The Art of Listening

An accessible introduction to the teachings of the Buddha told through the oral tradition of the Dighanikaya--the preeminent text of the Pali canon.

The Dighanikaya, or Long Discourses of the Buddha, is one of the four major collections of teachings from the early period of Buddhism. The thirty-four suttas in the collection demonstrate remarkable breadth in both content and style, ranging from prescriptive ways to apply the practice of Buddhism to evocative imagery that symbolizes the teaching and ethical recommendations about how to act in the world. It is a comprehensive collection that embraces the symbiotic relationship between Buddhist practitioners of the lay and monastic paths.

The Art of Listening is intended to give an introduction to the Dighanikaya in particular and, more generally, to the insights that emerge when we view the Buddhist suttas as oral literature. Dr. Sarah Shaw offers historical and cultural background for the early suttas and discusses some of the key teachings in Buddhist philosophy including meditation, ethics, meditative states, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path. Each sutta of the Dighanikaya is a paced, rhythmic composition that evolved and passed intergenerationally through chanting. For hundreds of years, these timeless teachings were never written down. Examining twelve suttas of the Dighanikaya, Dr. Shaw combines a literary approach and a personal one, based on her experiences hearing and chanting the texts aloud in Asia and the UK. At once sophisticated and companionable, The Art of Listening will introduce you to the diversity and beauty of the early suttas.