Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

buddhist sutras and other scriptures and stuff

aHappyNihilistaHappyNihilist Veteran
edited December 2010 in Buddhism Basics
Sorry to create another thread, i'm probably over my thread limit or something :\ but anyway.. I'm just very confused as to the different types of buddhist writings. I want something to read to learn more about buddhism right now but i'm not really sure where to start or what to read. i spent some time searching stuff like "buddhist scriptures" and i'm only finding the Dhammapada. This was apparently written by the Buddha himself. What else did the Buddha write? what are the things that are most important for someone trying to learn the concepts of buddhism to read? I hear alot of references to Sutras, what exactly are those? there are alot of quotations of the Buddha not in the Dhammapada, where do those come from?

basically, what should i read? thanks alot :)

Comments

  • CloudCloud Veteran
    The Buddha didn't write anything, it was all passed down by oral tradition until written down much later, and then the schools split. Everything we have today is "tradition". I'd recommend http://www.buddhanet.net ... try the study guides, if you're trying to find out what Buddhism is "about" rather than specific texts. After you get a feel for what the teachings are about, how they can free the mind from all this frustration, then you may feel more inclined to study a particular tradition.
  • aHappyNihilistaHappyNihilist Veteran
    edited December 2010
    i'm not really frustrated right now, i'm just curious really but thanks that's just what i was looking for
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    I didn't mean your frustration, I meant all frustration (dukkha). :)
  • MindGateMindGate United States Veteran
    Heart Sutra and Diamond Sutra perhaps?

    And nothing was "written" by the Buddha, just passed down by his followers.
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited December 2010
    I always suggest starting with the Sutta Pitika of the Pali Canon, which most scholars agree are the closest thing we have to what the historical Buddha taught. Then, move onto the Sanskrit Sutras if you're still interested. For a quick history of Buddhist texts, you can check out this wikipedia page, or you can check out something like Harvey's An Introduction to Buddhism.
Sign In or Register to comment.