Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacy (The Teachings of the Buddha)

One of my favorite books - if not my favorite. Made me want to live like a disciple. What a fascinating look into the lives of those wonderful disciples.I can't recommend this book enough! Everyone in the world should read it.The stories are just unbelievable - completely unexpected and so insightful. The virtues of these disciples are something to aspire to, made me change my whole outlook on life. Read it everyday, it is amazing. I've been gifting it to everyone I can.

Great compilation. Carefull edition. Translated into very readable English. A title you must have, if you are interested in Buddhism.

If you want to understand the gradual training of the Buddha, why it’s an important human endeavor, read this book!

An exemplary book! Any who has wondered about the monks of old closest to the Buddha, whether from reading the suttas and wondering about the names mentioned in many of them or if you just wish to know more about the disciples. The authors did an amazing skillful deed by compiling all known information, from the Pāli text that is, about these Venerable Masters. You will find disciples ranging from Mahāmogallana and Sāriputta, the chief disciples, to Ānanda and Mahākassapa, the ones who looked after the first Buddhist council and some of the closest people to the Buddha. Anybody who has an interest in the teachings must read this book.

I always felt a deep sense of devotion and fascination for our root Guru, Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and the original holy Sangha. Now thanks to the combination of translations of Nyanaponika Thera, Hellmut Hecker, and the corrections and edition by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, we have now this great work.Although the Pali texts are dense reading, dry and dull, this compilation of the lives of the Discipules shows us the way of living of these Arhats, and the relationship with his Guru, with each other, and the roles played by each one of them in the Sangha along with their interaction with the society of their time. We should be grateful an inspired by the Disciples which are examples and inspiration for the buddhist of all over the world, and to the authors for this spiritual and historical treasure which has been brought into the modern era.Before this book I recomend to read first The Life of the Buddha: According to the Pali Canon, by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli.

I would have liked a little more detail on the temptation of Ananda as his human failings is what makes him so endearing, but it think this is currently the best book available on the disciples. This is a cornerstone book--if you study the Buddhist teachings, you will encounter these names and it is very helpful to have an idea about the people. The intro. has surprisingly good summary on the division of the teachings and gives an oversight for the organization of the Buddhist teachings. It can help you sort out what direction you want to take in your studies when you have a name of the Sutra to look up. I found the description of what killed Buddha and his funeral arrangement to be really interesting as were a brief mention of Possible teachers of the Buddha. There are so many hidden gems along the way, a description of the ideal husband and ideal wife, How a good man could be duped into becoming a serial killer. There are many Karmic examples of how our intentional actions can affect us in the long run. It's deepened my outlook on the suffering that exists. This is a good book I will refer to many times in my studies. Good luck in your learning adventures.

Sooner or later we have to get to know these people who were around the Buddha and also laying the foundation of the teachings. This is the best book to do it.

This collection of Buddha's great disciples' lives and legacies is truly inspiring time and again and deserves multiple read.

This is an excellent book, very enjoyable and inspirational. I have read the Majjhima Nikaya (MN) and Digha Nikaya (DN) before reading this one. This book references those Suttas in the MN and DN, which is very handy for going back and re-reading those suttas. I hope I will understand the discourses better because I now have the personality and cultural context. On its own this book is an excellent introduction the Pali collection of the Buddha's Teachings.

This book is fantastic and a good description and tales of the wonderful disciples of the Buddha and some of the most influential members of the original sangha that gathered to spread the teaching of the Buddha as well as some less known ones, who's stories will inspire you greatly

Good book , highly informative biographies that are inspiring and add to ones dhamma practice with words of the disciples and Buddha sprinkled through out rich in original sources and references and dazzlingly articulated in that fantastically clear eloquent bodhi style. looking for something to read..you would find it satisfying.

Amazing read - inspiring for Buddhist practitioners

Very inspiring and scholarly at the same time: the lives of the most important Buddha's disciples are outlined with precise reference to the canonical accounts but filled with passion for their human personality beyond agiographycal accounts.