A Concise History of Buddhism

Rating:
Summary: Mahayana Propaganda
Review: I have a great respect for books, and I have at least as much respect for the Buddha Dharma, so it shocks even me to say that in my entire life I have only thrown away one book - and I mean into the trash - and this is it. One of the dark aspects of Buddhism is the pejorative way in which the Mahayanna traditions of Buddhism - Zen and Tibetan Buddhism - treat their Theravadan brothers. This book is full of just such treatment. For example, at one point in the book, the author states that one school of Theravadan Buddhism emphasized the four "Brahma Viharas" (the "noble qualities" of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity), even though - as he puts it - "there is no canonical evidence to support such a practice." This is simply not true. The Pali Sutthas are full of discourses on the Brahma Viharas. At one point they state that in a previous lifetime, the Buddha "became one with Brahma" by practicing the Brahma Viharas. This is just one modest example of the completely misleading way in which this book is written, and it doesn't begin to capture the negative tone it has toward Theravadan Buddhism. If you want to learn Buddhist history, do not read this book. It will give you a completely misguided impression of what that history really is. It is primarily Mahayana propaganda.

Rating:
Summary: Know Where You Came From?
Review: In the West, I find many Buddhists are primarilly interested in the pragmatic and practical aspects of the faith, so there doesn't tend to be a lot of interest in what gets typically written off as dry, irrelevant history. The ahistorical bent of certain aspects of Buddhist thought lends its weight to this. Knowing what has already happened, however, can be a good pointer for figuring out where you are, and an understanding of the history and development of Buddhism is a great help in this respect. Since most people don't have the interest, time, or patience to wade through a major work on the subject, Skilton's book will fill their need. A mere couple hundred pages in length, he surveys events in brief eight to twelve page chapters that are easy to read without being simplistic. One gains insight into the great sweep of Buddhism across Asia from Japan in the East right over to Persia in the West. There is also a topically organized, extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources to further any interest the main text has raised.