The Portable World Bible presents the fundamental tenets of the world's basic source religions. Contemporary readers are offered, in concise,  authoritative translations, the religious thought of the ages, selected, interpreted, and arranged in view of modern man's quest  for ultimate truths and values. Robert O. Ballou, the volume's editor, has omitted mere stories, history, and ceremonial detail; what remains in every case is the essence of religion, set down with a clarity and simplicity never before achieved. The Portable World Bible is an unparalleled work of poetic and ethical inspiration, a book that makes a deep appeal to the mind and spirit.
General Introduction

THE HINDU
The Worshippers of Brahma

SELECTIONS FROM HINDU SCRIPTURES:

The Rig-Veda
Creation
Diologue between Yama and Yami
To Varuna
To Agni, in Praise of Night and Day
To Liberality

The Atharva-Veda
A Charm against Fear
One Common Spirit
To Heaven and Earth

The Satapatha Brahmana
The Creation of Prajapati and the Gods

The Upanishads
The Universal Self
The House of Death
How Many Gods?
The Light of Man
My Self within the Heart
The Sun Is Brahman
The Education of Svetaketu
The Power of God

The Bhagavad Gita
Revolt against War
The Rule of Action
The Rule of Wisdom
The Nature of God
The Lord of All
The Rule of Devotion
The Good Man and the Evil

The Visnu Purana
The General Duties of Man

The Garuda Purana
Of Associates
Karma
A Duty to Children

The Markandeya Purana
Sumati Instructs His Father
The Creation of Castes

Sankaracharyas Atma Bodha
Knowledge of Spirit

The Hitopadesa
Proverbs

The Works of Sri Ramakrishna
Many Paths to the One God
The Saints and the Saviours
The Protection of God
The Converted Snake
The Aspects of God

THE BUDDHIST
The Buddha and the World He Sought to Save

SELECTIONS FROM BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES:

Early Buddhist Books
The Foundation of the Kingdom of Righteousness
The Nine Incapabilities
The Aryan Eightfold Path
Questions Which Tend Not to Edification
Discussion of Dependent Origination
On Theology
The Fall and Rise of Social Behaviour
A Sermon to the Monks

The Dhammapada
The Twin Verses
Thought
The Fool
Punishment
Old Age
Anger
Proverbs

Buddaghosha's Parables
The Story of Kisagotami

The Lotus of the True Law
The Wheel of the Law

The Diamond Sutra
The Transcendant Wisdom

Asvaghosha's Awakening of Faith
Asvaghosha's Doctrine of Suchness

The Tibetan Doctrine
Elegant Sayings of the Lamas

THE PARSI
The Religion which might Have Been Ours

SELECTIONS FROM ZOROASTRIAN SCRIPTURES:

The Bundahis
The Order of Creation
The Ancestry of the World
The Flood

The Vendidad
The First Man
The Evil Winters

The Zendavesta
The One of Whom Questions Are Asked
The Fatherhood of God
The Mazdayasnian Confession
The Earth
Reward of the Faithful
Hymn to the Sun
The Fravashis of the Faithful
The Abodes of the Soul
Of the Dog

The Pahlavi Texts
Instructions to Priests
The Righteous Man
The Chinvad Bridge
The Nature of Heaven
The Nature of Hell
The Two Regions
The Resurrection

The Gathas
Exhortation to the Faithful
A Prayer for Guidance
The Choice between Right and Wrong

THE JEW AND THE CHRISTIAN
The Jew and the Christian

SELECTIONS FROM JUDEO-CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES:

Old Testament:
Genesis
Creation
The Garden of Eden
The Fall of Man
The Murder of Abel
The Making of the Ark
The Flood
Gods covenant with Noah
The Tower of Babel
Gods Covenant with Abraham
The Birth of Isaac
Esau and Jacob
The Family of Jacob
Joseph Is Sold by His Brothers
Joseph in Egypt
Josephs Brothers Go into Egypt
Joseph and His Brothers Are Reconciled
The Death of Joseph

Exodus
The Beginning of Persecution
The Birth of Moses
The Burning Bush and the Name of God
The Passover Is Instituted
They Cross the Red Sea
God Gives Moses the Ten Commandments
Further Laws
Moses Is Given the Tablets of Stone

Leviticus
Various Laws

Numbers
The Lords Blessing
The Cloud and Fire Lead
The Water of Meribah
The Death of Aaron
Joshua Appointed to Succeed Moses
Exogamy Is Discouraged

Deuteronomy
For a Sign upon Thine Hand
The Law of Release
Trial and Punishment
The Coming of a Prophet Foretold
The Law of False Witness
Of Santuary
The Law of Divorce
Of Master and Servant
Of Individual Responsibility
The Duty of an Husband's Brother
The Cursed of Israel
The Blessed of Israel
The Death of Moses

The Book of Joshua
Joshua Instructs His People
The Death of Joshua

The Book of Judges
The Anger of the Lord

The First Book of Kings
The Divided Kingdom
Elijah Proves God

The Book of Job
What Is the Almighty?

