Readership: Anyone interested in Buddhism as a religion and way of life; students of comparative religions and religious studies, theology and philosophy.
Damien Keown, Senior Lecturer in Indian Religion, Goldsmith's College, London
"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
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. Buddhism in Asia 7. Meditation 8. Ethics 9. Buddhism in the West Timeline Further Reading Index
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction - a reading guide