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Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Edition Unstated

by Damien Keown (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 574 ratings
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Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
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This accessible volume covers both the teachings of the Buddha and the integration of Buddhism into daily life. What are the distinctive features of Buddhism? What or who is the Buddha, and what are his teachings? How has Buddhist thought developed over the centuries, and how can contemporary dilemmas be faced from a Buddhist perspective? Words such as "karma" and "nirvana" have entered our vocabulary, but what do they really mean? Keown has taught Buddhism at an introductory level for many years, and in this book he provides a lively, challenging response to these frequently asked questions.

About the Series:

Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780192853868
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0192853868
  3. Edition
    Edition Unstated
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    June 15, 2000
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    4.5 x 0.5 x 7 inches
  8. Print length
    160 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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Buddhism: Questions for Consideration and Discussion

  • In what ways is the Buddhist worldview similar to or different from the traditional Western one, and how do both of these compare to the current scientific way of thinking? Are the Buddhist and Western conceptions incompatible?

  • Does it make sense to believe in reincarnation? If "no," are people like the Buddha deluded when they claim to remember past lives? If "yes," what evidence is there for it? What difference would it make to you now if you believed you would be reborn and live again?

  • Is karma the same as destiny, in the sense that everything that happens to you is predetermined? Do you believe that "what goes around comes around," and if so is this the same as karma? Does everyone get what they deserve, in the end?

  • Do people have a soul, and if so, what is it like? If not, what is it that makes you who you are, and how do you remain the same person if--as science tells us--the material basis of your being changes continuously? If your memories changed, would you be someone else?

  • Is Buddhism more or less environmentally friendly than Christianity? Which aspects of Buddhist teachings might make it appear in harmony with contemporary ecological attitudes? Do you think Buddha was concerned about the environment?

Review

"Damien Keown's book is a readable and wonderfully lucid introduction to one of mankind's most beautiful, profound, and compelling systems of wisdom. The rise of the East makes understanding and learning from Buddhism, a living doctrine, more urgent than ever before. Keown's impressive powers of explanation help us to come to terms with a vital contemporary reality."--Bryan Appleyard, columnist, The Sunday Times (London)

"The perfect book for anyone seeking to learn more about this religion....Holistic in its approach, Buddhism gives readers insight into an ancient and profound religion."--Medium

"An excellent and highly readable account of a complex and multifarious subject."--New Straits Times

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0192853864
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Edition Unstated (June 15, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780192853868
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0192853868
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1360L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 0.5 x 7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 574 ratings

About the author

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Damien Keown

Damien Keown

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Damien Keown is Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Ethics at Goldsmiths College, University of London. His research interests centre on the study of contemporary moral problems from a Buddhist perspective. He is co-founder of The Journal of Buddhist Ethics and the author of the best-selling 'Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction' and 'Buddhist Ethics: A Very Short Introduction', both from Oxford University Press and available on Amazon.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
574 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Megan Z
5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Textbook for Introductory Courses
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2022
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This is a very informative, concise, and balanced introductory book on Buddhism. I use it to teach undergraduate courses. It follows a roughly thematic order to present the Buddhism tradition (starting from the alleged founder, the Buddha, the basic worldview in which his teachings develop, the kernel of those teaching, and the practices informed by them) but also pays attention to how the tradition evolves in history. Major branches within the Buddhist tradition receive a balanced treatment.

Pros:
Important concepts are given clear definitions.
There are maps, charts, diagrams alongside the texts, and a timeline at the end of the book that faciliate understanding.
The book is sufficiently but not excessively illustrated. Pictures help students visualize what they read in the texts.
It contains short excerpts from the original texts in English translation, which gives the student a taste of the tradition's own voice.