The Psalms
The Godly and the Ungodly (Psalm i)
Prophecy a Son of God (Psalm ii)
When I Consider Thy Heavens (Psalm viii)
Hymn of Trust (Psalm xi)
Who Walks Uprightly (Psalm xv)
The Glory of God (Psalm xix)
A Cry of Despair (Psalm xxii)
The Shepherds Psalm (Psalm xxiii)
The King of Glory (Psalm xxiv)
A Hymn of Faith (Psalm xxvii)
The Gentleness of God (Psalm ciii)
The Bounty of God (Psalm civ)
Whence Help Cometh (Psalm cxxi)
He Giveth His Beloved Sleep (Psalm cxxvii)
The Goodness of Unity (Psalm cxxxiii)

The Book of Proverbs
Proverbs
The Unsatisfied and the Wonderful

Ecclesiastes
The Vanity of Man

The Pre-Exilic Prophets
from The Book of Amos
from The Book of Hosea
from The Book of Micah
from The Book of the First Isaiah
from the Book of Jeremiah

The Book of the Second Isaiah
A Voice in the Wilderness
The Omnipotence of God
A Promise of Joy and Peace

New Testament:
The Gospels

THE LIFE OF CHRIST
The Miraculous Conception of Jesus
The Birth of Jesus
The Genealogy of Jesus
The Flight into Egypt
The Baptism of Jesus
Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil
The Healer
The First Disciples
A Crippled Man Is Healed
To Keep Holy the Sabbath
What Manner of Man Is This?
The Twelve Apostles Named
The Rock of the Christian Church
The Loaves and Fishes
The Transfiguration
Suffer the Little Children
Announcement of Destiny
The Woman Taken in Adultery
Lazarus Arises from Death
Entry into Jerusalem
The Price of a Saviour
The Last Supper
Gethsemane
The Trial of Jesus
Condemnation
The Crucifixion
Burial
The Tomb Is Sealed
The Resurrection
The Risen Christ

SERMONS AND SAYINGS OF JESUS
The Sermon on the Mount
Invitation to Christ
A Rebuke to Doubters
Of Forms and Meanings
The Price of Salvation
Until Seventy Times Seven
Of Marriage
Of Riches
The Great Commandments
Jesus Rebukes the Scribes and Pharisees
Second Coming
The Birth of the Spirit
The Bread of Life
The True Vine
Of the Sower, the Trees, and the Mustard Seed
Of the Good Samaritan
Of One That Layeth up Treasure
Of the Two Men Who Prayed

The Acts of the Apostles
The Founding of the Christian Church
Sauls Convenion
Peter's Vision of the Gentiles
Paul and Barnabas Turn to the Gentiles

The Epistles
To the Jew and also to the Gentile
Paul Instructs the Christian Church
Walk in the Spirit
One Lord
Hold Fast that which Is Good
The Power of Faith
The Insufficiency of Faith Alone
Love Not the World

THE MOSLEM
"There Is No God but Allah"

SELECTIONS FROM MOHAMMEDAN SCRIPTURES:

The Koran
Clots of Blood
The Enwrapped
The Most High
Those Who Stint
The Mountain
The Poets
God Has No Son
The Spider
Relation to Jews and Christians
Moral and Ritual Prescriptions
The Holy War
Other Prophets
The Table

The Masnavi
A Certain Person in the Time of 'UmarMay God Be Pleased with Him!Imagines He Sees the New Moon
A Governor Orders a Man to Dig up from the Road a Bramble-Bush which He Has Planted
The Being of Man Is Like a Forest
"Paradise Is Surrounded by Things Unpleasant to Us; the Fires Are Surrounded by Our Carnal Desires"
John the Baptiston Him Be Peacein His Mother's Womb Inclines in Worship Before Jesuson Him Be Peace!
The Contention as to Grapes of Four Persons, Each of Whom Knows Grapes by a Different Name

