An introduction to Buddhism of Value both to the scholar and the reader with no prior knowledge of the subject, this book begins with a comprehensive survey of fundamentals and goes on to include topics previously untouched in introductory texts. Buddha’s life, basic Buddhist doctrines and practices, the Hinayana and Mahayana sects, Buddhist literature, schools of thought, and meditation are thoroughly discussed. For example, each basket of the Tripitaka or Buddhist canon is discussed individually, and several of the most important Mahayana sutras are considered in detail.
Much of this book is devoted to Indian Buddhism, but discussions of Buddhism in China and Japan are also prominent. In addition, this book considers Ceylon and Tibet as well as Southeast Asia and Korea- areas rarely treated in introductory texts. The unique feature of the articles on Buddhism outside India is the attention focused on Buddhism in the modern world. The discussion of Buddhism in the West includes a useful appendix giving the locations of Buddhist groups in the United States.
The book concludes with an extensive glossary of key words used in the text and a thorough and valuable bibliography.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Charles S Prebish
Charles S. Prebish (B.A., Western REserve University; M.A., Case Western Reserve University; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin) is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at The Pennsylvania State University. His prior books include Introduction to Religions of the East: Reader , Buddhist Monastic Discipline, Buddhism: A Modern Perspective, American Buddhism, Buddhist Ethics: A Cross-Cultural Approach, and Religion and Sport; the Meeting of Sacred and Profane. He has published nearly fifty professional articles and chapters in such journals as The Journal of Asian Studies, Journal of the American Oriental Society, History of Religions, and Buddhist Studies Review. In 19+76 he was elected to a five-year term as Associate Secretary of the International Association of Buddhist Studies and was elected to two further terms on the Board of Directors. in 1981 he was elected to a five-year term as Co-Chairman of the Buddhism Group of the American Academy of Religion. He has been active in a number of other professional organization, including the Association for Asian Studies, American Oriental Society, Pali Text Society, Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, and Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies. In 1993 he was invited to hold the Numata Chair in Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary during the Fall semester.
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