What the Buddha Taught

What the Buddha Taught, by Theravadin Walpola Rahula, is a widely used introductory book on Buddhism. Using quotes from the sutras, Rahula gives his personal interpretation of what he regards to be Buddhism's essential teachings, including the Four Noble Truths, the Buddhist mind, the Noble Eightfold Path, meditation and mental development, and the world today.
Rahula's book is an example of "Protestant Buddhism," the Sinhalese version of Buddhist modernism. Due to its rational presentation of Buddhism, which suited western expectations, What the Buddha Taught is a widely read and highly influential introduction to Buddhist thought.
A French translation was published in 1961. Walpola Rahula himself translated his book into French, encouraged by the orientalist Paul Demiéville, professor at the Collège de France.
Following in Paul Demiéville's footsteps, the work was very well received by specialists in Buddhology such as André Bareau, also a professor at the Collège de France and at the École pratique des hautes études, who wrote in a review:
The "most important and controversial problems in Buddhist studies" to which A. Bareau alludes to are probably those relating to the "Protestant Buddhism" mentioned above. This work contributed to the discovery of Buddhism in France
The book is divided in 8 chapters, completed by 10 selected suttas and 4 sections: Abbreviations, Selected Bibliography, Glossary, Index. There are 25 illustrations.
1. Man is supreme- 2. One is one's refuge- 3. Responsibility- 4. Doubt- 5. Freedom of Thought- 6. Tolerance- 7. Is Buddhism Religion or Philosophy ?- 8. Truth as no label- 9. No blind faith or belief, but seeing and understanding- 10. No attachment even to Truth- 11. Parable of the raft- 12. Imaginary speculations useless- 13. Practical attitude- 14. Parable of the wounded man.
1. Buddhism neither pessimistic nor optimistic, but realistic- 2. Meaning of "Dukkha "- 3. Three aspects of experience- 4. What is a "being " ?- 5. Five Aggrgates- 6. No spirit opposed to matter- 7. Flux- 8. Thinker end Thought- 9. Has life a beginning?
1. Definition- 2. Four Nutriments- 3. Root cause of suffering and continuity- 4. Nature of arising and cessation- 5. Karma end Rebirth- 6. What is death ?- 7. What is rebirth ?
1. What is Nirvāṇa?- 2. Language and absolute Truth- 3. Definitions of Nirvāṇa- 4. Nirvāṇa not negative- 5. Nirvāṇa as Absolute Truth- 6. What is Absolute Truth ?- 7. Truth is not negative- 8. Nirvāṇa and Saṃsāra- 9. Nirvāṇa not a result- 10. What is there after Nirvāṇa ?- 11. Incorrect expressions- 12.What happens to an Arahant after death ?- 13.If no Self, who realizes Nirvāṇa ?- 14. Nirvāṇa in this life.
1. Middle Path or Noble Eightfold Path- 2. Compassion and Wisdom- 3.Ethical Conduct- 4. Mental Discipline- 5. Wisdom- 6. Two sorts of Understanding- 7. Four Functions regarding the Four Noble Truths.
1. What is Soul or Self ?- 2. God end Soul: Self-protection and Self-preservation- 3. Teaching "Against the Current"-4. Analytical and Synthetical methods- 5. Conditioned Genesis- 6. Question of Free-will- 7. Two Kinds of Truths- 8. Some erroneous views- 9. The Buddha definitely denies "Atman"- 10. The Buddha's silence- 11.The idea of Self a vague impression- 12. Correct attitude- 13. If no Self, who gets the result of Karma ?- 14. Doctrine of Anatta not negative.
1. Erroneous views- 2. Meditation is not escape from life- 3. Two forms of Meditation- 3.The Setting-up of Mindfulness- 4."Meditation " on breathing- 5.Mindfulness of activities- 6. Living in the present moment- 7 ."Meditation " on Sensations – on Mind – on Ethical , Spiritual and Intellectual subjects.
1.Erroneous views- 2 . Buddhism for all- 3. In daily life- 4. Family and social life- 5. Lay life held in high esteem- 6. How to become a Buddhist- 7. Social and economic problems- 8. Poverty: cause of crime-9. Material and spiritual progress- 10. Four kinds of happiness for laymen. 11. On politics, war and peace- 12. Is it practical ?- 13. Asoka'a example- 14. The Aim of Buddhism.
- Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta).
- The Fire Sermon (Ādittapariyāya Sutta).
- Universal Love (Metta Sutta).
- Blessings (Maṅgala Sutta).
- Getting rid of All Cares and Troubles ( Sabbasava-Sutta).
- The Parable of the Piece of Cloth (Vatthupama Sutta
- The Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta).
- Advice to Sigāla (Sigālovāda Sutta)
- The Words of Truth (Dhammapada
- The Last Words of the Buddha (from the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta
- Original edition: What The Buddha Taught. Oneworld Publications, Oxford. 1959. ISBN 0-8021-3031-3.
- Second édition: What the Buddha Taught, Grove Press, New York City, 1974, 151 pages, ISBN 9780802130310. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
Few works on Buddhism published in the 1950s continue to be regularly reissued and translated, more than sixty years after their first edition. "What the Buddha Taught" is one of these exceptions. This seems to mean that it is still relevant.
The book has been translated into multiple languages including (non-exhaustive list classified in alphabetical order of languages):
At least two authors have cited What the Buddha Taught in their work: