Buddhism is an ancient religion that is over 2000 years old. To a beginner, exploring this spiritual practice can seem daunting, especially since there are so many ancient Buddhist texts with incredible lessons waiting to be discovered.
You don’t have to be a Buddhist to read these ancient Buddhist texts. in fact, these lessons can be applied to your everyday life, here and now. that’s how accessible and relevant they really are.
You are reading: Major books of buddhism
So what are the most influential Buddhist religious texts in existence and how can we benefit from them today? Let’s take a look at four essential Buddhist texts and how they can be relevant to your life:
- what are the buddhist texts?
- 4 essential buddhist texts to inspire and engage
Let’s get started!
What Are the Buddhist Texts?
There are three main essential Buddhist sacred texts: the Tripitaka, the Mahayana Sutras, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
many writings of the buddha have been brought together in the form of a collection of important buddhist texts called sutras. Buddhist spiritual texts, known as sutras or suttas, are short passages that communicate a fundamental teaching. some are just a few lines long. others span many pages.
Buddhist sutras comprise many of the most essential Buddhist religious texts available to us today.
what is the name of the buddhist holy book?
So, is there a sacred book of Buddhism? well, it’s not a buddhist text per se, but they are more commonly known as holy texts. the main Buddhist texts are called tripitaka, which means three baskets. refers to three collections of the buddha’s teachings:
- vinaya pitaka: the collection of monastic codes
- sutra pitaka: the collection of discourses given by the buddha or his disciples plus nearby
- abhidharma pitaka: the collection of higher teachings
Sacred texts are often essential to spiritual practices. Christians have the Bible. Muslims have the Koran. Jews have the Torah. and Buddhists have sacred texts.
what are the 3 main beliefs of Buddhism?
The three universal truths of Buddhism are:
- nothing is lost in the universe.
- everything changes.
- the law of cause and effect.
the law of karma in Buddhism says: “for each event that occurs, another event whose existence was caused by the first will follow, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant according to its cause.”
but the law of karma is not the only thing that governs the beliefs of Buddhists.
4 Essential Buddhist Texts to Inspire and Engage
Ready for a crash course in Buddhism? Let’s start with the legend of the fish basket.
1. the legend of the fish basket
The Buddhist Story of the Fish Basket tells the story of a young girl who comes to a village selling fish. the men of the town begin to beg for her hand in marriage. she tells them that her husband will be the first man to successfully recite the lotus sutra.
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The people had never heard the Buddha’s teachings before. as a result, they had to study the sutras carefully in order to recite them when the girl returned.
When the young fish seller returned to the village, only one man could successfully recite the sutras. she agreed to marry him, but she tragically died of a heart attack the night of her wedding.
The young man was devastated. As they prepared to bury the young bride, a monk appeared. he told them that the girl’s coffin was empty and that there was no reason for mourning. and he was right: the coffin was empty!
in fact, the young woman had been a manifestation of the beloved bodhisattva (an enlightened being), guanyin. she had wanted to spread the teachings of the buddha. once she finished her work, she was free to go.
the legend of the fish basket communicates two essential lessons: never judge a book by its cover and keep an eye out for important teachings because they can come in any form.
2. the metta sutta: the definitive guide to loving kindness
metta sutta is one of the most famous Buddhist texts. this sutra covers an essential Buddhist ideal: loving-kindness.
in fact, the metta sutta is one of the most influential teachings of the buddha.
In Pali, the word “metta” means loving-kindness. and the metta sutta explains not only what loving kindness is, but also how to put it into practice every day.
Reading some of its foundational teachings is the best way to understand what the metta sutta is all about. Here are some of the key passages from the metta sutta:
- safe, may your hearts rejoice.”
- “Just as a mother would protect her only child with her own life, so may he cultivate limitless thoughts of loving-kindness toward all beings.”
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The metta sutta has to do with generating feelings of love and benevolence towards others, not only those you know, but also those you don’t know. the metta sutta encourages you to generate love and goodwill even towards those who have wronged you.
one of the best ways to put metta sutta into practice? buddhist metta meditation is a serious game changer.
3. the lankavatara sutra: awareness is the key
The Lankavatara Sutra is one of the most existential Buddhist texts, but don’t worry. let’s break everything up into bite-sized pieces.
The Lankavatara Sutra is popular in Mahayana Buddhism, the largest and most prominent branch of Buddhism in the world.
This sutra is a record of a conversation the Buddha had with a bodhisattva named mahāmati. In this conversation, the Buddha explained to Mahamati that our consciousness is our only true reality.
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“My teaching is based on the recognition that the objective world, like a vision, is a manifestation of mind itself,” said the Buddha.
The Lankavatara Sutra encourages Buddhist practitioners to recognize the unique nature of our reality. there is no such thing as a single objective reality. everyone’s reality is unique and based entirely on our own perceptions, beliefs, and values.
4. the kalama sutta: question everything
The last Buddhist text we will explore is the Kalama Sutta: the Buddha’s best teaching on self-inquiry.
the buddha was a great advocate of critical thinking. in fact, he encouraged his followers to question everything, even his own teachings.
“do not be guided by reports…”, explained the buddha, “…by legends, traditions, scriptures, logical conjectures, inferences, analogies, agreements through considered points of view, probabilities or thoughts. .”
for the buddha, nothing was above question. In the Kalama Sutta, he instructed the Kalama clan to use their instincts to decide what to believe and whom to follow.
Basically, if the old ways don’t work, rebuild them. if old ideas are outdated, find new ones.
It is the transformation of your beliefs that creates change on the physical plane.
never be afraid to challenge the norm. always stand up for what you know is right. you won’t be led astray as long as you listen to your instincts and trust your instincts.
Going Back to Your Origin
The visionary spiritual leader and trainer of MindValley’s A Journey to Infinitism Quest Mahatriaexplains that the word ‘religion’ originates from the Latin word ‘religare’, which means ‘to rejoin’. He says: “means back and origin, so the purpose of any religion is to take you back to your origin, which is god.”
call it god or universal consciousness, your origin is divinity, and being religious means living in ways that bring you closer to your original essence.
In other words, as long as you aspire to grow, transform and evolve for your benefit and in the service of others, you are living in alignment with your divine nature.
If this sounds like your deepest aspiration in life, mindvalley is the right place for you to fulfill it and find like-minded people who will inspire and help you on this journey back to your origin.
welcome.
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