Buddhism: What Everyone Needs to Know?

Dale S. Wright

Jan 2020 · Oxford University Press

About this ebook

Buddhism is one of the oldest and largest of the world's religions. But it is also a tradition that has proven to have enormous contemporary relevance. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who came to be called the Buddha, the religion has spread from its origins in northeast India, across Asia, and eventually to the West, taking on new forms at each step of the way. Buddhism: What Everyone Needs to Know offers readers a brief, authoritative guide to one of the world's most diverse religious traditions in a reader-friendly question-and-answer format. Dale Wright covers the origins and early history of Buddhism, the diversity of types of Buddhism throughout history, and the status of contemporary Buddhism. This is a go-to book for anyone seeking a basic understanding of the origins, history, teachings, and practices of Buddhism.

About the author

Dale S. Wright is a Professor of Religious and Asian Studies at Occidental College and has been actively engaged in the study of Buddhism for over four decades. He has travelled and lived extensively throughout Asia and has first-hand experience with many different types and nationalities of Buddhism. He is the author of numerous books, including What Is Buddhist Enlightenment? and The Six Perfections: Buddhism and the Cultivation of Character.