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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Print Price: $13.50

Format:
Paperback
160 pp.
16 b/w halftones & 3 maps, 111 mm x 174 mm

ISBN-13:
9780199663835

Publication date:
March 2013

Imprint: OUP UK


Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

Damien Keown

Series : Very Short Introductions

Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the workings of Buddhism in daily life. Damien Keown looks at the distinctive features of Buddhism, examining who the Buddha was and what his teachings were. By considering how Buddhist thought has developed over the centuries, Keown considers how contemporary dilemmas can be faced from a Buddhist perspective.

In this new edition Keown provides new perspectives on Buddhist thought, including up-to-date material about the evolution of Buddhism throughout Asia, the material culture of Buddhism and its importance, new teachings on the ethics of war and peace, and changes to ethnicity, class, and gender.

Readership : Anyone interested in Buddhism as a religion and way of life, and students of comparative religions and religious studies, theology and philosophy.

Reviews

  • Review from previous edition: "Damien Keown ... His short account has been tried out in draft on students and is admirably lucid, anticipating and dealing well with the questions that are bound to come up."

    --Roger Farrington, The Middle Way, Vol. 71, No. 4, February 1997

  • "Damien Keown's book is a readable and wonderfully lucid introduction to one of mankind's most beautiful, profound, and compelling systems of wisdom. His impressive powers of explanation help us to come to terms with a vital contemporary reality."

    --Bryan Appleyard

  • "an excellent and highly readable account of a complex and multifarious subject. Even if you were to read nothing else, you would probably come away with a fair idea of what Buddhism is all about."

    --Looi Siew Tip, New Straits Times

  • "impressive"

    --Sarah Marriott, Irish Times 13/5/00

List of illustrations
List of maps
Acknowledgements
Note on citations and pronunciation
1. Buddhism and elephants
2. The Buddha
3. Karma and rebirth
4. The Four Noble Truths
5. The Mahayana
6. The spread of Buddhism in Asia
7. Meditation
8. Ethics
9. Buddhism in the West
Timeline
Further Reading
Index

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

Damien Keown is Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Ethics at Goldsmiths College, London. He is Founding co-editor of the Journal of Buddhist Ethics and a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. He is also the author of Buddhist Ethics: A Very Short Introduction (2005) and co-editor of Encyclopaedia of Buddhism (Routledge, 2007). He is now retried.

Making Sense - Margot Northey and Joan McKibbin
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction - Damien Keown
Christianity: A Very Short Introduction - Linda Woodhead
Islam: A Very Short Introduction - Malise Ruthven

Special Features

  • Remains one of the most accessible introductions to Buddhism.
  • Introduces the teachings of the Buddha and the integration of Buddhism into daily life.
  • Looks at the distinctive features of Buddhism and how it differs to other religions.
  • Examines how Buddhist thought has developed over the centuries, including the contemporary spread in to Asia.
  • Part of the best-selling Very Short Introductions series - over five million copies sold worldwide.
New to this Edition
  • Incorporates recent new discoveries and new perspectives on Buddhist thought.
  • Includes up to date material about the spread of Buddhism and historical evolution of buddhism throughout Asia.
  • Looks at the material culture of Buddhism and its importance.
  • Incorporates new thinking on the ethics of war and peace, which have become part of a lively debate in recent years.
  • Updates to the interaction between Buddhism and the West, including topics such as ethnicity, class, and gender.
  • Updated further reading list including several recent publications.