Buddhisms
An Introduction
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
Buddhism or Buddhisms? By the time they move on to Buddhism in Japan, many students who have studied its origins in India ask whether this is in fact the same religion, so different can they appear. In Buddhisms: An Introduction, Professor John S. Strong provides an overview of the Buddhist tradition in all its different forms around the world. Beginning at the modern day temples of Lumbini, where the Buddha was born, Strong takes us through the life of the Buddha and a study of Buddhist Doctrine, revealing how Buddhism has changed just as it has stayed the same. Finally, Strong examines the nature of Buddhist community life and its development today in the very different environments of Thailand, Japan, and Tibet. Enriched by the author’s own insights gathered over forty years, Buddhisms never loses sight of the personal experience amidst the wide-scope of its subject. Clear in its explanations, replete with tables and suggestions for further reading, this is an essential new work that makes original contributions to the study of this 2,500 year-old religion.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Acknowledging that many introductions to Buddhism are already available, Strong focuses on three themes in this substantial survey: Buddhism as a "middle way," the efforts adherents have made to "overcome the Buddha's absence," and the importance of place. Strong, professor of religion at Bates College, uses the "three refuges" (Buddha, dharma, and samgha) to organize his exploration of the religion's earliest developments and later Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, keeping in mind the question, "Is there one or are there many Buddhisms?" Deftly selecting material from a vast tradition, Strong guides the reader through complex topics with precision, clarity, and insight, aided by tables presenting more abstruse information. Particularly cogent are his analyses of long-debated subjects such as karma, non-self, and approaches to enlightenment (practice/study, gradual/sudden). He includes topics related to women in Buddhism throughout. This introduction's primary shortcoming is its unevenness: Strong sometimes delves into too much detail for his intended audience, and his examples of current Buddhist practice outside Asia are too cursory to be instructive. Nevertheless, readers eager to dive into a rigorous, well-organized investigation of Buddhism's intricate 2500-year-old history will find much to reward them.
