This is a comprehensive study of the entire field of Buddhism thought and practice, describing the development of all the major doctrines and traditions and clearly demonstrating the underlying unity of all schools of Buddhism.

A study of the whole field of Buddhist thought and practice. The author places the development of Buddhism in its historical context.

This first volume of Sangharakshita's Complete Works includes two foundational texts that have inspired readers for decades in their understanding and practice of Buddhism: A Survey of Buddhism and The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.Of the first, the great Buddhist teacher and writer Lama Anagarika Govinda wrote, 'It would be difficult to find a single book in which the history and development of Buddhist thought has been described as vividly and clearly as in this survey.' The first chapter illuminates the doctrines and methods common to all schools and draws out the transcendental unity of Buddhism. Later chapters discuss the teachings and practices of the different schools. The concluding chapter is dedicated to the bodhisattva ideal, 'the perfectly ripened fruit of the whole vast tree of Buddhism'. Sangharakshita's beautiful prose, shot through with poetry, combines with an exceptional clarity of thought to make the Survey one of the most inspiring elucidations of the Dharma.The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path: Vision and Transformation looks at one of the best known formulations of the Buddha's teaching. We are led step by step from the mundane world to the transcendental, from wrong view to right view, and on to Perfect Vision. A practical perspective shows how we can apply the Buddha's teachings to all aspects of our lives, including the food we eat, our relationships and our work. Sangharakshita goes on to make clear the real meaning of mindfulness and meditation, thus giving the reader both a vision of the whole path and guidance in setting out upon it.This volume includes a full section of endnotes locating the teachings to the suttas and sAtras that inspired them, as well as a Foreword by Dharmachari Subhuti looking at these two texts from an inspirational and a critical perspective, and bringing out the inner connection between them.

A classic introduction to this ancient faith from one of recent history's greatest scholars of Buddhism. 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. With skill, sympathy, and insight, Conze traces 2,500 years of Buddhist history, providing a lively explanation of the origins of Buddhism and its most basic doctrines. Covering all the Buddhist schools from Mahayana 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.