Piyadassi Thera

Buddhism: A Living Message

Buddhism: A Living Message

The scientist has brought the external world under his sway, and seems to promise that he can turn this world into a paradise. But humans cannot yet control their minds, despite all the achievements of science.

The Buddha, however, was concerned with beings rather than with inanimate nature. His sole object was to unravel the mystery of existence and free beings from suffering through teaching them how to understand and control their minds. This booklet is a concise introduction to the Buddha and his teaching written by the renowned monk, Venerable Piyadassi Thera.

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About Piyadassi Thera

Piyadassi Thera (8 July 1914 – 18 August 1998) was born in Kotahena in Colombo, Sri Lanka and was educated at Nalanda College, Colombo, thereafter at the University of Sri Lanka and the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University as a research student.

He is best known as a great preacher of the Dhamma both in Sinhala and in English and it was in this field that his popularity was foremost. Piyadassi Thera was one of the world's most eminent Buddhist monks having traveled widely carrying the message of the Buddha-Dhamma, both to the East and to West, he was able to write in a style that has universal appeal.

Piyadassi Thera was the Sinhala editor at the Buddhist Publication Society until his death. Along with Nyanaponika Thera, he was one of the chief kalyāṇamittas of well-known American scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi.

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You yourselves must strive, the Buddhas only point the way

Buddha, Dhp 276