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Publication
Boston : Shambhala, 1993.
Description
The grandeur, simplicity, and freshness of the 2,500-year-old tradition of Buddhism are reflected in this collection of writings intended as a primer for newcomers to the subject as well as a reference for those familiar with Buddhism. The selections include: * The story of the Buddha's life. * A concise historical background. * Key writings of Theravada, Mahayana, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism. * Meditation instructions. * A Buddhist explanation of reincarnation. * Simple explanations of terms. * A pictorial survey of Buddhist art and architecture.
User reviews
LibraryThing member mmalleti
A good overview of the major types of Buddhism. Contains writings from leaders of the different schools. Recommended.
LibraryThing member dreamseeker
This is an excellent book for introducing Buddhism to Western readers. Buddhism is no more "all one thing" than Christianity is "all one thing". There are different schools of thought (different denominations) of Buddhism, just as there are different denominations of Christianity.
The authors don't
However, don't try to take this analogy any farther than to say there are different categories of Christianity recognized by Christians themselves, as there are different catagories of Buddhism recognized by Buddhist themselves. Buddhism developed differently than Christianity and the categories of Christianity are not equivalent . (For example, Vajrayana Buddism is not similar to Fundamentalist Christianity.)
I'm sure that not every Buddhist would agree with the way the authors describe the development of Buddhist thought. I suspect that Theraveda Buddhists don't consider their sect to be at a lower level of spiritual development than Mahayana Buddhists. In the normal course of things, I'm sure that there is a great deal of overlap in the spiritual development of individuals within each of these Buddhist groups.
I'm also sure that the process of developing thes philosophies was much more complicated than this text describes.
Still, as an introductory text, this book is clear, and fairly easy to read and it's structure makes it easy to understand and remember.
I recommend this readily available book to anyone who wants to get a quick overview of Buddhist thought.
The authors don't
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go into all the sectarian permutations - that would take a set of encyclopedias! However, they do explain certain general philosophical schools in buddhism and how these relate to each other. This might be analogous to describing fundamentalist , main stream protestant, and catholic christianity and how they interelate. However, don't try to take this analogy any farther than to say there are different categories of Christianity recognized by Christians themselves, as there are different catagories of Buddhism recognized by Buddhist themselves. Buddhism developed differently than Christianity and the categories of Christianity are not equivalent . (For example, Vajrayana Buddism is not similar to Fundamentalist Christianity.)
I'm sure that not every Buddhist would agree with the way the authors describe the development of Buddhist thought. I suspect that Theraveda Buddhists don't consider their sect to be at a lower level of spiritual development than Mahayana Buddhists. In the normal course of things, I'm sure that there is a great deal of overlap in the spiritual development of individuals within each of these Buddhist groups.
I'm also sure that the process of developing thes philosophies was much more complicated than this text describes.
Still, as an introductory text, this book is clear, and fairly easy to read and it's structure makes it easy to understand and remember.
I recommend this readily available book to anyone who wants to get a quick overview of Buddhist thought.
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LibraryThing member Czrbr
Book Description: Boston Shambhala 1993. Paperback; VG. 334 pgs. Illustrated by Drawings and Photos. 4th imp edition. Binding is PB.
BERCHOLZ, Samuel and Kohn, Sherab Chodzin (eds),
BERCHOLZ, Samuel and Kohn, Sherab Chodzin (eds),
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
Entering the Stream is a collection of modern and ancient writings and teachings that provide a good introduction to several of the major traditions in Buddhism. The book is divided into four parts. The first part is a brief biography of the Buddha and the beginning of Buddhism. The second part
This book is also the companion reader to the film Little Buddha.
Experiments in Reading
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addresses the basic teachings of Buddhism, while the third and fourth parts investigate the Mahayana and Tantric traditions. It also includes a useful glossary. For the most part, the readings are very approachable and provide a wide range of essays and translations.This book is also the companion reader to the film Little Buddha.
Experiments in Reading
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Physical description
xviii, 334 p.; 23 cm
ISBN
0877739811 / 9780877739814