Publisher's Synopsis
A study of a classic list of Buddhist teachings which includes such familiar items as the four establishings of mindfulness and the noble eightfold path. The complete list, already found on the Pali Nikayas and later referred to as the "37 dhammas that contribute to awakening", is seen as the embodying of Buddhist path itself.;This work gives a comprehensive exposition of the treatment of the list according to the Pali sources, while also making use of Buddhist Sanskrit material. Particular attention is paid to the development of the traditional interpretations of the Abhidhamma and commentaries. The study provides an account of the evolution of the Theravadin theory of meditation, exploring how the texts understand the process whereby the "ordinary" unawakened mind transforms itself into the "transcendent" awakened mind.
