手に取りやすく充実した内容で大好評の仏教入門書の改訂版です。釈迦の教えと他の宗教との違いを解説し、仏教が現代の人々の生活にどのような影響を与えているのかを探ります。また何世紀にもわたって仏教の教えがどのように発展し、アジアの主要宗教になったのかを明らかにします。新たに見つかった事実や資料などをふんだんに盛り込んだこの改訂版を通して、読者は仏教の新しい側面に目を向けることになるでしょう。(cf. The Buddha, #041; Buddhist Ethics, #130; Buddhism: What Everyone Needs to Know)
   

• Remains one of the most accessible introductions to Buddhism
• Introduces the teachings of the Buddha and the integration of Buddhism into daily life
• Looks at the distinctive features of Buddhism and how it differs to other religions
• Examines how Buddhist thought has developed over the centuries, including the contemporary spread in to Asia

New to this Edition:

• Incorporates recent new discoveries and new perspectives on Buddhist thought
• Includes up to date material about the spread of Buddhism and historical evolution of buddhism throughout Asia
• Looks at the material culture of Buddhism and its importance
• Incorporates new thinking on the ethics of war and peace, which have become part of a lively debate in recent years
• Updates to the interaction between Buddhism and the West, including topics such as ethnicity, class, and gender
• Updated further reading list including several recent publications

 
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the workings of Buddhism in daily life. Damien Keown looks at the distinctive features of Buddhism, examining who the Buddha was and what his teachings were. By considering how Buddhist thought has developed over the centuries, Keown considers how contemporary dilemmas can be faced from a Buddhist perspective. 

In this new edition Keown provides new perspectives on Buddhist thought, including up-to-date material about the evolution of Buddhism throughout Asia, the material culture of Buddhism and its importance, new teachings on the ethics of war and peace, and changes to ethnicity, class, and gender. 
   
   
Reading Guide
Words such as 'karma' and 'nirvana' have entered our vocabulary, but do we really understand their meaning? This Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the integration of Buddhism into daily life. Damien Keown looks at the distinctive features of Buddhism, how Buddhist thought developed over the centuries, and how contemporary dilemmas can be faced from a Buddhist perspective.