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Buddhism: The Path to Nirvana
A captivating guide to Buddhism! Robert C. Lester provides an expert introduction to the diversified beliefs, traditions, and practices of Buddhism. Tracing Buddhism's historical development, Lester identifies its central concepts--the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, Nirvana, Karma--and describes the path to enlightenment through charity, moral discipline, and meditation. He examines Buddhism's enduring characteristics and its essential logic as a world view. Lester's rare approach explores the relationship between philosophical and practical Buddhism and, more importantly, the relationship between monastic and lay Buddhism. Moving from history to ideal to concrete practice, he vividly portrays the two major traditions of Buddhism--the Theravada as practiced in a Thai village and the Mahayana as experienced in a Japanesemonastery of the Zen sect. Lester draws upon the best scholarship, working the insights of historians, textual scholars, and anthropologists into a highly readable and captivating guide.
160 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1987
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December 10, 2025
A FINE OVERVIEW OF BUDDHISM, ITS HISTORY, AND CURRENT TRENDS
Robert Lester (1933-2013) taught Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1970 until his retirement.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1987 book, “This book is a brief introduction to a large and complex subject… The choice of what to include and what to highlight was… a painful process. Nonetheless, I believe that the result is a reasonably reliable entre to the origin, development, and major traditions of the Buddhist religion… The ancient and authoritative accounts of the life and teaching of the Buddha are written in two languages: Sanskrit… and Pali… I have used the Sanskrit terminology throughout.”
He wrote in Chapter 1, “Buddhism encompasses a wide variety of beliefs and practices. There are two major traditions: Theravada (‘the Way of the Elders’) and Mahayana (‘the Great Vehicle’). The latter is divided into numerous sects, each with a distinctive emphasis. Even within the Theravada tradition there are significant differences of practice from one country to another… The gap is so wide in some cases that one may wonder how the variants can all belong to Buddhism. Some Buddhists emphasize self-understanding through meditation, others good deeds, and still others the worship of the Buddha. Nonetheless, all Buddhisms are Buddhism. There is a common framework for all these variants… that distinguishes Buddhism among the religions and, at the same time, permits and inspires a number of adaptations.” (Pg. 11-12)
He notes, “readers may wonder how Buddhism became a popular religion. The answer lies in the fact that, while the Buddha advocated monasticism, he nonetheless encouraged a lay following and urged the monk to interact with society rather than radically withdraw. He conceived of the layperson as well as the monk as pursuing nirvana, the two at different levels of intensity and in a relationship of mutual dependence. He called his path to nirvana ‘the Middle Way,’ a way defined in rejection of both a life of unbridled sensuous enjoyment... and a life of extreme self-denial… it envisaged a progressive discipline beginning with a morality of self-denial practicable in the lay life. Monks were to live in proximity to society as an inspiration, examples of liberating self-discipline, and as teachers. Laypeople were to cultivate self-denial by honoring the monks and giving of their wealth in material support of them.” (Pg. 13)
He continues, “in time, the Buddha, the order of monks, and even the Buddha’s words of teaching became objects of veneration for the laity. The laity came to believe that the self-denial of the Buddha and his disciples created a reservoir of power that could be tapped by prayer and by the recitation and hearing of the Buddha’s words, as well as by practicing the teaching and materially supporting the monks. And they believed that this power could effect worldly prosperity as well as progress toward nirvana.” (Pg. 13)
He reports, “A wide variety of persons, women and men, responded to the Buddha’s message. The first sixty he received into the monastic life [included]… 55 merchants ‘of prominent families.’ … Many brahmanas joined the Sangha, among them Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, who became the Buddha’s chief disciples. Sariputra was known for his great wisdom and Maudgalyayana for his supernormal powers.” (Pg. 27)
He acknowledges, “with strong reservations the Buddha agreed to allow women to undertake the monastic life. Mahaprajapati, the second wife of the Buddha’s father (his first wife, the Buddha’s mother, died a few days after giving birth to Gautama), became the first nun. The record of early monastic life pays very little attention to the nuns but it does show that a significant number of women were attracted to the order, many of them widows without children.” (Pg. 28)
