Buddhisms: An Introduction [Paperback]

Exemplary for its organization and writing, this work is likely to become the standard single-volume text on Buddhism for the student, whether within the walls of the academy or without.”
—Starred Review, Library Journal

Buddhisms: An Introductionrepresents a novel way of presenting the whole of the Buddhist tradition in its unity and multiplicity. Clear in its explanations, replete with tables and suggestions for further reading, it should appeal to students, yet also be of interest to scholars for some of its ways of viewing the Buddha, his teachings, and the Buddhist community through the ages.

Deftly selecting material from a vast tradition, Strong guides the reader through complex topics with precision, clarity, and insight, aided by tables presenting more abstruse information. Particularly cogent are his analyses of long-debated subjects such as karma, non-self, and approaches to enlightenment (practice/study, gradual/sudden). He includes topics related to women in Buddhism throughout.... Readers eager to dive into a rigorous, well-organized investigation of Buddhism's intricate 2500-year-old history will find much to reward them.
—Publishers Weekly

Strong (religious studies, Bates Coll.) is well qualified to discuss Buddhism, having authored The Buddha and The Experience of Buddhism, among other titles. This substantial study is a near-comprehensive digest of the history of Buddhism in its multiple forms, from its origins in India to its variants in Thailand, Japan, and Tibet. Strong’s exhaustive account is doubtless intended as a textbook, yet it is also gratifying and accessible to all readers as it includes the lives (real and legendary) of Gautama Buddha, also known as Sakyamuni, as well as discussions of early monastic communities and clear expositions of most Buddhist doctrines. The latter part of the title focuses on several variants of Buddhism and conlӥ