THE DOCTRINE OF THE BUDDHA
THE RELIGION OF REASON AND MEDITATION
By
GEORGE GRIMM
Edited by
M. KELLER-GRIMM AND MAX HOPPE
2nd revised edition
2nd to 4th thousand
“Among beings there are some whose
Eyes are not quite covered with dust:
They will perceive the truth”
AKADEMIE – VERLAG . BERLIN
1958
CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
I. who was the Buddha?
II. What is a Buddha
III. The Method of Handing down the “Marvel”
Theme and Basis of the Doctrine of the Buddha
I. The most excellent Truth of Suffering
The Criterion of Suffering
Personality
The World of Suffering
The Subject of Suffering
II. The most excellent Truth of The Arising of Suffering
General introduction
Old age and Death – Birth as immediate Conditions Suffering
The Conditions of Rebirth – the Law of Karma
The Conditioning of Thirst
The Sankhãrã
Ignorance – Summary of the Chain of Suffering
III The most excellent Truth of the Annihilation of Suffering – Nibbãna
IV The most excellent Truth of the Path leading to the Annihilation of Suffering
A. The excellent eightfold Path in General
B. The several Steps of the Path
1. The Going into Homelessness
2. Taking Refuge with the three Jewels
3. Moral Purity
4. The concentration – the Meditation
5. The contemplative visions
The Abyss beyond sensual Pleasures or the step Ascent to the state that is absolutely adequate to us and thus to perfect Happiness
C. The Means of Concentration
D. The four Holy states
Appendix
1. The Doctrine of the Buddha as the Flower of Indian Thought
2. The Metaphysics of the Buddha
3. Right Cognition
4. The Reach in the Doctrine of the Buddha of Atakkãvacara, the Idea of Not within-the-realm-of-logical-thought
Index
Quotations of the Pãli-Texts made use of
General index
Index of Proper Names
Pãli and Sanskrit Index
Some of the books made use of and other Publications
A short Biography of George Grimm
PREFACE
The present main work appeared in German language in fourteen impressions during the author’s lifetime. The fourteenth impression was translated into English by Bhikkhu Silacara in 1926. As appendix were added “the Doctrine of the Buddha as the Flower of Indian Thought”, “The Metaphysics of the Buddha” and “Right Cognition”. In the meantime also the fifteenth and sixteenth thousand have appeared in the German impression. The author finds the connecting bridge to true Indian spirit as is once more expressed in a most excellent manner in the appendix in the chapter “The Doctrine of the Buddha as the Flower of Indian Thought”. This most comprehensive spirit already during the lifetime of Dr. George Grimm enabled a community of faithful followers to gather round him. After his decease on 26th August 1945 at Utting am Ammersee – he was born on 25th February 1868 at Rollhofen near Lauf ander Pegnitz in Middle Franconia – this community grew to considerable numbers; graphical notes at the end of the book). For this reason a second English edition has become necessary, which is herewith presented.