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Buddhism: An Introduction and Guide
The history, development, and present-day teaching of the various schools of Buddhism, the religion-philosophy which has moulded the life of much of the Eastern world.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
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About the author
Christmas Humphreys
111 books23 followersTravers Christmas Humphreys, QC was an English barrister who prosecuted several controversial cases in the 1940s and 1950s, and later became a judge at the Old Bailey. He also wrote a number of works on Mahayana Buddhism and in his day was the best-known British convert to Buddhism.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 27, 2012
The first real book I read on Buddhism, and boy did it leave a mark. This book contains everything I needed to know to start a lifelong journey. Detailed, deep and comprehensive.
December 30, 2020
Though I’ve practiced various forms of meditation for years and have studied and applied different western philosophies, this has been the most substantive book I’ve read specifically on Buddhism. The book was extremely useful for me mostly because it approaches the topic first from a historical approach; to gather context on the religion, its source ideas, and how it was spread; and then expands into more detail on the beliefs. The author seems to be very informed on the topic and provided what appears to be a balanced view of the overall practice - though he did seem to put down one or two specific sects.
Most of the reviews of this on goodreads seem to be near copies of each other, stating it's an old and great introductory book. Both statements are true however, regarding age, Buddhism has been around for 2,500 years and still quotes the Gautama Buddha extensively… I doubt there’ve been any massive changes since this book was written. Regarding its introductory nature, absolutely. It’s a 200-something page book on a 2,500 year old practice/religion that likely isn’t mastered by most after a lifetime of study. That being said, the last 1/3 of the book goes into the beliefs and histories of individual sects within Buddhism and starts to feel a lot less like an introductory course.
Some of the key tenets of Buddhism, per the author in his 12 Principles of Buddhism (comments in parentheses are my additions as I understand the teaching - not necessarily Buddhist teaching):
1. Self-salvation is for any man the immediate task.
2. The first fact of existence is the law of change or impermanence. Life alone is continuous (perhaps meaning the ‘spark of life’ or consciousness never ceases), ever seeking self-expression in new forms.
3. The law of change applies equally to the 'soul' (perhaps meaning, more exactly, the ‘character’ of an individual or self - which possesses the illusion of continuity). There is no principle in an individual which is immortal and unchanging (because the ‘spark of life’ is not tied to the individual, I think).
4. The universe is the expression of law. All effects have causes, and man's soul or character is the sum total of his previous thoughts and acts. (Karma is manifested as the effects of previous life actions)
5. Life is one and indivisible, though its ever changing forms are innumerable and perishable. There is, in truth, no death, though every form must die (see my references to ‘spark of life’ above).
6. Life being One, the interests of the part should be those of the whole. Desires, especially selfish desires, produce suffering. Eliminate its cause to attain enlightenment.
7. The Eightfold Path consists in Right (or perfect) Views or preliminary understanding, Right Aims or Motive, Right Speech, Right Acts, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration or mind development, and finally, Right Samadhi, leading to Full Enlightenment.
8. Reality is indescribable, and a God with attributes is not the final Reality. The purpose of life is the attainment of Enlightenment.
9. From potential to actual Enlightenment there lies the Middle Way, a process of self-development between the 'opposites,' avoiding all extremes.
10. The Buddhist should at all times be 'mindful and self-possessed', refraining from mental and emotional attachment to 'the passing show'. (Meditation is a path to this)
11. Buddhism knows no authority for truth save the intuition of the individual, and that is authority for himself alone.
12. Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor 'escapist', nor does it deny the existence of God or soul, though it places its own meaning on these terms. It is a system of thought, a religion, a spiritual science and a way of life, which is reasonable, practical, and all-embracing.
My questions about Buddhism include:
How did the concept of Nirvana come into being? Is it simply because Buddha said he achieved it? It seems like quite a leap to assume/believe that a state of transcendence exists simply because of Buddha’s claims.
The two principles of Karma and non-self seem to conflict. If Karma is an universal effect of past lives, how can one be expected to transcend the illusion of self? Why would Karma not be a collective effect, versus an individual?? (I recognize that I am probably viewing this ‘incorrectly’ by reverting to the status of a self - I think Karma would be collective in Buddhist teaching… not sure… nonetheless) Same question, different approach, how does the practice reconcile the collective soul/non-soul with individuals (ie. Buddha) being the ones that achieve Nirvana?
Does Buddhism make a claim of what good and evil actually are? If mindset or thought are the determinants of good or evil actions, what is to determine the good or bad qualities of those actions? Do my own bumbling failures that harm others, made with good intention, mean that I have done a good or bad act? I think I know that ‘the answer’ is subjective (and tied to Principle 11 above) and the effect of actions on others tied to their Karma but, coming from a Catholic upbringing, this non-dogmatic approach is confusing and refreshing.
In the future I plan to expand more on what the practice of Buddhism tends to be applied in societies. Some initial observations that I think may be found include:
A tendency towards passivity towards one’s condition as, outside of having positive mental thoughts and actions, one may not be able to directly change their Karma.
