Buddhist General Semantics: A New Approach To Buddhist Religion And Its Philosophy [Paperback]

Khai Thien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 2004

Buddhist General Semantics is one of the first books of religious philosophy evaluating the relationship between Buddhism and General Semantics. Khai Thien offers a new approach to Buddhist religion and its Philosophy, with clear definitions and explanations of Buddhist basic teachings. This comprehensive guide to Buddhist philosophy is for those who wish to get in touch with the real world of self-discovery and self-awareness.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Khai Thien, a.k.a Thich Tam Thien, born Quang Canh Thinh on July 21, 1970. He is well known as an outstanding Buddhist Scholar in Viet Nam and for his assistance to students researching Buddhist East Asian culture and East Asian history. By the age of thirty, he had already published ten books on Buddhism including books on Buddhist philosophy, psychology, sociology, and aesthetics. In April 2001, he was invited to visit the United States to give lectures on religions on a cultural exchange tour of universities throughout the United States including Stanford, Columbia, George Washington, Brigham Young, Johns Hopkins, U.C.Berkerly, and U.C.L.A by the U.S. Department of State. In January 09, 2002, he was invited to teach Buddhist philosophy at the Vietnamese United Buddhist Church in Los Angeles, California where he now resides.

Product Details

• Paperback: 378 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (March 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595306799
• ISBN-13: 978-0595306794
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,876,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introduction to Buddhism, March 28, 2004

By 

"giacminh" (Wichita, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddhist General Semantics: A New Approach To Buddhist Religion And Its Philosophy (Hardcover)

As a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk who has recently begun residence at Phap Hoa Temple in Wichita, Kansas, one of the greatest challenges I face is when Americans visit my temple and ask for definitions and explainations for basic Buddhist terms, as well as a brief overview of Buddhist philosophy. Because my conversation English is still somewhat limited, I have been looking for a book that will give my Western guests enough basic information about Buddhism, without overwhelming them with deep explorations that might confuse them. I find Khai Thien's book the perfect source to offer beginners as they start their initial inquiry into Buddhism. The explainations are clearly presented, and Thien uses analogies Americans can relate to, as he takes examples from Western culture to help illustrate basic Buddhist concepts. I highly recommend Khai Thien's book to anyone who is looking for a comprehensible place to begin his or her study of Buddhism.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book review, March 26, 2004

By 

Chris "gabrielthinks" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buddhist General Semantics: A New Approach To Buddhist Religion And Its Philosophy (Hardcover)

"... I first met Khai Thien, in 1996 while I was on a research trip to Vietnam to study Vietnamese Buddhism. He spent an enormous amount of time trying to guide me through the intricacies of Buddhist philosophy. Through the course of that trip, and another one in 1997, I grew increasingly impressed by khai thien's knowledge of Buddhism, his considerable language skills and his over-all mental dexterity. To my utter astonishment, I discovered that he had already published nine books in his mid-twenties. One of his books became required reading for Vietnamese university students studying Buddhist philosophy. In this book, Buddhist General Semantics, he attempts to achieve a synthesis between Buddhist teaching and the discipline of general semantics in order to more clearly explain Buddhist philosophy to a larger audience."
-Robert J. Topmiller
Eastern Kentucky University

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book Description, March 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Buddhist General Semantics: A New Approach To Buddhist Religion And Its Philosophy (Hardcover)

Buddhist General Semantics is one of the first books of religious philosophy evaluating the relationship between Buddhism and General Semantics. The book offers a new approach to Buddhist religion and its Philosophy with clear definitions and explanations of Buddhist basic teachings. This comprehensive guide to Buddhist philosophy is for those who wish to get in touch with the real world of self-discovery and self-awareness.