This is an introduction to all the various strains of Buddhism, from Theravada to Mahayana across the Asian continent, as well as in the West. It goes into the known facts of the Buddha’s life and teachings, as well as different myths that have arisen in different cultures over time. It also compares Buddhist philosophy with contemporaneous Indian rivals such as the Hindu Upanisads and Jainism, as their differences relate to core issues such as karma and reincarnation. The middle way, the four noble truths, and the eightfold path are explored, then contrasted between the various sects when appropriate. The book artfully combines the philosophical and the historical aspects of Buddhism, while including the mystical elements some followers also believe in. Strong does a good job of relating the differences in the schools without going too far into the weeds. He relates their foundings, their histories, their differentiating tenets, and how they are practiced around the world today. Buddhism is far from monolithic in its beliefs and there were various doctrinal arguments as well as factional and personal fights along the centuries that caused splits. Strong explores the major sutras and why the emphasis of some divided the religious community. He also details those original disciples and famous monks that extended and proliferated the Buddha’s teachings, even as Buddhism diverged. Strong spends a fair amount of time also focussing on what Buddhism means to the lay community, in contrast to those who practice as monks. He explains the many festivals, how lay people gain merit, and how they interact with the monks and the monasteries in their community. Strong is a professor of religion at Bates College so the text is approached in a scholarly style, but he also spent time living in Dharamsala with Tibetan exiles in the 1970s and had several audiences with the Dalai Lama so he comes at the project as an insider, but with balanced knowledge.
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