An unknown effect on society coming from the practice’s views of ridding the self of desire, hatred, delusion, and fear. (Fear could be an interesting one…)
My one takeaway quote:
“Look within: thou art Buddha.”
-Gautama Buddha
Most of the reviews of this on goodreads seem to be near copies of each other, stating it's an old and great introductory book. Both statements are true however, regarding age, Buddhism has been around for 2,500 years and still quotes the Gautama Buddha extensively… I doubt there’ve been any massive changes since this book was written. Regarding its introductory nature, absolutely. It’s a 200-something page book on a 2,500 year old practice/religion that likely isn’t mastered by most after a lifetime of study. That being said, the last 1/3 of the book goes into the beliefs and histories of individual sects within Buddhism and starts to feel a lot less like an introductory course.
Some of the key tenets of Buddhism, per the author in his 12 Principles of Buddhism (comments in parentheses are my additions as I understand the teaching - not necessarily Buddhist teaching):
1. Self-salvation is for any man the immediate task.
2. The first fact of existence is the law of change or impermanence. Life alone is continuous (perhaps meaning the ‘spark of life’ or consciousness never ceases), ever seeking self-expression in new forms.
3. The law of change applies equally to the 'soul' (perhaps meaning, more exactly, the ‘character’ of an individual or self - which possesses the illusion of continuity). There is no principle in an individual which is immortal and unchanging (because the ‘spark of life’ is not tied to the individual, I think).
4. The universe is the expression of law. All effects have causes, and man's soul or character is the sum total of his previous thoughts and acts. (Karma is manifested as the effects of previous life actions)
5. Life is one and indivisible, though its ever changing forms are innumerable and perishable. There is, in truth, no death, though every form must die (see my references to ‘spark of life’ above).
6. Life being One, the interests of the part should be those of the whole. Desires, especially selfish desires, produce suffering. Eliminate its cause to attain enlightenment.
7. The Eightfold Path consists in Right (or perfect) Views or preliminary understanding, Right Aims or Motive, Right Speech, Right Acts, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration or mind development, and finally, Right Samadhi, leading to Full Enlightenment.
8. Reality is indescribable, and a God with attributes is not the final Reality. The purpose of life is the attainment of Enlightenment.
9. From potential to actual Enlightenment there lies the Middle Way, a process of self-development between the 'opposites,' avoiding all extremes.
10. The Buddhist should at all times be 'mindful and self-possessed', refraining from mental and emotional attachment to 'the passing show'. (Meditation is a path to this)
11. Buddhism knows no authority for truth save the intuition of the individual, and that is authority for himself alone.
12. Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor 'escapist', nor does it deny the existence of God or soul, though it places its own meaning on these terms. It is a system of thought, a religion, a spiritual science and a way of life, which is reasonable, practical, and all-embracing.
My questions about Buddhism include:
How did the concept of Nirvana come into being? Is it simply because Buddha said he achieved it? It seems like quite a leap to assume/believe that a state of transcendence exists simply because of Buddha’s claims.
The two principles of Karma and non-self seem to conflict. If Karma is an universal effect of past lives, how can one be expected to transcend the illusion of self? Why would Karma not be a collective effect, versus an individual?? (I recognize that I am probably viewing this ‘incorrectly’ by reverting to the status of a self - I think Karma would be collective in Buddhist teaching… not sure… nonetheless) Same question, different approach, how does the practice reconcile the collective soul/non-soul with individuals (ie. Buddha) being the ones that achieve Nirvana?
Does Buddhism make a claim of what good and evil actually are? If mindset or thought are the determinants of good or evil actions, what is to determine the good or bad qualities of those actions? Do my own bumbling failures that harm others, made with good intention, mean that I have done a good or bad act? I think I know that ‘the answer’ is subjective (and tied to Principle 11 above) and the effect of actions on others tied to their Karma but, coming from a Catholic upbringing, this non-dogmatic approach is confusing and refreshing.
In the future I plan to expand more on what the practice of Buddhism tends to be applied in societies. Some initial observations that I think may be found include:
A tendency towards passivity towards one’s condition as, outside of having positive mental thoughts and actions, one may not be able to directly change their Karma.
An unknown effect on society coming from the practice’s views of ridding the self of desire, hatred, delusion, and fear. (Fear could be an interesting one…)
My one takeaway quote:
“Look within: thou art Buddha.”
-Gautama Buddha
May 12, 2024
Ran out of time only read half of it. Dad made me read it as a bit of pre-holiday research. Very old book but interesting.
July 3, 2018
Read it a long time ago. But this re-read has shown how I have matured and how timeless the book remains.
