New book from Windhorse: This Being, That Becomes: The Buddha’s Teaching on Conditionality

News is just in of a new book released by Windhorse, Triratna’s prublishing house.  Sarah Ryan, their publishing manager, writes to say - “We’re very happy to announce to the readers of Triratna News that Dhivan’s new book, This Being, That Becomes: The Buddha’s Teaching on Conditionality is out now.

“It’s the latest title in our Buddhist Wisdom in Practice series, and is an insightful and practical exposition of the Buddha’s central insight into the nature of existence. We are very proud to be bringing out a new book on such an important topic. As well as using new translations and being a thorough study of the Pali sources and the teaching of the historical Buddha, at the same time it brings these teachings right into the contemporary world”.

You can read a short extract here and it’s available to buy online and from Triratna bookshops across the UK. 

Conditionality is one of the most central yet least-understood of the Buddha’s teachings.  Known as the doctrine of Pratitya Samutpada, it’s most succinctly expressed in the classic formulation "This being, that becomes; from the arising of this, that arises." This formula, recorded in texts and carved in inscriptions throughout the Buddhist world, is said to summarise the whole of the Dharma, the teaching of the Buddha.  But how can such a simple summary be the conceptual formulation that characterises the experience of a Buddha, an ‘Awakened One’, a state beyond all words and concepts?

Dhivan (whose English name is Thomas Jones) tells us how, and takes us into the heart of the Buddha’s insight that everything arises in dependence on conditions. With the aid of lucid reflections and exercises he prompts us to explore how conditionality works in our own lives, and provides a sure guide to the most essential teaching of Buddhism.

"Clearly and intelligently written, this book carries a lot of good advice."
Professor Richard Gombrich, author of What the Buddha Thought