He adds, “The elders set forth a separate … code for nuns, containing more than double the number of rules for monks… In placing such special restrictions on women, the Buddha reportedly had a twofold concern: that women not be encouraged to renounce their household responsibilities in order to join the Sangha; and that, should they do so, their presence must not corrupt the order.” (Pg. 31)
He explains, “The Theravada monks held to the view… that the goal of monastic life is arhatship, a goal achievable only by monastic discipline and not through the lay life…. The arhat is one who has attained nivana, that is, has extinguished all suffering by means of moral purity and insight and will not experience rebirth at the end of the present life… Mahayana monks submitted that the goal of the monastic life, a goal that could be achieved in the lay life, is full Buddhahood. They criticized the pursuit of arhatship as a selfish pursuit and submitted that the complete extinction of suffering could only be achieved with the mental discipline of a Bodhisattva… [those who] strive on the monastic path or the lay path not for themselves, but for the welfare of others… Even if they could have nirvana, they would refuse it to be born again and again for the sake of releasing others from suffering.” (Pg. 43)
He reports, “The monastic centers of Buddhism all across north India were utterly devastated by Muslim invaders in the late 12th century. They were never to rise again. The wealth and power of their patrons was usurped by Muslim rule. With the death or dispersion of the monks, lay Buddhism could not sustain itself. Lay devotionalism was easily absorbed into Hinduism. Buddhism lingered… but by 1500 had passed from the Indian scene.” (Pg. 48)
He recounts, “A man asked the Buddha a series of abstract questions: ‘Is the world eternal or noneternal? Are the soul and the body the same or different?’ and the like, saying that if he could answer these questions satisfactorily, the man would become his disciple. The Buddha replied that the questioner was like a person wounded with a poisoned arrow who wanted to know who shot the arrow, the assailant’s village, caste, family, and so on, before being willing to have his wound attended to.” (Pg. 75)
He states, “There is no unchanging personal identity, no self (atman) apart from the constantly changing aggregates. This is the teaching of ‘no-self’ (anatman): not no self at all, but no permanent, underlying selfhood or soul. The interplay of the aggregates creates the illusion of a self---an agent underlying materiality, sensation, consciousness, perception, and volition… In fact, there is no such self---a person is process, a constant becoming.” (Pg. 76-77)
He notes, “Monks striving on the Theravada path are a field of merit for others, although their intent is the conquest of suffering in their own lives. Bodhisattvas realize that in a universe in which life forms are totally interdependent there is no release for one without the release of all… Those who strive only for their own happiness will never attain selflessness.” (Pg. 87)
He admits, “Ordination is not an option for women… The Buddha authorized the formation of an order of nuns. The order flourished for several centuries, but later declined for unknown reasons. In the mid-5th century C.E., for want of sufficient nuns to perform the ceremony (a minimum of ten is required), the ordination line lapsed. Women are permitted to take novitiate vows, wear the monastic robe, and live in or near a monastery, but… are not considered to be full-fledged nuns and are not given the respect that is given to monks. The few who take this option are usually older women without family. They live in relative seclusion and perform menial tasks for the monks.” (Pg. 91-93)
He records the four vows of the bodhisattva: However innumerable beings are, I vow to save them. However inexaustible the passions are, I vow to extinguish them. However immeasurable the Dharmas are, I vow to master them. However incomparable the Buddha-truth is, I vow to attain it.” (Pg. 126)
He also points out, “During the weeks of the autumn and spring equinoxes… some Zen monks undertake long begging tours of various parts of the country. Many of the great masters consider travel a good stimulant to heightened awareness. On the night of the winter solstice (December 21), monks have a sometimes wild party. Lay persons bring food and wine to the monastery, and there is singing, dancing, and general frivolity. Zen monks do not honor the monastic vow prohibiting alcoholic drink.” (Pg. 133)
He concludes, “Buddhism appeals mainly to Americans of Japanese descent. Meditation Buddhism… has had appeal to a relatively small number of Americans and chiefly the highly educated. Nichiren Buddhism has attracted a mixed clientele largely of persons who are ‘down and out’ or who feel disenfranchised or alienated from the mainstream of American life. It is clear that the teaching of the Buddha, viewed as a highly rational approach to life, and … several varieties of meditation are appealing to many Americans…. In the past few years, Christian and Buddhist leaders have initiated a lively dialogue on meditation and prayer… it is also clear that devotional Buddhism appeals to many Americans. Pure Land and Nichiren have the potential… of engaging the working classes.” (Pg. 143)
This book is an excellent overview of Buddhism, that will be of great interest to a wide variety of readers.
