Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction by Richard H. Robinson

The most comprehensive, insightful, and up-to-date introduction to Buddhism available, this text traces the religion of Awakening from its origins to its spread throughout Asia and the world. Combining historical narrative with contextual analysis in a clear and engaging style, the authors present a full and balanced portrait of the Buddhist religion in terms of ritual, devotionalism, institutions, doctrine, and meditation practice. Of special interest are the discussions of women's contributions to the Buddhist tradition and the portraits of current religious life, both lay and monastic, drawn from all the major living Buddhist cultures of Asia.