Twenty discourses from the Pali Canon--including those most
essential to the study and teaching of early Buddhism--are provided
in fresh translations, accompanied by introductions that highlight
the main themes and set the ideas presented in the context of wider
philosophical and religious issues. Taken together, these
fascinating works give an account of Buddhist teachings directly
from the earliest primary sources. In his General Introduction,
John J. Holder discusses the structure and language of the Pali
Canon--its importance within the Buddhist tradition and the
historical context in which it developed--and gives an overview of
the basic doctrines of early Buddhism.