The Forty-Two Traditions of An-Nawawi
Selections

THE CONFUCIANIST
Master Kung

SELECTIONS FROM CONFUCIANIST SCRIPTURES:

The Li Ki
The Nature of the Universe and Man
The Feelings of Men
The Functions of the Ruler

The Shih King
The Song of How-tsieh
Plea to an Ancestor
How Vast Is God!
In Praise of Ancestors
On Letting Alone
Admonition

The Analects of Confucius
Selections

The Great Learning
The Root of Everything

The Doctrine of the Steadfast Mean
The Middle Way

The Works of Mencius
The Function of Government
Division of Labour
The Flood
The Root of the State
The Man with the Heart of a Child
Of Friendships and Gifts
Mans Nature Is Good
Convention and Emergency
All Things Are Complete in Us

The Book of Filial Piety
The Three Powers
The Question of Remonstrance

THE TAOIST
The Way

SELECTIONS FROM TAOIST SCRIPTURES:

The Tao-Te King
The Mother of All Things
Government by Non-Action
The Highest Goodness
Letting Alone
Favour and Disgrace
The Perfect Man of Tao
Do Away with Learning
What Difference between Yea and Nay?
Be Humble
The Eternal Tao
He Who Assists with Tao
He Who Knows Others
The Nameless Simplicity
Without Going out of the Door
The Sage Has No Self
The Great Way
Blunt all that Is Sharp
Three Treasures
The Best Soldier
The Strength of Weakness
Return Love for Hatred

The Works of Chuang Tze
All Things Are One
No Absolute
The Dream and the Dreamer
The Nature of God
The Degradation of Horses and Man
On Letting Alone
The Tao of God
The Circling Sky
Confucius and Lao Tze
Conceit
The Choice of Chuang Tze
The Death of Chuang Tzes Wife
The Wisdom of the Skull
The Secret of Life
Confucius at the Cataract
The Impossibility of Possessing
All Things after Their Kinds
Where Tao Is
The Wise Tender of Horses
Chuang Tze on Death
The Way to Tao

Glossary
Index

About

The Portable World Bible presents the fundamental tenets of the world's basic source religions. Contemporary readers are offered, in concise,  authoritative translations, the religious thought of the ages, selected, interpreted, and arranged in view of modern man's quest  for ultimate truths and values. Robert O. Ballou, the volume's editor, has omitted mere stories, history, and ceremonial detail; what remains in every case is the essence of religion, set down with a clarity and simplicity never before achieved. The Portable World Bible is an unparalleled work of poetic and ethical inspiration, a book that makes a deep appeal to the mind and spirit.

Author

Table of Contents

General Introduction

THE HINDU
The Worshippers of Brahma

SELECTIONS FROM HINDU SCRIPTURES:

The Rig-Veda
Creation
Diologue between Yama and Yami
To Varuna
To Agni, in Praise of Night and Day
To Liberality

The Atharva-Veda
A Charm against Fear
One Common Spirit
To Heaven and Earth

The Satapatha Brahmana
The Creation of Prajapati and the Gods

The Upanishads
The Universal Self
The House of Death
How Many Gods?
The Light of Man
My Self within the Heart
The Sun Is Brahman
The Education of Svetaketu
The Power of God

The Bhagavad Gita
Revolt against War
The Rule of Action
The Rule of Wisdom
The Nature of God
The Lord of All
The Rule of Devotion
The Good Man and the Evil

The Visnu Purana
The General Duties of Man

The Garuda Purana
Of Associates
Karma
A Duty to Children

The Markandeya Purana
Sumati Instructs His Father
The Creation of Castes

Sankaracharyas Atma Bodha
Knowledge of Spirit

The Hitopadesa
Proverbs

The Works of Sri Ramakrishna
Many Paths to the One God
The Saints and the Saviours
The Protection of God
The Converted Snake
The Aspects of God

THE BUDDHIST
The Buddha and the World He Sought to Save

SELECTIONS FROM BUDDHIST SCRIPTURES:

Early Buddhist Books
The Foundation of the Kingdom of Righteousness
The Nine Incapabilities
The Aryan Eightfold Path
Questions Which Tend Not to Edification
Discussion of Dependent Origination
On Theology
The Fall and Rise of Social Behaviour
A Sermon to the Monks

