Rupert Gethin

Mapping a Buddha's Mind is a study of the ways the early generations of the Buddha's monastic followers explored and developed his teachings in order to present them in a form of systematic thought they termed abhidharma—'the ultimate teaching'. This process of systematizing the Buddha's teaching resulted in several rival Indian schools of Abhidharma, three of which came to exercise particular influence on the subsequent history of Buddhist thought and practice beyond India: the Sarvastivada and Yogacara schools in the north of India and the Theravada school in the south and Sri Lanka. Although offering alternative perspectives on the Buddha's teaching, the Abhidharma thinkers shared a common concern in wishing to explore and map fully what they understood as the Buddha's unique insights into the processes of mind and body. Building on the Buddha's teaching as presented in the early discourses, they first map in detail the nature of embodiment. Next they map the way our conscious lives are characterized by a flow of different episodes of consciousness that alternately try to hold on to pleasant experiences and push away unpleasant experiences. They then delineate types of consciousness that skilfully hold these conflicting tendencies of the mind in balance in a state of goodwill, generosity, and understanding—a state they take as reflecting the Buddha's teaching and the mind of a buddha. For the Abhidharma scholars this is a state that offers the possibility of spiritual transformation, leading ultimately to nirvana-freedom from the endless cycle of actions and their results, of death and rebirth. Relatively neglected in Buddhist studies, the Abhidharma systems constitute one of the great achievements of human intellectual history. The different Abhidharma perspectives, explored together for the first time in this book, reveal the richness and subtlety of Abhidharma thought.

An invaluable resource for Buddhist scholars, meditation teachers, and practitioners wishing to deepen their own practice of mindfulness. In this in-depth guide, the author examines all aspects of mindfulness practice, explores the history of mindfulness in the Buddhist tradition, and provides instructions for meditation practice.

Buddhism is a vast and complex religious and philosophical tradition with a history that stretches over 2,500 years, and which is now followed by around 115 million people. In this introduction to the foundations of Buddhism, Rupert Gethin concentrates on the ideas and practices which constitute the common heritage of the different traditions of Buddhism (Thervada, Tibetan, and Eastern) which exist in the world today. From the narrative of the story of the Buddha, through discussions of aspects such as textual traditions, the framework of the Four Noble Truths, the interaction between the monastic and lay ways of life, the cosmology of karma and rebirth, and the path of the bodhisattva, this books provides a stimulating introduction to Buddhism as a religion and way of life, which will also be of interest to those who are more familiar with the subject.