Buddhism: Its Historical, Theoretical and Popular Aspects

The work is organized into three major lectures. Lecture I, “Buddhism, an Event in History,” examines the magnitude and importance of Buddhism, its historical and legendary origins, the life of Śākyamuni Gautama Buddha, the formation of the Buddhist canon and Church, Buddhist missions, the division between Southern and Northern Buddhism, the introduction and expansion of Buddhism in China, Tibet, and other regions, and the historical value of Buddhism. Lecture II, “Buddhism, a Theoretical System,” analyzes Buddhist doctrine through its dogmatic development, summary teachings, theory of the physical world, metempsychosis, ethics, philosophy, and Nirvāṇa, presenting Buddhism as an intellectual and metaphysical structure. Lecture III, “Buddhism, a Popular Religion,” explores Buddhism as lived and practiced by communities, discussing its truths and defects, popular forms in Southern and Northern traditions, objects of worship, devotional figures, monastic interiors, polytheistic and monotheistic tendencies, Buddhist notions of atonement, and the author’s concluding evaluation of Buddhism as both a philosophical and religious system.