Buddhism,
edited by Charles Prebish is a cross between a introductory survey and an
brief, one volume encyclopedia of Buddhism.
It is composed of 45 chapters, averaging five and a half pages. Each chapter explores a significant topic in
the history and philosophy of Buddhism.
The First Part deals with "Indian Buddhism," beginning with a
history of early Buddhism. Chapter Six
begins the treatment of the central ideas of Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path,
the Three Marks of Existence, the Five Aggregates, Dependent Origination, and
the Stages of Sanctification. The rest of Part One provides and account of the
major schools, important literature, and advanced ideas. Remarkably, the authors of each of chapter
manage to convey the important concepts clearly and concisely, quickly
presenting the essence of the topic at hand.
Part Two deals with "Buddhism Outside of
India." Unfortunately, it is here
where the work begins to falter. There
is simply too much information about the development of Buddhism in Ceylon,
Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and the West to pack into the brief
chapters allotted to these regions, some of which have been home to Buddhism
for nearly two millennia. Nonetheless,
even Part Two can serve as a worthwhile reference source for names of political
and religious leaders and monastic communities.
They also provide a thumbnail sketch of the history of Buddhism in the
region
A short bibliography of "suggested
reading" follows each chapter. The
work also includes a brief directory of Buddhist communities in the United
States and an extensive glossary, general bibliography, and index.
Buddhism:
A Modern Perspective will be more valuable for the beginner, but more
experienced scholars are bound to find an number of chapters quite useful.
Reference
Buddhism:
A Modern Perspective / Charles S. Prebish, ed. -- University Park, Penn.:
Pennsylvania State University, 1975
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