The Buddha before Buddhism

“Provocative, unsettling, and inspirational, this extraordinary collection of early Buddhist poems reveals a radical vision of human freedom grounded in the non-reactive peace of nirvana. Gil Fronsdal’s fine translation allows us to hear how the Dharma may originally have been uttered as poetry in the solitude of forests.  In challenging some of the received wisdom of Buddhist orthodoxy, these teachings invite the reader to question deep-seated beliefs about truth itself.” —Stephen Batchelor, author of After Buddhism “Widely acknowledged as one of the oldest texts in the Buddhist canon, the Aṭṭhakavagga is intriguingly different from other Buddhist scriptures, lacking many of the doctrinal propositions that have come to be associated with Buddhism. Gil Fronsdal’s fresh new translation, together with illuminating commentaries to each section of the text drawn both from scholarly research and from his many years of meditation practice, will make this classic text come alive for a new generation of readers.” —Jan Nattier, author of A Few Good Men: The Bodhisattva Path according to The Inquiry of Ugra

Gil Fronsdal is co-teacher at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California. He has practiced Buddhism in both the Zen and Vipassana traditions for over forty years. He received his Ph.D. in religious studies from Stanford University. He has published a highly praised translation of the Dhammapada, as well as two other books: The Issue at Hand: Essays on Mindfulness Practice and A Monastery Within: Tales from the Buddhist Path.