Scholarly books on Buddha and early Buddhism. AI

Claude

2 or 3 highly credible, properly researched books on buddha and very early Buddhism

Here are some highly credible, scholarly works on the Buddha and early Buddhism:

1. "The Buddha" by Richard Gombrich (2009) Written by one of the foremost scholars of early Buddhism and former Blavatsky Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford. Gombrich draws on Pali texts to reconstruct what the historical Buddha likely taught, distinguishing his original teachings from later developments. It's accessible while being rigorously academic.

2. "What the Buddha Thought" by Richard Gombrich (2009) Also by Gombrich, this examines the Buddha's original ideas in their historical context, particularly how he responded to and transformed earlier Brahmanical concepts. It's more technical than "The Buddha" but offers deep insights into early Buddhist philosophy.

3. "Early Buddhism: A New Approach" by Sue Hamilton (2000) This work from a UCL scholar focuses on the earliest Buddhist texts and proposes a fresh interpretation of the Buddha's core teachings, particularly around the concept of the self and experience. It's well-researched and challenges some traditional interpretations.

Alternative: "In the Buddha's Words" edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi (2005) While this is an anthology of early Buddhist texts from the Pali Canon rather than a secondary work, Bodhi's translations and extensive introductions make it an invaluable primary source for understanding what the earliest texts actually say. Bodhi is one of the most respected scholar-monks in the Theravada tradition.

These all take seriously the historical and textual evidence while remaining readable for non-specialists.

Bio data on Hamilton

Sue Hamilton was a British scholar of Indian religions who specialized in early Buddhism. Here's what I know about her:

Academic Position:

She was a Reader (senior lecturer) in Indian Religions at the Department of the Study of Religions at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London Later moved to King's College London Academic Focus:

Specialized in early Buddhist thought and the Pali Canon Particularly interested in phenomenological approaches to understanding early Buddhist concepts of identity, consciousness, and experience Her work emphasized re-examining fundamental Buddhist concepts through close textual analysis Key Publications:

Early Buddhism: A New Approach (2000) - her most influential work
Identity and Experience: The Constitution of the Human Being According to Early Buddhism (1996)
Various academic articles on early Buddhist philosophy

Approach: She was known for challenging conventional interpretations of early Buddhism, particularly around the concept of "anatta" (not-self). She argued that many modern understandings had strayed from what the earliest texts actually conveyed.

Death: Sue Hamilton died in 2006, relatively early in her career, which cut short what was a promising and innovative contribution to Buddhist studies.

Her work is well-respected in academic circles for its careful textual analysis and fresh perspectives, though some of her more revisionist interpretations remain subjects of scholarly debate.

Give me a precis on Hamilton's theory about the " I of the beholder"

Sue Hamilton's "I of the beholder" concept is central to her reinterpretation of early Buddhist teachings on identity and experience.

The Core Idea:

Hamilton argued that early Buddhism wasn't primarily concerned with metaphysical questions about whether a "self" exists or not. Instead, the Buddha was focused on how we experience ourselves and the world - what she called the phenomenology of human experience.

The "I of the Beholder":

She proposed that early Buddhist texts describe identity as constituted entirely through the process of cognition and sensory experience. The "I" is not a thing or entity, but rather the experiential perspective - the subjective standpoint from which experience happens. It's the "beholder" in any act of perception or cognition.

Key Points:

Experience-based: Our sense of self arises from the ongoing process of the five aggregates (skandhas) - form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness - working together Not denial of self: Hamilton argued the Buddha wasn't denying we have a subjective perspective, but showing that this "I" has no independent, permanent existence outside the process of experiencing Practical focus: The Buddha's interest was soteriological (about liberation) - understanding how clinging to this experiential process as "me" and "mine" causes suffering Contrast with Traditional Views:

Traditional interpretations often read "anatta" (not-self) as a metaphysical claim that there is no self whatsoever. Hamilton suggested the Buddha was making a more subtle point about the nature of identity as process rather than substance - the "I" exists as a perspective but not as a permanent entity.

This was part of her broader argument that early Buddhism was more phenomenologically sophisticated and less concerned with abstract metaphysics than later traditions suggested.