Intensive study of the first chapter of Sangharakshita’s magnum opus, ‘A Survey of Buddhism’, is a fundamental part of ordination training.
The purpose of the study is to deepen one’s practical understanding of the Dharma – the basic doctrines and teachings of the Buddha, such as conditioned co-production, the three marks of conditioned existence, the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path. According to Subhuti in the foreword to the most recent edition (published as part of the Complete Works of Sangharakshita), this study ‘usually has considerable impact since it introduces trainees so clearly and inspiringly to the transcendent dimension of the Dharma.’
