The Discourse on the All-Embracing Net of Views: The Brahmajāla Sutta and Its Commentaries

The Brahmajāla Sutta, one of the Buddha’s most important and profound discourses, weaves a net of sixty-two cases capturing all the philosophical, speculative views on the self and the world. Its assignment as the first discourse in the Collection of Long Discourses reflects the high esteem in which it was held by the ancient compilers of the Pāli Canon. But the Brahmajāla is more than merely the first item in a collection of discourses, it is the gateway to the entire Teaching of the Buddha itself. Its central message must be grasped to ensure a correct understanding of the Teaching.

This book contains an accurate and readable translation of this discourse, as well as of its massive commentary and the subcommentary, allowing for a close in-depth study of the work. The book also contains translations of three commentarial treatises that throw valuable sidelights on rarely known aspects of Theravada Buddhism: ＂The Treatise on the Pāramīs＂, a lengthy treatise on the Theravada conception of the Bodhisatta ideal, ＂The Meaning of the Word Tathāgata,＂ and ＂The Method of the Exegetical Treatises＂

The introduction by Bhikkhu Bodhi is itself a modern philosophical commentary on the sutta. It elucidates the key points of the discourse and explains the place of the Brahmajāla in the overall structure of Buddhist thought.

2024 Pariyatti Press Edition