Editor's note: This feature was first published in the now-retired Bodhi Journal, Issue 7, March 2008.  Introduction The Exegetical (Commentarial) Literature or Aṭṭhakathā, wh

INTRODUCTION I would like to begin by stating a few of my assumptions regarding Buddhism and Buddhists before entering into a discussion of the topic.   First of all, when I dis

Throughout 45 years of his life as the Enlightened One, the Buddha in his every sermon (sutta) focused on only two things namely, suffering (dukkha) and cessation of suffering (dukkha-nirodha). Thus h

After the attainment of the enlightenment the Buddha delivered the first sermon namely the discourse called the Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth – (Dhammacakkappavattanasutta). This discours