The Buddhas Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi

The Buddhas Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon Reviews

• 
  Sher

  What advice would the Buddha give us in today's world of conflict and strife?
  
  This book explores the answer to that question through commentary by the American Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi and through suttas recorded after the Buddha's death. Each chapter deals with a particular theme such as Dealing with Anger, Right Understanding, and the Intentional Community.
  
  The sutta selections are from a wide array of Pali Canon sources, and the commentary is insightful and helpful. This book sheds insight and has advice for dealing with any kind of community-- the spiritual community, your neighborhood, speaking with those of different political persuasion , the family, and work community. Highly recommended. Helps if you have a background in Buddhism, but it's not necessary for you to gain help from this book.
• 
  Mike

  I will refrain from saying too much, as the commentary on the Buddha is daunting, to say the least. But this book is one that, as I was reading it, felt like a very comfortable companion to keep with me and keep re-visiting through life. I highlighted things in a sort-of color-coded way: one color was for personal edification, one for love/relationship, one for our political climate, one for ways to practice, and so on. Some quotes spoke to me deeply about how I present myself in my relationships, others felt like stories that sum up, if not centuries of political strife, the 2016 election. It's a thin yet momentous volume about keeping wisdom up front, and while it does provide seemingly simple solutions to complicated issues, the voice of the Buddha, deceptive in its simplicity, is exactly the kind of voice I would need to turn to. Should I ever get involved with organizing, I feel this is a book I may have to turn to and return to, I feel reassured in this, and I am confident it will guide me. An invigorating and emboldening book to absorb when preparing for 2017.
• 
  Melissa

  This is a collection of translated suttas grouped into various topics. At the beginning of each chapter is a completely unnecessary introduction of what you are about to read which literally just states what each of the teachings are. You can just skip right over these as you don't need to be told exactly what you are about to read, you can just read it.
  
  I came to this book with the hope of reading the unedited words of the Buddha as I was sick of seeing those self-help type books that sprinkle in some aspects of Buddhism but are really just some rich egotistical person's way of trying to get everyone to live their lives a certain way and for them to make a bunch of money off it. There are a lot of books out there that claim to be about Buddhism but are so far removed from it and barely have any real words from the Buddha himself.
  
  I also come to this as a relative beginner having only read a few books on buddhism previously and having attended only a dozen or so meditation classes at buddhist centres.
  
  I wouldn't recommend this book for 'beginners' like me because although this book had the unspoilt discourses of the Buddha I was hoping for some kind of interpretation or discussion from the author on said discourses. It can be difficult to see how a particular teaching can actually be applied to one's own life and in what situations.
  
  One aspect I found interesting was the mention of demon type creatures and heaven and hell which I didn't expect.
  
  I imagine this book would be useful for someone who has practiced Buddhism for several years but it just wasn't for me.
• 
  Duester

  Took me over two years, lol.
  
  That being said, this is a fine volume. The Suttas are, of course, dry, difficult, and subtle. Nevertheless, Bhikkhu Bodhi has managed to assemble a rather compelling collection on a topic which is woefully underdeveloped in the public understanding of Buddhism in the West. His introductions to each section clearly indicate why each excerpt was selected, what their lessons are, and how they cohere.
  
  That Ven. Bodhi's volume contains a foreword by HH. the Dalai Lama and an epilogue by Hozan Alan Senauke (about Dr. B. R. Ambedkar) illustrates not only that these are in an important sense pan-Buddhist teachings, but that the social harmony elucidated in the book is also ecumenical.
• 
  Michael

  Bhikkhu Bodhi is a fascinating teacher. However, this is more showcasing his translation work. Selections from the Pali canon, organized around themes, with a short explanation before each chapter.
• 
  Carolynn

  Used this book to set up new organization structures. The Buddha and hi peeps new how to do social!
• 
  Judson

  Useful to read, maybe not a super high recommend though. :)