Robert Lester (1933-2013) taught Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1970 until his retirement.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1987 book, “This book is a brief introduction to a large and complex subject… The choice of what to include and what to highlight was… a painful process. Nonetheless, I believe that the result is a reasonably reliable entre to the origin, development, and major traditions of the Buddhist religion… The ancient and authoritative accounts of the life and teaching of the Buddha are written in two languages: Sanskrit… and Pali… I have used the Sanskrit terminology throughout.”
He wrote in Chapter 1, “Buddhism encompasses a wide variety of beliefs and practices. There are two major traditions: Theravada (‘the Way of the Elders’) and Mahayana (‘the Great Vehicle’). The latter is divided into numerous sects, each with a distinctive emphasis. Even within the Theravada tradition there are significant differences of practice from one country to another… The gap is so wide in some cases that one may wonder how the variants can all belong to Buddhism. Some Buddhists emphasize self-understanding through meditation, others good deeds, and still others the worship of the Buddha. Nonetheless, all Buddhisms are Buddhism. There is a common framework for all these variants… that distinguishes Buddhism among the religions and, at the same time, permits and inspires a number of adaptations.” (Pg. 11-12)
He notes, “readers may wonder how Buddhism became a popular religion. The answer lies in the fact that, while the Buddha advocated monasticism, he nonetheless encouraged a lay following and urged the monk to interact with society rather than radically withdraw. He conceived of the layperson as well as the monk as pursuing nirvana, the two at different levels of intensity and in a relationship of mutual dependence. He called his path to nirvana ‘the Middle Way,’ a way defined in rejection of both a life of unbridled sensuous enjoyment... and a life of extreme self-denial… it envisaged a progressive discipline beginning with a morality of self-denial practicable in the lay life. Monks were to live in proximity to society as an inspiration, examples of liberating self-discipline, and as teachers. Laypeople were to cultivate self-denial by honoring the monks and giving of their wealth in material support of them.” (Pg. 13)
He continues, “in time, the Buddha, the order of monks, and even the Buddha’s words of teaching became objects of veneration for the laity. The laity came to believe that the self-denial of the Buddha and his disciples created a reservoir of power that could be tapped by prayer and by the recitation and hearing of the Buddha’s words, as well as by practicing the teaching and materially supporting the monks. And they believed that this power could effect worldly prosperity as well as progress toward nirvana.” (Pg. 13)
He reports, “A wide variety of persons, women and men, responded to the Buddha’s message. The first sixty he received into the monastic life [included]… 55 merchants ‘of prominent families.’ … Many brahmanas joined the Sangha, among them Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, who became the Buddha’s chief disciples. Sariputra was known for his great wisdom and Maudgalyayana for his supernormal powers.” (Pg. 27)
He acknowledges, “with strong reservations the Buddha agreed to allow women to undertake the monastic life. Mahaprajapati, the second wife of the Buddha’s father (his first wife, the Buddha’s mother, died a few days after giving birth to Gautama), became the first nun. The record of early monastic life pays very little attention to the nuns but it does show that a significant number of women were attracted to the order, many of them widows without children.” (Pg. 28)
He adds, “The elders set forth a separate … code for nuns, containing more than double the number of rules for monks… In placing such special restrictions on women, the Buddha reportedly had a twofold concern: that women not be encouraged to renounce their household responsibilities in order to join the Sangha; and that, should they do so, their presence must not corrupt the order.” (Pg. 31)
He explains, “The Theravada monks held to the view… that the goal of monastic life is arhatship, a goal achievable only by monastic discipline and not through the lay life…. The arhat is one who has attained nivana, that is, has extinguished all suffering by means of moral purity and insight and will not experience rebirth at the end of the present life… Mahayana monks submitted that the goal of the monastic life, a goal that could be achieved in the lay life, is full Buddhahood. They criticized the pursuit of arhatship as a selfish pursuit and submitted that the complete extinction of suffering could only be achieved with the mental discipline of a Bodhisattva… [those who] strive on the monastic path or the lay path not for themselves, but for the welfare of others… Even if they could have nirvana, they would refuse it to be born again and again for the sake of releasing others from suffering.” (Pg. 43)
