned with the virtues of a recluse, contemplating the rise and fall of all conditioned things, then one experiences a fuller measure of freedom; and if one practises the Dhamma to its consummation, realising in this present life the goal of final deliverance, then one experiences a freedom that is measureless. At every level the flavour of the Teaching is of a single nature, the flavour of freedom. It is only the degree to which this flavour is enjoyed that differs, and the difference in degree is precisely proportional to the extent of one’s practice. Practise a little Dhamma and one reaps a little freedom, practise abundant Dhamma and one reaps abundant freedom. The Dhamma brings its own reward of freedom, always with the exactness of a scientific law.

Bhikkhu Bodhi (Author), Kalvin Kochhar (Narrator)

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Dāna: The Practice of Giving: Selected Essays

In the teaching of the Buddha, the practice of giving claims a place of special eminence, one that singles it out as being in a sense the foundation and seed of spiritual development. This publication was compiled by Bhikkhu Bodhi to explore this cardinal Buddhist virtue in greater depth by featuring essays in which four modern writers (Elbaum-Jootla, de Silva, Walshe, and van Gorkom) and a classical commentator (Acariya Dhammapala) set forth their understanding of giving and its relation to the wider body of Dhamma practice. 'The most excellent motive for giving is the intention that it strengthens one's efforts to attain Nibbana.... If we aspire to ultimate peace and purity by practicing generosity, we will be developing the dana param - the perfection of giving, building up a store of merit that will bear its full fruit with our attainment of enlightenment. As we progress towards this goal, the volition involved in acts of giving will assist us by contributing towards the pliancy of mind, an essential asset in developing concentration and wisdom, the prime requisites of liberation.' (From 'The Practice of Giving' by Susan Elbaum-Jootla) Contents: - 'Introduction' (Bhikkhu Bodhi) - 'The Practice of Giving' (Susan Elbaum Jootla) - 'Giving in the Pali Canon' (Lily de Silva) - 'Giving from the Heart' (M. O’C. Walshe) - 'Generosity: The Inward Dimension' (Nina van Gorkom) - 'The Perfection of Giving' (Acariya Dhammapala)

Bhikkhu Bodhi (Author), Judy Swift (Narrator)

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The Living Message of the Dhammapada

This is an audiobook of Bodhi Leaves No. 129, ' The Living Message of the Dhammapada' found in the Pariyatti Edition of Collected Bodhi Leaves Vol. V as well as at BPS as a free eBook download. Excerpt from The Living Message of the Dhammapada by Bhikkhu Bodhi The Dhammapada is a work familiar to every devout Buddhist and to every serious student of Buddhism. This small collection of 423 verses on the Buddha’s doctrine is so rich in insights that it might be considered the perfect compendium of the Dhamma in its practical dimensions. To draw out the living message of any great spiritual classic, it is not enough for us merely to investigate it in terms of questions that might be posed by scientific scholarship. We have to take a step beyond scholarly examination and seek to make an application of those teachings to ourselves in our present condition.

Bhikkhu Bodhi (Author), Jonathan Nelson (Narrator)

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The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Sam?yutta Nikaya

