Edward Conze - 1980 - Buddhism - A Short History.pdf

Edward Conze - 1980 - Buddhism - A Short History.pdf

Series: Short Religion
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Oneworld Publications (December 20, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1851685685
ISBN-13: 978-1851685684

Published posthumously by his wife.

In this authoritative guide, one of the world's most distinguished scholars of Buddhism provides a compact summary of the tradition’s development, from the time of the Buddha to the 20th century exile of the Dalai Lama. Covering all the Buddhist schools from Maháyána to Zen, this comprehensive, concise study is widely acknowledged as the classic introduction to the history of the Buddhist tradition, perfect for students and interested readers alike. Edward Conze studied Indian and comparative philosophy at the universities of Bonn and Hamburg.

This book would certainly be my first recommendation for an afternoon read and introduction to the history (but not the philosophy) of Buddhism.

Conze breaks down his narrative into four parts, the first three 500 year segments, and the last millennium. This is useful in tracking the history of Buddhism within India and as it spread across South, Southeast, and East Asia. He provides a helpful gloss on the early divisions in Buddhism (especially Mahayana and what became Theravada), as well as the schools that developed further in China and Japan. He doesn't bore you with too much detail, and I found it much more helpful than Skilton or Lopez's histories, although those are deeper in philosophy.

One point he makes repeatedly is that there are times when Buddhism "loses it's creative impulse" - I guess I would take issue with this. Certainly there are periods of decay and decline in all of the countries examined, but also renewal and reinvigoration. We are in the midst of a resurgence now, and the integration with neurosciences and psychology has just begun. I think it's an exciting time. I also disagree that innovation necessarily is a sign of vigor. There are many traditions which still compel though they haven't changed for centuries, because the human spirit still faces the same challenges. Buddhism certainly speaks to those challenges.

About the author.
For this larger than life character, you really need to start with the Wikipedia page and then move on to his Memoirs