In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS T his book is the outcome of over twenty years of teaching Buddhism on the undergraduate level at large universities and a small liberal arts college in what at times in the winter seems like Tibet. Critics might assert that I should have spent another twenty years working on the subject. I would have to agree, because the Buddhist tradition is very rich, complex, and widespread. It is impossible to do Buddhism full justice in a single volume, and I have not attempted to cover everything . This book focuses on major highlights of the tradition from India, Tibet, China, and Japan, and also takes a look at Buddhism on the village level in such countries as Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand. This book is intended for college-level courses and instructors who are not fearful of challenging students. After composing a book, there are many people whom one should thank. Most important, I want to thank the many Buddhist scholars who have shaped my understanding of the tradition and this book. It is more their book than mine. I thank former Dean Lloyd Michaels and President Richard Cook for giving me the Teacher-Scholar Chair in the Humanities at Allegheny College, which gave me free time to research and begin writing this book at Clare Hall of the University of Cambridge. I want to express my appreciation to the staff and fellows at Clare Hall for a wonderful adventure and for creating a terrific atmosphere in which to work. My time spent with Anindita and Julius Lipner was a major bonus of my stay in the beautiful town. I also must thank Peggy for her understanding, generosity, hard work, and love to pursue my fellowship and work; and Casey for teaching me about friendship and companionship. I would be remiss not to thank my colleagues Glenn and our rookie Eric for sharing their collegial spirit. I also need to thank the people at Rutgers University Press, especially David Myers for the faith and encouragement he gave me at the start. These good people also include Kristi Long and Adi Hovav. Kristi’s constructive criticism and suggestions helped to improve this book, along with the comments of an anonymous reviewer. Finally, I want to thank the many students whom I have taught over the years for allowing me to have fun and to share what little I know with them. Illustrations 1, 2, 3, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 are photos taken by the author at the British Museum, London. Illustrations 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 are photos used by permission from the Asian Religious Media Resources, Yale Divinity School, New Haven. Illustrations 21, 24, 25 are photos taken by the author on site. Illustrations 22 and 26 are photographs in the author’s collection, source unknown. Illustrations 27, 28, 29 are from Daisetz T. Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture (Princeton: Princeton University Press, [1959] 1970), used by permission. The two maps are from Buddhism: Art and Faith, edited by W. Zwalf (New York: Macmillan , 1985), and are used by permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS x ...

Share