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Bhikkhu Bodhi (b. 1944, NYC), born
Jeffrey Block, is an American Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka and currently
teaching in the New
York/New Jersey
area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication
Society and has edited and authored several publications
grounded in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
Life
In 1944, Block was born in Brooklyn, NY. In 1966, he obtained a B.A. in
philosophy from Brooklyn College. In 1972, he obtained
a Ph.D. in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School.[2][3]
In 1967, while still a graduate student, Bodhi was ordained as a
novice monk in the
Vietnamese Mahayana
order.[3]
In 1972, after graduation, Bodhi traveled to Sri Lanka where, under Ven. Ananda Maitreya,[4]
he received novice ordination and, in 1973, he received full
ordination in a Theravada order.[2]
In 1984, succeeding co-founder Ven. Nyanaponika Thera,[4]
Bodhi was appointed English-language editor of the Buddhist Publication
Society (BPS, Sri Lanka) and, in 1988, became its
president.[1][2][5]
In 2002, he retired from the society's editorship while still
remaining its president.[1][3][5]
In 2000, at the United Nations' first official Vesak celebration, Bodhi gave the
keynote address.[6]
In 2002, after retiring as editor of BPS,[3]
Bodhi returned to the United States. He currently teaches at Bodhi
Monastery (Lafayette, New
Jersey) and Chuang Yen Monastery (Carmel, New
York) and is the chairman of the Yin Shun Foundation.[2][7]
Publications and
teachings
Bodhi's publications include:
- The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the
End of Suffering (1984, BPS; 2000, Pariyatti)[8]
- The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A
Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (with Bhikkhu Nanamoli, 1995, Wisdom
Publications)
- Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology of Suttas
from the Anguttara Nikaya (with Nyanaponika
Thera, 2000, Altamira Press)
- The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation
of the Samyutta
Nikaya (2000, Wisdom Publications)
- A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The
Abhidhammattha Sangaha of Ācariya Anuruddha (2000, BPS
Pariyatti)
- In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the
Pali
Canon (2005, Wisdom Publications)
Bodhi's on-line courses include:
- "The Buddha’s Teaching As It Is" (1981)[9]
- A course in Pali Language
(2003)[10]
- Majjhima Nikaya lectures (2003-2008)[11]
Notes
- ^ a
b
c
"Story of the Buddhist Publication Society" from "Buddhist
Publication Society" at http://www.bps.lk/aboutus.asp. During Bodhi's
tenure as English-language editor, the Sinhala editor was Ven. Piyadassi until his death in 1998.
- ^ a
b
c
d
"Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi" (official biography), retrieved from
"Bodhi Monastery" at http://www.bodhimonastery.net/Monastery/Teachers/bhikkhubodhi.html
- ^ a
b
c
d
See "Climbing to the Top of the Mountain: An interview with Bhikkhu
Bodhi" (2002) from "Barre Center for Buddhist Studies" at http://www.dharma.org/ij/archives/2002b/bhikkhu_bodhi.htm.
- ^ a
b
In Bodhi, Connected Discourses (2000), p. 5, Bodhi
dedicates the tome to "the memory of my teacher Venerable
Abhidhajamaharatthaguru Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera
(1896-1998) and to the memories of my chief kalyanamittas in my
life as a Buddhist monk, Venerable Nyanaponika Mahathera
(1901-1994) and Venerable Piyadassi Nayaka
Thera (1914-1998)".
- ^ a
b
According to the BPS "Newsletter" (1st Mailing 2008, No.
59), p. 7, right hand column, bottom: "Note: The author [Ven.
Bhikkhu Bodhi, related to the article "The Buddhist Publication
Society of Kandy: A Brief Account of Its Contributions to Buddhist
Literature," pp. 4-7] served as the editor of the BPS from 1984
until 2002 and has remained its president since 1988." (Retrieved
2008-07-29 from "BPS" at http://www.bps.lk/newletter_pdf/nl_59.pdf.)
- ^
Bodhi's U.N. keynote address is available at http://www.buddhanet.net/budmsg.htm.
- ^
For example an example of Bodhi's teaching at the Chuang Yen
Monastery, see "Going to the Source of the Buddh's Teaching: A
Study Course in the Pali Suttas with Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi" from
"Buddhist Association of United States" (BAUS) at http://www.baus.org/baus/programs/2008/CourseNotice-Fall_2008.pdf.
- ^
An on-line edition of "The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of
Suffering" (BPS, 1984/1998) is available from "Access to Insight"
(1999) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html.
- ^
His 1981 ten-lecture "The Buddha’s Teaching As It Is" is available
at http://www.bodhimonastery.net/courses/TenLectures/TenLectures.html.
Bodhi recorded these lectures at the prompting of Bhante Gunaratana.
- ^
Bodhi's Pali language course is available at http://www.bodhimonastery.net/courses/Pali/course_Pali.html.
- ^
Bodhi's Majjhima Nikaya (MN) lectures are available at http://www.bodhimonastery.net/courses/MN/MN_course.html.
The structure he provides for the MN suttas later became the
general structure he provides for selected suttas from the entire
Pali Canon in Bodhi (2005).
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