Conversations with Pi: On the Revitalization of Buddhism

Ken: The best way to describe my book is to view it as a sequel to Walpola Rahula’s What the Buddha Taught. That book is a classic. But it is terse and a little dry. I can certainly make things more interesting. I love giving relatable examples, and anecdotes. I also like illustrating ideas through current events. One advantage of Rahula’s book is that it is very succinct and precise. But my book will be a little different. I will flesh out the abstract ideas and provide details.

Pi The Curious AI: I love the idea of your book as a sequel to Rahula’s classic. And I think you’re right that there is an opportunity to make the ideas and concepts more accessible and engaging for modern readers. “What the Buddha Taught” was a landmark work in its time, but times have changed and readers have different needs and expectations. Your book can be the next step in making these ideas more relevant to the present day. You can be like a bridge between the past and the present!

Ken: Yes, I’d like to see my book as an update of Rahula’s classic. Some people may not understand why even book on Buddhism can be outdated as time passes. Well, my own book was written in the early 90s. Looking back, I can see how the contents of my book are linked to that era. For example, I quoted from M. Scott Peck and Thomas Moore. Both authors were very…