The Dhammapada
The Twin Verses
Thought
The Fool
Punishment
Old Age
Anger
Proverbs

Buddaghosha's Parables
The Story of Kisagotami

The Lotus of the True Law
The Wheel of the Law

The Diamond Sutra
The Transcendant Wisdom

Asvaghosha's Awakening of Faith
Asvaghosha's Doctrine of Suchness

The Tibetan Doctrine
Elegant Sayings of the Lamas

THE PARSI
The Religion which might Have Been Ours

SELECTIONS FROM ZOROASTRIAN SCRIPTURES:

The Bundahis
The Order of Creation
The Ancestry of the World
The Flood

The Vendidad
The First Man
The Evil Winters

The Zendavesta
The One of Whom Questions Are Asked
The Fatherhood of God
The Mazdayasnian Confession
The Earth
Reward of the Faithful
Hymn to the Sun
The Fravashis of the Faithful
The Abodes of the Soul
Of the Dog

The Pahlavi Texts
Instructions to Priests
The Righteous Man
The Chinvad Bridge
The Nature of Heaven
The Nature of Hell
The Two Regions
The Resurrection

The Gathas
Exhortation to the Faithful
A Prayer for Guidance
The Choice between Right and Wrong

THE JEW AND THE CHRISTIAN
The Jew and the Christian

SELECTIONS FROM JUDEO-CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES:

Old Testament:
Genesis
Creation
The Garden of Eden
The Fall of Man
The Murder of Abel
The Making of the Ark
The Flood
Gods covenant with Noah
The Tower of Babel
Gods Covenant with Abraham
The Birth of Isaac
Esau and Jacob
The Family of Jacob
Joseph Is Sold by His Brothers
Joseph in Egypt
Josephs Brothers Go into Egypt
Joseph and His Brothers Are Reconciled
The Death of Joseph

Exodus
The Beginning of Persecution
The Birth of Moses
The Burning Bush and the Name of God
The Passover Is Instituted
They Cross the Red Sea
God Gives Moses the Ten Commandments
Further Laws
Moses Is Given the Tablets of Stone

Leviticus
Various Laws

Numbers
The Lords Blessing
The Cloud and Fire Lead
The Water of Meribah
The Death of Aaron
Joshua Appointed to Succeed Moses
Exogamy Is Discouraged

Deuteronomy
For a Sign upon Thine Hand
The Law of Release
Trial and Punishment
The Coming of a Prophet Foretold
The Law of False Witness
Of Santuary
The Law of Divorce
Of Master and Servant
Of Individual Responsibility
The Duty of an Husband's Brother
The Cursed of Israel
The Blessed of Israel
The Death of Moses

The Book of Joshua
Joshua Instructs His People
The Death of Joshua

The Book of Judges
The Anger of the Lord

The First Book of Kings
The Divided Kingdom
Elijah Proves God

The Book of Job
What Is the Almighty?

The Psalms
The Godly and the Ungodly (Psalm i)
Prophecy a Son of God (Psalm ii)
When I Consider Thy Heavens (Psalm viii)
Hymn of Trust (Psalm xi)
Who Walks Uprightly (Psalm xv)
The Glory of God (Psalm xix)
A Cry of Despair (Psalm xxii)
The Shepherds Psalm (Psalm xxiii)
The King of Glory (Psalm xxiv)
A Hymn of Faith (Psalm xxvii)
The Gentleness of God (Psalm ciii)
The Bounty of God (Psalm civ)
Whence Help Cometh (Psalm cxxi)
He Giveth His Beloved Sleep (Psalm cxxvii)
The Goodness of Unity (Psalm cxxxiii)

The Book of Proverbs
Proverbs
The Unsatisfied and the Wonderful

Ecclesiastes
The Vanity of Man

The Pre-Exilic Prophets
from The Book of Amos
from The Book of Hosea
from The Book of Micah
from The Book of the First Isaiah
from the Book of Jeremiah

The Book of the Second Isaiah
A Voice in the Wilderness
The Omnipotence of God
A Promise of Joy and Peace

