An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices

Reviewed by Collett Cox

The Journal of the American Oriental Society

Vol.112 No.4

Oct-Dec 1992

Pp.665-666 Copyright by American Oriental Society
 
 




            
     
            In proposing to write a new introductory text on Buddhism, an author 
            sets a difficult task. The vastness of the topic demands radical 
            selection both in content and in method; heuristic considerations 
            constrain ideal intentions; pedagogical objectivity taxes personal 
            limitations of specialized competence and interest. A partial 
            inventory of types of actual and potential introductions might 
            include: conventional chronologically or geographically organized 
            surveys of important names and dates; a doctrinal survey that 
            presents supposed core teachings, emphasizing possibly early 
            Buddhism, select later traditions or schools, or select individual 
            teachers; annotated selections from essential Buddhist canonical 
            scriptures or from other Buddhist texts, again emphasizing one or 
            another sect, school, or teacher; thematically organized surveys 
            that detail aspects of doctrine, practice, or communal and lay life 
            and organization without special regard to historical period or 
            cultural context; attempts to capture the "essence" of Buddhist 
            doctrine, worldview, practice, or life--again without regard to 
            historical period or cultural context; biographical accounts; social 
            or political histories; anthropological studies of the Buddhism of a 
            particular area; presentations of Buddhist teaching and practice via 
            art-historical, ethnomusicological, or literary materials. Choosing 
            a "best introduction" thus appears as unreasonable as deciding what 
            is best (or essential) in Buddhism; ultimately individual taste and 
            experience will determine which type or combination of types is 
            preferable or better suited to a given audience. 
            Accordingly, the thirteen chapters comprising Peter Harvey's An 
            Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices reflect 
            his own response to these confining demands as he attempts to 
            accommodate the diverse aspects and expanse of Buddhism. The first 
            four chapters are an exposition of the main events and doctrines of 
            early Buddhism, largely as presented in the Pali canon. Harvey 
            clearly judges this material as, for the most part, representing the 
            teaching of the Buddha himself, and therefore, of primary 
            importance. Thus, numerous technical terms are cited here in Pali, 
            and unlike most of the rest of the work, which is footnoteless in 
            textbook style, there are frequent scriptural references embedded in 
            the text. The fifth and sixth chapters deal with Mahayana: chapter 
            five reviews Mahayana "philosophy," particularly Madhyamaka and 
            Yogacara; and chapter six treats Mahayana "holy beings," including 
            the doctrine of the Buddha and Bodhisattva practice as well as 
            "heavenly" Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The seventh chapter treats the 
            later history and expansion of Buddhism, in Tibet, in Central, East, 
            and Southeast Asia, though unfortunately much more briefly and with 
            still fewer textual references than the preceding section on early 
            Indian Buddhism. 
            Differing from many expository introductions, Harvey extensively 
            covers Buddhist practice in chapters eight through eleven. In 
            contrast to the more historical narration of the preceding chapters, 
            these chapters adopt a decidedly present tense, even where citing 
            classical sources. Perhaps in order to underscore the actuality of 
            practice in contemporary Buddhism or to assert certain shared 
            features of practice assumed to characterize Buddhist religious life 
            in all times and all cultures, chapters eight, nine, and ten on 
            devotion, ethics, and the sangha, are arranged in common topical 
            subsections, rather than separately by historical period or 
            tradition. The eleventh chapter on meditation, though again focusing 
            on an assumed common feature of practice, adopts an organization by 
            tradition, such as Southern, Zen, etc. Harvey concludes his 
            introductory text with a twelfth chapter on Buddhism in contemporary 
            Asia and a thirteenth chapter on Buddhism beyond Asia, touching on 
            both scholarship (briefly) and religious groups. The volume is also 
            furnished with a guide to the pronunciation of Pali and Sanskrit, 
            with some maps, figures, plates and tables, and with a topically 
            arranged bibliography and both a concept and a name index. 
            Quite naturally, scholars when first perusing an introductory text 
            might especially check the treatment given their own areas of 
            interest. Encouragingly, the Sarvastivadins are found to be covered 
            in about a page. However, reservations arise when reading that a 
            council, precipitated by doctrinal disagreements, was held under 
            Kaniska in A.D. 100, a council that eventually produced the 
            Mahavibhasa--from a strict historical point of view, certainly a 
            problematic legend. Similarly, one cannot assert unequivocally that 
            Vasubandhu wrote the Abhidharmakosabhasya from a Sautrantika 
            perspective. But these are the kinds of problems and quibbles 
            lurking in profusion under the surface in any introductory text, 
            which is artificially smooth by virtue of the inevitable pedagogical 
            perspective of harmonious generalization. On this and all other 
            matters of historical and textual detail, it is important to note 
            that Harvey's intent and tone are certainly not critical-historical, 
            but animated by a genuine enthusiasm and pietistic respect for his 
            subject matter. Whether lecturers will find in this or any volume 
            the ideal introductory course text is a matter of preference and 
            circumstantial needs; its commendable virtues, however, merit its 
            being so considered.