Hello Buddhist. I have many Buddhist books but as far as officially recognized English translations, which do you recommend with regard to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path? Also the story of Buddha? I have a couple of Dhamapaddas but I'd like to know of all these scriptures which are considered the best translations in English? I'd like to buy them in digital form.
I accept the earliest Buddhist scriptures (the Pali canon). In the three-fold partition of the Pali canon, the partition usually of greatest interest to lay disciples is the suttas (sermons of the Buddha) - the other two partitions are usually mainly of interest to monastics (monastic disciplinary code, and phenomenology).
The best translations of the suttas in English are the
"Teachings of the Buddha" series, published by Wisdom Publications. As there are literally thousands of suttas (divided into five books, four of which are published in whole in the series), you might wish to start with an anthology - "In the Buddha's Words" translated by Bhikku Bodhi; it explains the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path in detail. This book gives an exceptional overview of the Buddha's teachings, with wonderfully written introductions by Bhikku Bodhi, followed by the translated texts of the carefully selected early suttas themselves.
The Dhammapada is one part of the fifth book of the sutta collection. I highly recommend Glenn Wallis' translation of the Dhammapada. He provides a good balance between accuracy and poetic license, with a comprehensive commentary clarifying points in the text along with other information tying the verses to other suttas in the canon.
I have both "In the Buddha's Words" and that Dhammapada both in physical form and on my e-reader, and I've read them multiple times, and continue to do so.
Also, there are different sects of Buddhism like Theravada and Mayahana and Pure Sect etc. is there any one that you accept and any one you reject because often I meet people who might say they reject something I mention because it belongs to a different sect. To me a Buddhist is a Buddhist but clearly there's different beliefs among the sects. How do I tell them apart?
There are four major divisions between Buddhists.
1. Early Buddhists - We accept only the earliest texts (
established immediately after the historical Buddha's passing) as authoritative. In those texts, the Buddha is recorded as emphasizing that his disciples must verify his claims for ourselves. And so we emphasize actual practice of the Eightfold Path for the purpose of self-verification of what those texts teach, and for self-enlightenment. Hierarchies are irrelevant, as everyone must individually work towards self-realization. Early Buddhism is most prominent today in the form of
the Forest Tradition.
2. Theravada - They also accept the earliest texts, but they also accept the Visuddhimagga, a commentary, as
the one and only authoritative understanding and interpretation of the earliest texts. The Visuddhimagga was written by Buddhaghosa, a monk who lived ~1000 years after the the historical Buddha. They tend to emphasize study and knowledge of the texts, instead of actual practice. Hierarchies are often prominent in Theravada.
3. Mahayana - They tend to focus on later texts, usually written hundreds of years after the historical Buddha's passing. Their
sutras generally emphasize a multiplicity of celestial bodhisattvas and celestial Buddhas - much like a polytheistic pantheon of deities - and instead of personal transformation (via personal practice of the Eightfold Path), faith instead on these bodhisattvas and buddhas is said to bring devotees to their heavens, pure lands, and nirvana. Faith is often expressed in worship, or chanting. Hierarches and "lineages" are very important in Mahayana.
5. Vajrayana/Tibetan - IMO a mix of Mahayana beliefs, Hinduism, and tribal magickal-shamanism. Hierarches and lineages are also prominent in Vajrayana, e.g. Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, etc.
I place great importance on personal knowledge. Anything that isn't personal knowledge is blind faith. With this perspective, I embrace early Buddhism, and personally reject the others as mainly faith-based religions, like most other religions.
Take your time. I believe in the Buddha. I just want to learn much more as one can never stop learning. Many thanks.
Belief is unnecessary ... would you not agree that practice and self-understanding is much more important?
