MIND UNSHAKEN
A modern approach to Buddhism
JOHN WALTERS
RIDER & COMPANY
London
CONTENTS
Introduction
1. The discovery
2. The greatest man
3. The truths and the path
4. Fetters and rebirth
5. The monks
6. Asoka , Buddhist emperor
7. Meditation
8. A guide to life
Bibliography
Index
INTRODUCTION
This is book for ordinary practical people and not for highly sensitive mystics. It offers the religion or philosophy of Buddhism in the clearest possible form, without masses of baffling words in Pali and Sanskrit; without phrases so purple that they are incomprehensible. Buddhism is, after all, no religion of mystery. Countless millions of simple folk over thousands of years have been guided from the cradle to the grave by its kindly light. Then, today, the pure Buddhism of the Theravada school is still the religion of millions of happy people who live in Ceylon, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia.
In this book I am telling the story of the Buddha and explaining his philosophy to the exclusion of fable and superstition. And, above all, I am endeavoring to show how Buddhist principles may solve our own personal problems and enlighten our lives.
I want to stress that this book concentrates upon the Buddhism of the Theravada or Hinayana school. It neither endorses nor condemns the complex and elaborate Mahayana systems of Japan, China and Korea of the Tantrism of Tibet.
I am neither a mystic nor professional scholar but a journalist who, surveying a long and interesting career, regards Buddhism as the greatest ‘story’ he ever encountered.
Lastly, I wish to thank all those Buddhist monks and laymen of Thailand, Burma and Ceylon who made their religion so clear to me and who suffered my remorseless questioning with immortal patience. Among these is Francis Story (the Anagarita Sugatananda) by whose kind permission I quote in this book several of his excellent translations from Pali texts.
John Walters