Buddhist Scriptures, Buddhist Scriptures

While acknowledging the extreme difficulty of the task, Lopez (Buddhist and Tibetan studies, U. of Michigan) hopes to provide a representative sampling of canonical Buddhist texts by presenting English translations of works from a variety of historical periods, geographical origins, and literary styles. Sixty selections averaging five pages have been chosen to reflect the development of Buddhist studies to date, but also to provide a more balanced view of the tradition than Lopez's 1995 Buddhism in Practice, which stressed recent scholarship by avoiding works on doctrine and texts already famous in the West and including more works from traditions beyond India and China. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) While Buddhism has no central text comparable to the Bible or Koran, there is a powerful body of scripture from across Asia that encompasses the dharma, or the teachings of the Buddha. In this rich anthology, eminent scholar Donald S. Lopez, Jr., brings together works from a broad historical and geographical range, and from such languages as Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese. There are tales of the Buddha?s past lives, a discussion of qualities and qualifications for a monk, and an exploration of the many meanings of enlightenment. Together they provide a vivid picture of the Buddha and of the vast and profound nature of the Buddhist tradition.