1. Introduction
Buddhism: some salient features
The Buddhist attitude
Objects of worship
Buddhist practice and goal
A glimpse at early Buddhism
The emergence of Mahayana and Theravada
Buddhism in Thailand2. General Outline
Historical perspective of Buddhism
Institutional makeup
Philosophy or religion?
The Buddha's successor
Composition of the Buddhist following
Buddhism and God
Worship in Buddhism
Cultural adaptations
Buddhism and material development
Becoming a Buddhist3. The Buddha
The Buddha's life
The Buddha and miracles
Moral implications of the Buddha's renunciation
Many Buddhas
The Bodhisattva
The Buddha's daily routine
Buddha and divine intervention
The unique qualities of a Buddha
The Buddha after death
Different kinds of Buddha
Prostrating and idolatry4. The Dhamma
The meaning of Dhamma
Attributes of the Dhamma
The preservation of the Buddha's teachings
Lay study of the Tipitaka
The Dhamma as refuge
Is Buddhism a philosophy or an ethical system?
The universality of the Dhamma
Allowance for change
The essence of Dhamma
Mind purification
The profundity of the Dhamma5. The Sangha
The meaning and significance of Sangha
The position of Sangha in the Triple Gem
The attributes of the Noble Sangha
The four levels of the Noble Sangha
Two kinds of Sangha
Relationship between the Noble and Conventional Sanghas
Historical changes within the Sangha
Sangha and social work
Qualifications for ordination
Daily life of a monk
Shaving the head
Monastic rule6. Kamma
What is kamma?
The law of kamma and moral justice
Results of kamma
Determining the quality of actions
Defining good and evil
Examples of wholesome and unwholesome kamma
Criteria of wholesome and unwholesome actions
Belief in kamma
Kamma and predestination
Development of kammic impulses
Kamma from previous lives
Other conditioning factors
Kamma and not-self
Practical objectives of the doctrine of kamma7. The Five Precepts
The purpose of Buddhist moral precepts
Distinguishing good and evil
Precepts for lay Buddhists
The five precepts
Practical application of the five precepts
Moral precepts and livelihood
Moral precepts and passivity
Moral dilemmas
Buddhism, capital punishment and war
Stealing from the rich to feed the poor
Extramarital sex
White lies
Intoxicants
Other precepts8. Meditation
Buddhist meditation
Types of meditation
Popularity of Buddhist meditation in the West
Practical purpose of Buddhist meditation
Comparison of samatha and vipassana
Is meditation selfish?
Is meditation a kind of running away?
Meditation technique
Different levels of concentration
Higher benefits of concentration
Practice of insight meditation
Concentration in insight meditation9. Buddhism and Thai society
Freedom of choice
Factors for the solidarity of Buddhism in Thailand
Different interpretations of the Teaching
Buddhism and social problems
The challenge of modernization
Modern trends in Thai Buddhism
How serious are Thais with their religion?
Buddha lockets and amulets
The present volume is intended, as the name implies, to benefit newcomers to Buddhism who wish to gain an introduction to the religion and its practice. I have tried to present the various subjects from the perspective of the Pali canonical literature and related commentaries of the Theravada tradition, which is generally regarded the more orthodox form of Buddhism prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos and Cambodia.
I have also made occasional use of the following in preparing the manuscript for the present work: Venerable Phra Dhammapitaka (Prayudh Payutto)'s Thai Buddhism in the Buddhist World and A Dictionary of Buddhism; Venerable Gunaratane's Mindfulness in Plain English; and Professor G. P. Mallalasekara's Dictionary of Pali Proper Names. To all of them I wish to express my profound indebtedness. Thanks and appreciation are also due to Mr. Bruce Evans, who has kindly offered many valuable suggestions and painstakingly edited the work to make it more presentable to the reading public and, last but not least, to the Buddhadhamma Foundation, which has made it possible for the book to see the light of day.
May all beings be happy. May the Buddha's words spread far and wide for the benefit of all humankind.
Sunthorn Plamintr, Ph.D.
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