Cons:
There isn't really any shortcoming of this book as gateway reading material for first-timers. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that this is a book for one who wants information about world religions rather than for spiritual seekers. Spiritual seekers may benefit from it, but the main focus of the author is to present the contour of historical Buddhism accurately and its ideas in a systematic way. For a reader searching for spiritual inspiration or guidance in life, the enumeration of the technical terms in Buddhism might be distracting.
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FrKurt Messick
5.0 out of 5 stars Short and sweet
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2003
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Part of a series by Oxford University Press, this book, 'Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction', follows the same format as other texts in the Very Short Introduction series -- it has fewer than 150 pages, is well indexed, has a useful glossary, accessible and enjoyable narrative, and captures the essence in a very short space the major points of its topic. There are probably nearing 100 volumes in this Very Short Introduction series (making it, ironically, not a Very Short series), but among those that I have read, this text stands out as being one of the best.
Damien Keown, of the University of London and the Royal Asiatic Society, addresses Buddhism past and present, East and West. Beginning with narrative tales the help to exhibit the principles, Keown examines in turn the major questions. First, with regard to Buddhism, is this -- is Buddhism really a religion? Often categorised as such, it is often the exception proving the rule. Many take strong spiritual and philosophical ideas from Buddhism (sometimes without knowing it) but do not subscribe the larger system of practices -- but perhaps most telling, Buddhism is a non-theistic way of being. Keown looks at seven dimensions of religion, and concludes that Buddhism does fit a broader definition of religion.
Keown proceeds from there to look at the origins of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, ideas of karma and reincarnation, and the central ideas of the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism. From these beginnings, Buddhism branches out, the largest grouping being the Mahayana (who get their own chapter), and other spreading first across Asia and then to the rest of the world.
Like other books in this Very Short series, there are useful maps, a nice snapshot timeline, and suggestions for further reading, should the Very Short introduction not prove sufficient (and for many, this sample will leave the reader wanting more). I cannot speak too highly of this series, and of this volume on Buddhism by Keown in particular.
12 people found this helpful
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Sic
4.0 out of 5 stars A good, albeit somewhat impartial introduction
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2017
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It's a descent summary, well written and supported, but has a noticeable skew in portraying Buddhism, especially Mahayana, in an overly positive light. The text fares well by not skimming over some of the more difficult topics of Buddhism (schisms, nihilism, Zen aggression, role of women), but in these discussions Damien shifts the light to the theory of Buddhism as to discount the wrongs of Buddhism to being the wrongs of the implementation, rather than the teaching. In addition, certain not discussed topics include exclusivity (enlightenment is accessible to only these who follow the Buddhist path), and the practical life of a lay Buddhist with a stream of offerings to a pantheon of devas, bodhisattvas and buddhas.
11 people found this helpful
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Peter Reeve
5.0 out of 5 stars Seeing the whole elephant
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2010
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There are many introductory texts available on Buddhism, but this is by far the best I have come across. Its great strength is its scope. Other books that I have read on the subject present some or other particular variety of Buddhism, usually a Westernized version of Zen. As Keown states on page 1, "Students of Buddhism have tended to fasten onto a small part of the tradition and assume their conclusions held true about the whole". He illustrates this with the story of the blind men and the elephant (from a Buddhist scripture called the Udana) in which each man grasps a part of the elephant - tail, trunk, tusk, etc - and bases his description of the animal on that part alone. Keown attempts a broad overview of the history, development and fragmentation of Buddhist thought, from the life of the Buddha to the present day.

It is what it says - only a very short introduction - but it is packed with useful information. Keown writes well, in a lucid, concise style.

A different edition of the same book is also available in the A Brief Insight series, available here on Amazon. The text in that series is (so far as I can tell) always the same as in the VSI series, but the print is larger and there are many more illustrations, some in color. You might want to check that out if you intend to read this book, which you should.
[PeterReeve]
13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jay
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a good book
Reviewed in Canada on November 5, 2019
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Thank you 😊 lost thos book decided to order again. Arrived just in time on the right date and was good just got home and heard the door knock
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Arupratan
5.0 out of 5 stars Just the essentials
Reviewed in India on May 11, 2019
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A very crisp introduction to Buddhism. Written in a clear and consice fashion the thin book touches every necessary aspects and practices related to Buddhism. Various different schools of the religion are introduced with a liberal and non-technical mindset. Exploring just the essentials within a mere 150 pages, this book has done a great job.
One person found this helpful
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678551742
5.0 out of 5 stars Brief and informative
Reviewed in Spain on April 2, 2016
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It is what it says a very short introduction very well done by competent people. If you want to know what Buddhist is about, read it
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blonkerbit
5.0 out of 5 stars Ben fatto
Reviewed in Italy on October 24, 2015
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Una introduzione ben fatta e ben equilibrata, per chi è curioso e non ne sa nulla ma anche per chi è appassionato e vuole approfondire. Molto contento.
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Lukas
3.0 out of 5 stars Etwas zu analytisch
Reviewed in Germany on August 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
Für meine Begriffe zu analytisch. Ich war froh, zunächst "Buddhism: Plain and simple" gelesen zu haben, das zwar in seinem Fokus relativ begrenzt ist, aber die zentralen Bausteine des Glaubens viel überzeugender vermittelt. Hier bleibt die Faszination etwas auf der Strecke, dafür sind alle wichtigen Informationen enthalten.
One person found this helpful
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