ntroduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices

·期刊原文

Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices

Reviewed by Wilhelm Halbfass

Pacific Affairs

Vol.65 No.4 (Winter 1992) p.546

COPYRIGHT University of British Columbia (Canada) 1992

THE title of this book has to be taken literally: it is, indeed, an
introduction, and primarily intended for classroom use in religious
or Asian studies. Among introductory books in the field, it is
conspicuous by its unusual breadth. It deals not only with the
religious and philosophical concepts and teachings of the Buddha and
his followers, but also tries to show how Buddhist practices and
attitudes function in their social, cultural and historical setting.
In doing so, it refers to the developments of Buddhism from its very
beginnings to its modern history and current status in Asia as well
as in the West.

It would not be appropriate to expect any significant research
contribution from a book of this type. Indeed, this book does not
try to explore unknown or unclarified materials. Likewise, it does
not provide innovative interpretations or a critical assessment of
earlier research. Notes are generally absent. The bibliography is
almost entirely restricted to works in the English language. Textual
references are usually to English translations or anthologies.
Considering the purpose and the intended readership of the book,
this approach seems to be basically acceptable. The book ought to be
judged by its pedagogic qualities. And in this respect, we may say
that the materials are presented in a clear and intelligent fashion.
There can be no doubt that students should be able to learn a lot
from this comprehensive introduction -- not just about Buddhist
thought, but about the whole vast phenomenon which we call Buddhism.
Nonetheless, and with all due regard to the introductory nature and
the pedagogical objectives of the book, a few questions suggest
themselves. There is an occasional tendency to present certain
opinions and speculative hypotheses as established facts, and to
generalize in a somewhat careless manner. It might have been
desirable to alert the readers more expressly to unanswered
questions, and to the character and status of current research. As
indicated earlier, not much attention is paid to contributions in
languages other than English. Nobody will expect completeness of
information (for instance, in the area of Buddhist philosophy) from
an introductory work. However, it is somewhat surprising that two of
the greatest and most representative and influential figures in the
entire history of Indian and Buddhist thought, Dignaga and
Dharmakirti, are not even mentioned.