August 27, 2022
just a couple things that stand out to me:
the author comes off a bit pretentious sometimes. he's very biased against certain types/sects of buddhism; namely, the pure land school and the japanese shin sect. he really goes on and on needlessly attacking them, calling them extreme and otherwise demeaning their beliefs. there's an entire section devoted to this, but it also comes up more than a few times elsewhere in the book. I don't take a position on this, but as a person learning about some of these aspects of buddhism for the first time, it's a little off putting. just wish he had been more objective.
and second, he was part of the theosophical society, and he brings up h.p. blavatsky numerous times, which strains his credibility somewhat. if you don't know about blavatsky, she created theosophy and made some dubious claims about herself and her writings that were later discredited, and she's now widely considered to have been a fraud. her works are still pretty interesting though, on their own merits.
other than that, it's a decent enough introduction to many aspects of buddhism, especially its history, and a good jumping off point, as it contains a large number of references to other works. the author's tone does take some getting used to though.
the author comes off a bit pretentious sometimes. he's very biased against certain types/sects of buddhism; namely, the pure land school and the japanese shin sect. he really goes on and on needlessly attacking them, calling them extreme and otherwise demeaning their beliefs. there's an entire section devoted to this, but it also comes up more than a few times elsewhere in the book. I don't take a position on this, but as a person learning about some of these aspects of buddhism for the first time, it's a little off putting. just wish he had been more objective.
and second, he was part of the theosophical society, and he brings up h.p. blavatsky numerous times, which strains his credibility somewhat. if you don't know about blavatsky, she created theosophy and made some dubious claims about herself and her writings that were later discredited, and she's now widely considered to have been a fraud. her works are still pretty interesting though, on their own merits.
other than that, it's a decent enough introduction to many aspects of buddhism, especially its history, and a good jumping off point, as it contains a large number of references to other works. the author's tone does take some getting used to though.
May 19, 2024
Delightful introduction to a very complex subject matter. By walking the reader through the evolution and the history of Buddhism, Humphreys introduces a range of different schools and doctrines. This approach adds significant breadth and yet ultimately also depth as Humphreys highlights the aspects of each school that have been preserved and those which represent new additions or modulations from Buddha's original teachings. Ultimately, any such work will be littered with a plethora of historical figures, names, dates, and sects, which the average reader will be unable to keep track of.
February 24, 2025
This book really stands out for making the often-mysterious history of Buddhist teachings feel accessible. Humphreys doesn't get bogged down, but clearly and engagingly maps out Buddhism's origins and spread. You can tell he's got a soft spot for Zen, but he's upfront about it, which is actually refreshing. The narrative remains engaging throughout, and at times, the text itself achieves a sort of depth that seem to echo the very wisdom it describes.
March 27, 2019
A very thorough introduction. While the book touches on some of the deeper teachings and contemplations found within Buddhism, it is really a history and guide to the development of the religion. Reading this book will give any novice very good background knowledge, and may even teach more familiar readers to details and facts they didn't know. Excellent.
November 5, 2024
A concise and insightful overview of Buddhism.
January 12, 2017
I bought this book very cheap in Tokyo fairly recently and I was curious to see what an introduction book to Buddhism from the first half of the 20th century looked like.
Well, I got my answer and it was in my opinion disappointing. For me, I've been studying Buddhism academically for 5 or so years, so I have a fair grounding on the subject of Buddhism and in particular Mahayana Buddhism.
The book itself, I think, would have been a great introduction to undergrads or lay people alike when it came out and for a least a decade after it's publication, however that just isn't the case today. The book is obviously outdated, as "facts" in the book have either been modified over the years of this publication, which I assume is from the decades of scholarship after this book and the vocabulary is very much dated, again, that's because of the age of this book.
The book isn't bad, it's just outdated and that happens to introduction books on religion (philosophy if you categorize Buddhism as one, which is another of discussion all together).
I only recommend this book to people that have an interest in seeing what Buddhism books from the good ol' days looked like, rather than having a proper introduction, as there are plenty of great introduction books on Buddhism, Donald Lopez comes to mind for great introduction books.
Well, I got my answer and it was in my opinion disappointing. For me, I've been studying Buddhism academically for 5 or so years, so I have a fair grounding on the subject of Buddhism and in particular Mahayana Buddhism.
The book itself, I think, would have been a great introduction to undergrads or lay people alike when it came out and for a least a decade after it's publication, however that just isn't the case today. The book is obviously outdated, as "facts" in the book have either been modified over the years of this publication, which I assume is from the decades of scholarship after this book and the vocabulary is very much dated, again, that's because of the age of this book.
The book isn't bad, it's just outdated and that happens to introduction books on religion (philosophy if you categorize Buddhism as one, which is another of discussion all together).
I only recommend this book to people that have an interest in seeing what Buddhism books from the good ol' days looked like, rather than having a proper introduction, as there are plenty of great introduction books on Buddhism, Donald Lopez comes to mind for great introduction books.
April 17, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book. as I was reading it I found it boring because it is so old. Still being outdated, this book gave me a great understanding of this world wide religion. I did not get to finish this book but I did read enough to learn its origins and how our world changed with this new way of life.
June 13, 2009
It has lots of interesting things in it, even if it is a bit dated.
July 5, 2019
Lightweight introduction.
December 23, 2011
a helpful introduction to Buddhism
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews