The Golden Book of Buddhism: Humanity's Oldest Religion of Peace

by F. Max Muller, and T.W. Rhys DAvids and Samuel Beal

The Golden Books series of Indian religions is specially planned and designed for the general educated reader in India and abroad, who in the 21st century of the Third Millennium, wants to know about them to contribute his lot to the fast growing globalization of world cultures. It includes Vedic, Upanishad, Buddhist and Jain religions, the mainstay of Indian culture, which have made their mark in various ways in Asia and the West since olden times. In terror stricken modern times also, they are trying to play their role in setting things right and devising a new, eclectic way of life. Indian religions have lots of philosophy and hundreds of scriptures with commentaries and commentaries on commentaries, which present a highly complicated picture especially in comparison to one-book religion-cultures. The Golden Books select the most important and the best of them, translated into simple, easy and understandable English, by learned scholars and present them in capsule from for wider use and benefit. Buddhism is amuch-loved and respected religion in modern times, as also the image of the great Buddha, which emanates kindness, harmony and peace. Its role in the ancient world, limited to Asia at that time, has been unusually remarkable. It spread by its own intrainsic values, not by force of any kind, and holds its lamp even in the present terror-stricken times. Its scriptures are galore, translated into Chinese, Tibetan, Thai, etc. etc. This work presents the most significant of them selected from various sources, and provides a bird's eye-view of the original Buddhist, Hinayana and Mahayana traditions for the benefit of the intelligent, conscientious readers.  The literary quality of these scriptures adds its special flavor, lacking in most similar writings.