This volume offers a complete translation of the Sam?yutta Nika¯ya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, the third of the four great collections in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon. The Sam?yutta Nika¯ya consists of 56 chapters, each governed by a unifying theme that binds together the Buddha's suttas or discourses. The chapters are organised into five major parts. The first, 'The Book with Verses', is a compilation of suttas composed largely in verse. This book ranks as one of the most inspiring compilations in the Buddhist canon, showing the Buddha in his full grandeur as the peerless 'teacher of gods and humans'. The other four books deal in depth with the philosophical principles and meditative structures of early Buddhism. They combine into orderly chapters all the important short discourses of the Buddha on such major topics as dependent origination, the five aggregates, the six sense bases, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths. Among the four large Nikayas belonging to the Pali Canon, the Sam?yutta Nika¯ya serves as the repository for the many shorter suttas of the Buddha where he discloses his radical insights into the nature of reality and his unique path to spiritual emancipation. This collection, it seems, was directed mainly at those disciples who were capable of grasping the deepest dimensions of wisdom and of clarifying them for others, and also provided guidance to meditators intent on consummating their efforts with the direct realisation of the ultimate truth. The present work begins with an insightful general introduction to the Sam?yutta Nika¯ya as a whole. Each of the five parts is also provided with its own introduction, intended to guide the listener through this vast, ocean-like collection of suttas. Distinguished by its lucidity and technical precision, this new translation makes this ancient collection of the Buddha's discourses accessible and comprehensible to the thoughtful listener of today. Like its two predecessors in this series, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha is sure to merit a place of honour in the library of every serious student of Buddhism. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk originally from New York City. Ordained in Sri Lanka in 1972, he has been for many years the president and editor of the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy. His previous publications include several other important translations from the Pali Canon, including a revised and annotated version of Bhikkhu Ñanamoli's translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha.

Bhikkhu Bodhi (Author), Taradasa (Narrator)

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The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya

This book offers a complete translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon, the authorised scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. This collection - among the oldest records of the historical Buddha's original teachings - consists of 152 suttas or discourses of middle length, distinguished as such from the longer and shorter suttas of the other collections. The Majjhima Nikaya might be concisely described as the Buddhist scripture that combines the richest variety of contextual settings with the deepest and most comprehensive assortment of teachings. These teachings, which range from basic ethics to instructions in meditation and liberating insight, unfold in a fascinating procession of scenarios that show the Buddha in living dialogue with people from many different strata of ancient Indian society: with kings and princes, priests and ascetics, simple villagers and erudite philosophers. Replete with drama, reasoned argument, and illuminating parable and simile, these discourses exhibit the Buddha in the full glory of his resplendent wisdom, majestic sublimity and compassionate humanity. The translation is based on an original draft translation left by the English scholar-monk Bhikkhu Ñanamoli, which has been edited and revised by the American monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, who provides a long introduction and helpful explanatory notes. Combining lucidity of expression with accuracy, this translation enables the Buddha to speak across 25 centuries in language that addresses the most pressing concerns of the contemporary listener seeking clarification of the timeless issues of truth, value and the proper conduct of life. Winner of the 1995 Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Book Award and the Tricycle Prize for Excellence in Buddhist Publishing for Dharma Discourse.

Bhikkhu Bodhi, Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Bhikkhu ñanamoli (Author), Taradasa (Narrator)

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Great Disciples of the Buddha: 'Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacies '

Twenty-four of the Buddha's most distinguished disciples are brought to life in ten chapters of rich narration. They include monks who were very close to him throughout his life, including Sariputta and Mahamoggallana; his cousin and companion Ananda; his principal women disciples, including the nun Isidasi and his lay disciple, the courtesan Ambapali; and the serial killer Angulimala, whose character was transformed after meeting the Buddha. Drawn from a wide range of authentic Pali sources, the material in these stories has never before been assembled in a single volume. Through these engaging tales - incorporating both historical material and myth - we meet all manner of human beings - rich, poor, male, female, young, old - whose unique stories are told with an eye to the details of ordinary human concerns. When heard with careful attention, these stories can sharpen our understanding of the Buddhist path by allowing us to contemplate the living portraits of the people who fulfilled the early Buddhist ideals of human perfection. Other characters include the nuns Nanda and Visakha and the monks Anuruddha and Mahakaccana. Great Disciples of the Buddha allows the listener to easily place each student in the larger picture of Buddha's life and provides a glimpse into the lives and personalities of those who lived, knew and followed the Buddha as he walked the paths of India 2,500 years ago, teaching wherever he went.

Bhikkhu Bodhi, Bhikkhu Nyanaponika, Hellmuth Hecker (Author), Nicolette Mckenzie, Ratnadhya, William Hope (Narrator)

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