Fetch Buddhism: A History Constructed By Noble Ross Reat Accessible In Document

straight forward history. Dispassionate, a little dull, but well worth reading for anyone looking for an overview of the Buddhism's start and spread up to, Buddhism is at leastyears old now, and ranks among the world's most ancient religions, It would be an understatement to say that no one book could adequately cover the entirety of this history, and the author here acknowledges this point, Any general survey has to start somewhere though, and this book was useful from that perspective,

The chapters trace the movement of Buddhism from its early, semilegendary days with Shakyamuni Buddha, up to its current status as an international religion found in the West.
Information about specific countries and their relationship with Buddhism is cursory, and if you want to find out more you'll have to acquire more detailed works or do some googling.
But what emerges from this reading is a good bird'seye view of where and how Buddhism developedmoving from its start in what is now Nepal/India, then into Central Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan.
As it traveled, it took on new forms and variations suited to the people or circumstances of that age, There is an interesting parallel with Christianity in that Buddhism is no longer a popular religion in its place of origin, Very few Indians identify as Buddhist, just as Christians are now a minority in the Middle East,

Something else which becomes clear while reading is that Buddhism wasand still isnot immune to human weakness, There is a popular myth among Westerners that Buddhists never participate in war or violence, which is not true, In Japan alone, Buddhist sects often fielded their own armies during the Warring States era, forming alliances with clan armies and participating in local politics, In China there were periods of grotesque corruption and greed among the Buddhist elite, which eventually diluted its message of simplicity and wisdom, In other words, Buddhism is a human thing like other religions, and is not perfect, However, it is highly adaptable and willing to accept change, which is reflected not only in its teachings, but in the journey it took to the present day,

Dense, detailed, dry though a few humorous anecdotes or maybe antidotes is the better term exist, Beginning with a brief account of the life of the historical Buddha and his teachings, the book looks into the schism that developed upon the death of the Buddha, the various schools that evolved around his teachings and the spread of these schools in all parts of the world, a

process which is still continuing today.
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