Buddhism
A Concise Introduction
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4.1 • 10 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Huston Smith and Philip Novak offer a highly readable and incisive guide to the heart of Buddhism, a quickly growing tradition with an increasing presence and importance in the Western world. The first half of the book is written by Smith, the world’s premier authority on religious traditions. Smith traces the history of Buddhism, with a special focus on the differences and similarities between the Mahayana and Theravada traditions. Noted scholar (and former student of Smith) Novak then traces the spread of Buddhism out of Asia and into the West.
Esoteric concepts like the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are explained in a clear and straightforward manner that those new to Buddhism will easily understand. This book will stand apart as the most concise, timely, and reliable introduction to Buddhism available today.
Huston Smith is internationally known and revered as the premier teacher of world religions and for his bestselling book The World’s Religions. He was the focus of a five-part PBS television series with Bill Moyers, and has taught at Washington University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, and the University of California, Berkeley.
Philip Novak is professor of philosophy and religion at Dominican University in San Rafael, CA, where he has won several teaching awards, and the editor of The World’s Wisdom, the companion reader to Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions. Novak did his doctoral work with Huston Smith, and Smith considers him his most accomplished student. Novak is a committed Buddhist.
“Stellar...outstanding....Highly recommended.” –Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bookshelves abound with introductions to Buddhism, many written by luminaries and spiritual giants of the faith. But this primer co-written by Smith, whose magnum opus The World's Religions has sold more than two million copies, is distinguished by its gentlemanly erudition and thoughtful attention to Buddhist diversity. The book's first half is an expanded and updated version of the Buddhism sections of The World's Religions and was penned by Smith. Special attention is given to Theravada Buddhism, which "was overshadowed by Mahayana" in the original version; one chapter provides a helpful side-by-side chart illuminating the basic differences between the traditions, while the next features an in-depth discussion of Theravada's influence in South Asia and its emphasis on insight meditation. The primer's all-new second half written by Smith's former doctoral student Novak presents the story of Buddhism in the West, discussing its multifaceted presence in the United States. While Novak devotes time to the rise of Buddhism in Germany, England and France, it is clear that he finds the "New Buddhism" of America, with its emphasis on lay involvement, social engagement and the cross-pollination between Buddhist traditions, to be the source of the most exciting contemporary innovations. Smith's helpful afterword gauges the rising importance of Pure Land Buddhism in America, though this vital information should have merited a full chapter. Novak and Smith's collaboration is a fine contribution to the admittedly crowded corpus of introductions to Buddhism: the strokes are broad, the writing style engaging and the chapters short and accessible.
Customer Reviews
Available for free online
Greatintroduction and overview of Buddhism that shows how it has changed and its overall teachings