Vision of the Buddha (Living Wisdom) [Paperback]

Tom Lowenstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2002 | Series: Living Wisdom

A vivid, richly illustrated guide to the history and legends of Buddhism, its main themes and beliefs. Buddhism has become an increasingly potent influence in the West. In The Vision of the Buddha, the Buddha's teachings are clearly described in depth. The book traces the development of the religion, devoting a chapter to each country or region that it has influenced. The final chapter deals with the powerful appeal that Buddhism has to Westerners.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This full-color introduction to Buddhism offers some delightfully informative moments, but suffers from its superficial coffee-table format. Lowenstein, a onetime Guggenheim Fellow who has studied Buddhism in many cultural contexts, traces the development of Buddhism in early India, then explores its penetration into Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Tibet and finally the West. It is to Lowenstein's great credit that he ably discusses Theravada as well as Mahayana; the sections on South Asian Theravada are some of the most educational in the book. This editorial commitment is reflected not just in the text but in the accompanying art; alongside the typical Japanese paintings and Tibetan sculptures are photos of Cambodian monks, facsimiles of Burmese manuscripts and reproductions of Thai frescoes. However, just when Lowenstein's text becomes deeply interesting, he changes the subject, sacrificing depth in favor of breadth. He asserts, for example, that although Buddhist monasticism appears ascetic, such discipline "is a source of happiness, not deprivation." Only much later does he explain a bit about monastic practices, and even then he is frustratingly closemouthed. While those with a firm grasp of Buddhism may quibble with such sparse explanations of complex subjects, novices will greatly appreciate the well-organized text and accessible format. The final chapter on Buddhism in 20th-century Europe and North America speedily chronicles the rise of various forms of Buddhism in the West. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Novices will greatly appreciate the well-organized text and accessible format. " -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Duncan Baird Publishers (August 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903296919
• ISBN-13: 978-1903296912
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,058,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of basic Buddhist priciples, July 2, 2001

By 

"eviedonnellan" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vision of the Buddha: Buddhismi-The Path to Spiritual Enlightenment (Hardcover)

This book makes an interesting and worthy read for someone who knows little about Buddhism but is interested in knowing more. Mr Lowenstein outlines the life of the Buddha and the major traditions that have grown out of His teachings in an easy to follow, however very brief, format. The book is easy to read and very well illustrated, I don't think there are many other books that serve the capacity of being a "beginners" guide to Buddhism that are so enjoyable to read. Another helpful aspect in the book is that when Buddhist terms are repeated a reference always follows to help you find the explaination of the word (instead of assuming you have instantly remembered the meaning!) The illustrations really help bring the vitality and differences in Buddhist tradition to light. However I think anyone with more than a little knowledge of Buddhism would find this book somewhat frustrating in it's lack of detail as it really is a basic overview. I would recommend this book to beginners as an excellent source with which to get started understanding Buddhism.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars more than just a beginner's guide, June 12, 2010

By 

Steve Peters (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vision Of The Buddha (Paperback)

While I agree with the other reviewers who say this is a good book for people just being introduced to Buddhism, I would add that it also has much to offer to more experienced practitioners, especially in the West. Most of the Western practitioners I know (myself included) tend to be informed only about whatever form of Buddhism they practice, and have little knowledge of the many other forms and schools and sub-sects. This book does an excellent job of giving a brief, highly readable overview of Buddhist concepts, history, and the tremendous diversity of forms Buddhism has taken in different places and times. Chapters are concise and easy to digest, with many helpful sidebars and illustrations. Rather than presenting Buddhism as a single monolithic doctrine, it is shown to be constantly evolving and morphing to fit each new cultural context, adapting aspects of whatever indigenous belief systems or social conditions it encounters, and engaging in all-too-worldly political power struggles. I do not find that the book's accessibility makes it in any way superficial. Those wanting to dig deeper into any one aspect of Buddhism will find no shortage of lengthy, scholarly, and often opaque or esoteric texts to ponder. This book succeeds by virtue of its breadth and clarity.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Basic Review of the History and Practice of Buddhism, December 8, 2003

By 

David B Richman (Mesilla Park, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vision of the Buddha (Living wisdom) (Paperback)

While obviously not a definitive text, Tom Lowenstein's "The Vision of the Buddha" is to me a good beginners guide to the history and practice of Buddhism. The life of Buddha is well described, as are the various schools of Buddhism from original Mahayana to Theravada and from Pure Land to Soto Zen, each with its own distinct practices. The author also includes discussions of related and/or contemporary religions- Taoism, Shinto, Confucianism- as well as the historical context. The book is very well illustrated and a pleasure to read. I gave a copy to the local Soto Zen Center and they were very pleased with it.

Of all the world's major religions, Buddhism is nearly unique because it functions without a definition of "God" or "gods." To most Buddhists the question of the existence of God or gods is unanswerable and therefore not relevant to the practice (although gods- including Hindu deities- do show up in many Buddhist myths, they are not always meant to be literal). In recent years various polls have asked the question "Do you believe in God or a divine spirit" and the majority of Buddhists answer "yes", although a sizable minority say "no". It would be interesting to discover exactly what is meant by "god" in each of the cultures involved, but a literal belief in god or gods (or goddesses) does not seem to be required to be a Buddhist. For this reason Buddhism is often classified not as a religion, but as a philosophy. It has in recent years increased in the West to become a serious practice much beyond the Beat Generation and New Age practitioners. In addition, therapists, some businesses and even some Christian groups have taken up meditation as a useful technique. This book is a very good starting place for anyone wanting to understand what Buddhism is all about.