The Tree of Enlightenment: An Introduction to the Major Traditions of Buddhism

The book presents Buddhism as both a practical path of liberation and a broad intellectual tradition capable of speaking to modern readers. Peter Della Santina begins with the fundamentals of Buddhist teaching, emphasizing the Buddha’s pragmatic method, the problem of suffering, and the path of ethical discipline, meditation, and wisdom. From this foundation, the work expands into the major historical and doctrinal developments of Buddhism, especially Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna, showing how Buddhist thought evolved through key scriptures, philosophical systems, ritual practices, symbolic frameworks, and meditative disciplines. The Abhidharma section further deepens the analysis by examining mind, matter, consciousness, mental factors, conditionality, and the structure of experience. Throughout the book, Buddhism is presented not as a closed dogmatic system but as a living tradition of inquiry, practice, and transformation, grounded in personal verification, disciplined reflection, and the progressive cultivation of wisdom.