He reports, “The monastic centers of Buddhism all across north India were utterly devastated by Muslim invaders in the late 12th century. They were never to rise again. The wealth and power of their patrons was usurped by Muslim rule. With the death or dispersion of the monks, lay Buddhism could not sustain itself. Lay devotionalism was easily absorbed into Hinduism. Buddhism lingered… but by 1500 had passed from the Indian scene.” (Pg. 48)
He recounts, “A man asked the Buddha a series of abstract questions: ‘Is the world eternal or noneternal? Are the soul and the body the same or different?’ and the like, saying that if he could answer these questions satisfactorily, the man would become his disciple. The Buddha replied that the questioner was like a person wounded with a poisoned arrow who wanted to know who shot the arrow, the assailant’s village, caste, family, and so on, before being willing to have his wound attended to.” (Pg. 75)
He states, “There is no unchanging personal identity, no self (atman) apart from the constantly changing aggregates. This is the teaching of ‘no-self’ (anatman): not no self at all, but no permanent, underlying selfhood or soul. The interplay of the aggregates creates the illusion of a self---an agent underlying materiality, sensation, consciousness, perception, and volition… In fact, there is no such self---a person is process, a constant becoming.” (Pg. 76-77)
He notes, “Monks striving on the Theravada path are a field of merit for others, although their intent is the conquest of suffering in their own lives. Bodhisattvas realize that in a universe in which life forms are totally interdependent there is no release for one without the release of all… Those who strive only for their own happiness will never attain selflessness.” (Pg. 87)
He admits, “Ordination is not an option for women… The Buddha authorized the formation of an order of nuns. The order flourished for several centuries, but later declined for unknown reasons. In the mid-5th century C.E., for want of sufficient nuns to perform the ceremony (a minimum of ten is required), the ordination line lapsed. Women are permitted to take novitiate vows, wear the monastic robe, and live in or near a monastery, but… are not considered to be full-fledged nuns and are not given the respect that is given to monks. The few who take this option are usually older women without family. They live in relative seclusion and perform menial tasks for the monks.” (Pg. 91-93)
He records the four vows of the bodhisattva: However innumerable beings are, I vow to save them. However inexaustible the passions are, I vow to extinguish them. However immeasurable the Dharmas are, I vow to master them. However incomparable the Buddha-truth is, I vow to attain it.” (Pg. 126)
He also points out, “During the weeks of the autumn and spring equinoxes… some Zen monks undertake long begging tours of various parts of the country. Many of the great masters consider travel a good stimulant to heightened awareness. On the night of the winter solstice (December 21), monks have a sometimes wild party. Lay persons bring food and wine to the monastery, and there is singing, dancing, and general frivolity. Zen monks do not honor the monastic vow prohibiting alcoholic drink.” (Pg. 133)
He concludes, “Buddhism appeals mainly to Americans of Japanese descent. Meditation Buddhism… has had appeal to a relatively small number of Americans and chiefly the highly educated. Nichiren Buddhism has attracted a mixed clientele largely of persons who are ‘down and out’ or who feel disenfranchised or alienated from the mainstream of American life. It is clear that the teaching of the Buddha, viewed as a highly rational approach to life, and … several varieties of meditation are appealing to many Americans…. In the past few years, Christian and Buddhist leaders have initiated a lively dialogue on meditation and prayer… it is also clear that devotional Buddhism appeals to many Americans. Pure Land and Nichiren have the potential… of engaging the working classes.” (Pg. 143)
This book is an excellent overview of Buddhism, that will be of great interest to a wide variety of readers.
September 18, 2018
In general, a great overview of Buddhism.
April 19, 2019
Brief but thorough overview of Buddhism. Some sections were somewhat confusing as to whether the author is writing on Theravada or Mahayana, but overall, I learned much.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews