Buddhisms

September 7, 2015
Acknowledging that many introductions to Buddhism are already available, Strong focuses on three themes in this substantial survey: Buddhism as a "middle way," the efforts adherents have made to "overcome the Buddha's absence," and the importance of place. Strong, professor of religion at Bates College, uses the "three refuges" (Buddha, dharma, and samgha) to organize his exploration of the religion's earliest developments and later Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, keeping in mind the question, "Is there one or are there many Buddhisms?" 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. This introduction's primary shortcoming is its unevenness: Strong sometimes delves into too much detail for his intended audience, and his examples of current Buddhist practice outside Asia are too cursory to be instructive. Nevertheless, readers eager to dive into a rigorous, well-organized investigation of Buddhism's intricate 2500-year-old history will find much to reward them.

Starred review from October 1, 2015

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 contains chronologies of the tradition throughout Asia. VERDICT 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.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.