Philosophy of the Buddha is a philosophical introduction to the teaching of the Buddha. It carefully guides readers through the basic ideas and practices of the Buddha, including kamma (karma), rebirth, the not-self doctrine, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, ethics, meditation, nonattachment, and Nibbana (Nirvana).
The book includes an account of the life of the Buddha as well as comparisons of his teaching with practical and theoretical aspects of some Western philosophical outlooks, both ancient and modern. Most distinctively, Philosophy of the Buddha explores how Buddhist enlightenment could enable us to overcome suffering in our lives and reach our full potential for compassion and tranquillity.
This is one of the first books to introduce the philosophy of the Buddha to students of Western philosophy. Christopher W. Gowans' style is exceptionally clear and appropriate for anyone looking for a comprehensive introduction to this growing area of interest.


Philosophy of the Buddha, Christopher W. Gowans, RoutledgeCurzon, Paperback, 225 pages, $24.95.

Christopher W. Gowans is Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University.

Preface	ix
Abbreviations	xi
The Buddha's teaching as a philosophy	1
Observing the stream	3
The life of the Buddha	17
The teaching in brief	28
Practical dimensions of the teaching	41
Theoretical dimensions of the teaching	50
The not-self doctrine	61
An interpretation of the not-self doctrine	63
The rationale for thinking there are no substance-selves	76
Some philosophical issues: are we substance-selves or process-selves?	91
Kamma, rebirth, and the not-self doctrine	104
The nature, origin, and cessation of suffering	117
The nature and extent of suffering	119
The origin of suffering	127
The cessation of suffering: Nibbana-in-life	135
The cessation of suffering: Nibbana-after-death	148
The way to the cessation of suffering	159
The Eightfold Path: wisdom	161
The Eightfold Path: virtue	176
The Eightfold Path: concentration	186
A message of hope: the Buddha's invitation to live selflessly	197
Buddhist resources on the Internet	201
Glossary of important Pali terms	202
Bibliography	206
Index	216