The Spirit of the Buddha

In this slim, enlightening volume, internationally recognized Buddhist teacher Martine Batchelor presents the basic tenets and teachings of the Buddha through a selection of essential texts from the Pali canon, the earliest Buddhist scriptures. Viewed by scholars as the actual substance of the historical teachings (and possibly even the words) of the Buddha, these texts are essential to an understanding of the Buddhist faith, and Batchelor illuminates them with her lucid analysis and interpretations. Both accessible to nonpractitioners and helpful to scholars,The Spirit of the Buddhatouches upon key themes, including dharma, compassion, meditation, and peace, among others, creating a panoramic view of one of the world's most widely practiced faiths that is deeply rooted in its most vital texts.

Martine Batchelor, a former Buddhist nun, studied Zen Buddhism under the guidance of Kusan Sunim and is the author of Let Go, Women in Korean Zen, Buddhism and Ecology, Principles of Zen, Meditation for Life, and The Path of Compassion: The Bodhisattva Precepts, a translation of the Chinese Brahma’s Net Sutra. She lives in France.