PREFACE

Two thousand five hundred years ago, in the Deer Park at Sarnath, India, close to the ancient city of Baranasi (Benares), was heard the Message of the Buddha which was to revolutionize the thoughts and life of the human race. Though this Message was first heard by just five ascetics, it has now penetrated peaceably to the remotest corners of the world, and the demand for better and deeper under¬standing of its meaning is great.

Many expositions of the Buddha's Teaching in English have appeared in recent years, but a great number of them lack authen¬ticity and do not represent the Buddha-word correctly. I have in all humility undertaken to set out as accurately as possible the Teaching of the Buddha as it is found in the Pili Canon, the Tipitaka, of the Theravada which has preserved the oldest and most faithful tradition. This book, therefore, gives a comprehensive account of the central conception of Buddhism-the Four Noble Truths-¬with special emphasis on the Noble Eightfold Path which is Buddhism in practice. I have named the book The Ancient Path (purana maggam), the very words used by the Buddha in reference to the Eightfold Path.

As an introduction, the first chapter gives a concise account of the life of the Buddha, while the second sets out the correct standpoint of Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are discussed at full length in the following chapters. A good deal of space is devoted to Buddhist meditation, as found in the attar, the discourses of the Buddha, in chapters 12, 13 and 14.

I now express my sense of gratitude first to Nyanaponika Thera, who invited and encouraged me to write this book while I was staying at the Senanayaka (Forest) Hermitage, Randy, Ceylon for the many interesting discussions I. had with him on the subject and for information on special points, and to Mr. Francis Story, the Anagarika Sugatananda, who with much kindliness read
through the type-script and made useful and valuable sugges¬tions. To Bhikkhu Jinaputta, Messrs. V. F. Gunaratna, the Public Trustee of Sri Lanka, R. Abeysekara and D. Munidasa, also, I am grateful for much help and encouragement. I would also like to record here my deep gratitude to four distinguished members of the Order, the Theras: Metteyya, Soma, Kassapa and Nanamoli with whom I have been associated for more than a decade. Many a lively discussion that I have had with them on the Dhamma has inspired me. They are no more. Meetings end in partings (samyoga viyoganta). Last, but far from least, to Mr. K. G. Abeysingha, who so tirelessly typed the whole script, I am grateful.

PIYADASSI

Vajirarama, Colombo 5, Sri. Lanka (Ceylon)