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When this book was first published, in 1971, under the title Buddhist Precept and Practice. The Times Literary Supplement wrote: " This is an epoch-making piece of research which must mark a change in direction and appreciation if it is taken seriously and studied in detail. Dr. Gombrich is concerned with religious change in belief and practice, not only in modern times but over the two and a half millennia during which Buddhism has flourished. He concludes ...
This book takes a fresh look at the earliest Buddhist texts and offers various suggestions how the teachings in them had developed. Two themes predominate, firstly, it argues that we cannot understand the Buddha unless we understand that he was debating with other religious teachers, notably Brahmins. For example, he denied the existence of a "soul", but what exactly was he denying? Another chapter suggests that the canonical story of the Buddha's ...