Walpola Rahula
Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk and scholar, best known for the influential book "What the Buddha Taught." He earned a doctorate at the Sorbonne and taught in Sri Lanka, France, and the United States, playing a key role in presenting Theravada Buddhism to a global audience.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. What The Buddha Taught
A clear, accessible introduction to the core teachings of early Buddhism, explaining the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, impermanence, non-self, and dependent origination, while emphasizing ethical conduct, meditation, and mindfulness as practical means to end suffering. Drawing on original Pali texts, it dispels common misconceptions, presents karma and rebirth in psychological and ethical terms rather than metaphysical dogma, and highlights a rational, experiential approach that encourages personal inquiry, compassion, and freedom from attachment, culminating in the possibility of nirvana in this life.
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