The Great Disciples of the Buddha: Their Lives, Their Works, Their

Legacy ~ Nyanaponika Thera , Hellmuth Hecker

March 9, 2010

This book is a MUST HAVE for all serious Buddhists!! It is definitely one of my favourite
Buddhist books. As all of you know, I am a Buddhist biography fan. However, I have never
seriously read any books on the disciples of the Buddha!

But after reading this book, I was totally blown off. Reading this book is like being in the
presence of the great disciples themselves. It is really knowing them, especially since this
books is peppered with thier thought and ideas from the

Theragatha and Therigatha. It tells of their stories, their difficulties, their down moments as
well as their enlightenment moments. Most importantly, it shows us their spirit! Especially
interesting was the book also told the story of lay disciples and nuns. The stories of lay
disciples are an interesting read as they showcase what a lay person should do

and this is different from that of a monastic. As such, there is much that we can learn as a
Buddhist disciple. This book has since become my morning read and I would just randomly flip
to a page and read for about 10 to 15 mins everyday. After reading this book every morning,
it is like being embraced in the warmth of dharma, being sprinkled with the cool dharma dew
and bliss of listening to the Dharma just naturally arises. It is really an amazing book. I think
the writers have done a really excellent job with the book.