New Testament:
The Gospels

THE LIFE OF CHRIST
The Miraculous Conception of Jesus
The Birth of Jesus
The Genealogy of Jesus
The Flight into Egypt
The Baptism of Jesus
Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil
The Healer
The First Disciples
A Crippled Man Is Healed
To Keep Holy the Sabbath
What Manner of Man Is This?
The Twelve Apostles Named
The Rock of the Christian Church
The Loaves and Fishes
The Transfiguration
Suffer the Little Children
Announcement of Destiny
The Woman Taken in Adultery
Lazarus Arises from Death
Entry into Jerusalem
The Price of a Saviour
The Last Supper
Gethsemane
The Trial of Jesus
Condemnation
The Crucifixion
Burial
The Tomb Is Sealed
The Resurrection
The Risen Christ

SERMONS AND SAYINGS OF JESUS
The Sermon on the Mount
Invitation to Christ
A Rebuke to Doubters
Of Forms and Meanings
The Price of Salvation
Until Seventy Times Seven
Of Marriage
Of Riches
The Great Commandments
Jesus Rebukes the Scribes and Pharisees
Second Coming
The Birth of the Spirit
The Bread of Life
The True Vine
Of the Sower, the Trees, and the Mustard Seed
Of the Good Samaritan
Of One That Layeth up Treasure
Of the Two Men Who Prayed

The Acts of the Apostles
The Founding of the Christian Church
Sauls Convenion
Peter's Vision of the Gentiles
Paul and Barnabas Turn to the Gentiles

The Epistles
To the Jew and also to the Gentile
Paul Instructs the Christian Church
Walk in the Spirit
One Lord
Hold Fast that which Is Good
The Power of Faith
The Insufficiency of Faith Alone
Love Not the World

THE MOSLEM
"There Is No God but Allah"

SELECTIONS FROM MOHAMMEDAN SCRIPTURES:

The Koran
Clots of Blood
The Enwrapped
The Most High
Those Who Stint
The Mountain
The Poets
God Has No Son
The Spider
Relation to Jews and Christians
Moral and Ritual Prescriptions
The Holy War
Other Prophets
The Table

The Masnavi
A Certain Person in the Time of 'UmarMay God Be Pleased with Him!Imagines He Sees the New Moon
A Governor Orders a Man to Dig up from the Road a Bramble-Bush which He Has Planted
The Being of Man Is Like a Forest
"Paradise Is Surrounded by Things Unpleasant to Us; the Fires Are Surrounded by Our Carnal Desires"
John the Baptiston Him Be Peacein His Mother's Womb Inclines in Worship Before Jesuson Him Be Peace!
The Contention as to Grapes of Four Persons, Each of Whom Knows Grapes by a Different Name

The Forty-Two Traditions of An-Nawawi
Selections

THE CONFUCIANIST
Master Kung

SELECTIONS FROM CONFUCIANIST SCRIPTURES:

The Li Ki
The Nature of the Universe and Man
The Feelings of Men
The Functions of the Ruler

The Shih King
The Song of How-tsieh
Plea to an Ancestor
How Vast Is God!
In Praise of Ancestors
On Letting Alone
Admonition

The Analects of Confucius
Selections

The Great Learning
The Root of Everything

The Doctrine of the Steadfast Mean
The Middle Way

The Works of Mencius
The Function of Government
Division of Labour
The Flood
The Root of the State
The Man with the Heart of a Child
Of Friendships and Gifts
Mans Nature Is Good
Convention and Emergency
All Things Are Complete in Us

The Book of Filial Piety
The Three Powers
The Question of Remonstrance

THE TAOIST
The Way

SELECTIONS FROM TAOIST SCRIPTURES:

The Tao-Te King
The Mother of All Things
Government by Non-Action
The Highest Goodness
Letting Alone
Favour and Disgrace
The Perfect Man of Tao
Do Away with Learning
What Difference between Yea and Nay?
Be Humble
The Eternal Tao
He Who Assists with Tao
He Who Knows Others
The Nameless Simplicity
Without Going out of the Door
The Sage Has No Self
The Great Way
Blunt all that Is Sharp
Three Treasures
The Best Soldier
The Strength of Weakness
Return Love for Hatred

The Works of Chuang Tze
All Things Are One
No Absolute
The Dream and the Dreamer
The Nature of God
The Degradation of Horses and Man
On Letting Alone
The Tao of God
The Circling Sky
Confucius and Lao Tze
Conceit
The Choice of Chuang Tze
The Death of Chuang Tzes Wife
The Wisdom of the Skull
The Secret of Life
Confucius at the Cataract
The Impossibility of Possessing
All Things after Their Kinds
Where Tao Is
The Wise Tender of Horses
Chuang Tze on Death
The Way to Tao

Glossary
Index