Early Indian and Theravada Buddhism

Book Description

This scholarly exploration reveals the hidden complexity within one of Buddhism's most influential traditions. Bradley S. Clough challenges the widespread assumption that early Buddhism and its Theravada continuation represent a single, unified path to enlightenment.

Drawing from the Pali Canon, the ancient texts preserved by Theravada Buddhism, Clough demonstrates that multiple spiritual paths coexisted within early Buddhist communities in India during the centuries before the Common Era. Rather than the singular approach often portrayed, he identifies five distinct paths followed by different types of "noble persons," each offering unique routes to nibbana.

The book traces how these ancient tensions between diverse spiritual approaches have persisted throughout Theravada history in Sri Lanka. Clough examines the ongoing division between scholarly town-dwelling monks and contemplative forest-dwelling practitioners, showing how this vocational split reflects deeper questions about the nature of spiritual attainment.

The study culminates with analysis of a contemporary debate between prominent Theravada teachers regarding whether meditation should emphasize tranquility or insight practices. This modern controversy illuminates how fundamental questions about spiritual methodology continue to generate discussion within the tradition.

By reading canonical texts independently rather than through later interpretive lenses, Clough reveals Buddhism's essential multiplicity. This work offers valuable insights for anyone interested in understanding how spiritual traditions develop, adapt, and maintain diverse approaches to awakening across centuries of practice and transmission.