What in Brief is Buddhism examines the history of Buddhists' understanding of the Buddha and the religion he left behind. Written by Dr. Ananda Guruge, former Sri Lankan ambassador to the United States and esteemed Buddhist scholar, What in Brief is Buddhism is a comprehensive and often daring view of the development of Buddhism in its many forms.
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About the Author
Dr. Ananda W.P. Guruge is a former ambassador from Sri Lanka to the United States, and has been an active leader in promoting international Buddhism. He is a professor emeritus at the University of the West, and has authored more than 40 books in both English and Sinhala.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good start for students.,
This review is from: What In Brief Is Buddhism? (Paperback)
I may seem biased since Dr. Guruge was my professor in two classes, but I will separate my feelings for the man (whom I admire a great deal) with my thoughts on his book.
First, the book's title explains the material will be covered briefly and generally. It does this well. As a bonus, you get some tidbits of history at times. It describes the basic teachings of Buddhism, while adeptly breaking down the dizzying array of different schools into general descriptions without painting them in caricature or in a stereotypical manner. The vast variety of different forms of Buddhism could be a challenge for any author. One could either gloss over them all, or write a bulky, encyclopedic tome - Dr. Guruge balanced this subject well. While I know he is personally enthusiastic about his religion, his book is unbiased and academic - which is refreshing for a Free Thinking, skeptic like myself. It looks at the warts and growing pains (such as schisms and criticisms) fairly. It also looks ahead to "Buddhism today." This last chapter may suffer my only criticism - it was too brief. I know how active Dr. Guruge has been, worldwide (his passport probably has stamps from more countries than I am aware exist), in Buddhism during the last few decades, so I know he could have given us much more for that chapter - but, as promised, he was brief. This is a good read for those who want a brief overview of Buddhism.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent, scholarly, yet succint (!) book,
By Nisala Rodrigo (Berkeley, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: What in brief is Buddhism? (Mass Market Paperback)
Dr. Ananda W.P. Guruge has had an excellent background as a scholar, educator, and diplomat, and this book reflects his wide academic background in the history and development of Buddhism. He explores Buddhism as it manifests in various Asian countries and leaves implications for the future of Buddhism. He also describes the common elements of the philosophy which bind all Buddhists, whether Sri Lankan or Japanese or Tibetan together.
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