A Survey of Buddhism: Its Doctrines and Methods Through the Ages

by Maha Sthavira Sangharakshita

Una panorámica del budismo : sus doctrinas y métodos a lo largo de la historia

Genres: Buddhism

Paperback

Published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to believe this book was originally written in 1957. This book has a spiritual depth that is hard to fathom, and I have read multiple times.

I'm going on a retreat in September that is based on chapter 1, the transcendental principle. What is unconditioned? What is beyond conditions?

What can you say about such a ground breaking and awesome book? Go read it! My only reservation is that it's quite complex and he uses a complex vocabulary. I have a bookmark for the words I look up, so when I reread it, I've got a cheat sheet.

The sections on ethics has been more developed in other books, and his disciples have written better books on meditation. His own talk on a system of meditation develops an amazing system.

I would actually recommend The Essential Sangharakshita first.

[Tarun Rattan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great overview of Buddhism and the doctrines of its different schools. I’d purchased the book from the Bodhi temple’s Temple bookstore when I’d visited Bodhgaya. It was a serene moment to sit under the Bodhi Tree to share the moment in time with the greatest seer the world has ever seen.

Buddhism is one of the three great world religions, with a following which, at the height of its influence, included between a third and a fourth part of human race, and which even now is substantial. Buddhism is the greatest of the non-theistic faiths, and since both Christianity and Islam are forms of theism it is their sole representative among the world religions. Its influence upon other systems of belief has been profound. Sanatani Dharma, Confucianism, Shintó, and Bón were all remodelled in its likeness, while through Neoplatonism and Sufiism it exercised a remote but deeply spiritualizing effect on at least two out of the three great Semitic monotheisms. Besides being a carrier of culture and civilization for the whole of Asia, Buddhism affords the unique spectacle of salvation propagating itself on a hitherto unprecedented scale entirely by peaceful means. In the course of its long history it has given the world, and continues to give, an ethics based on the ideal of absolute altruism, a psychology that explores heights and depths of whose existence the modern professors of this branch of knowledge are beginning dimly to be aware, and a philosophy that discloses perspectives the most awe-inspiring in human thought, while its literature and its art are among the supreme flowerings of the human spirit. Unlike the two other world religions, whose theologies and psychologies are Christianised or Islamized versions of either Plato or Aristotle, Buddhism evolved all these treasures largely from the depths of its own inner resources with a little help perhaps from Sanatani Dharmic traditions.

One of the most original contributions of Bodhi Dharma to human knowledge is the discovery that theories are rooted in desires. Theories of a personal God and an immortal soul are so deeply rooted in the soil of the human heart that belief in them has often been regarded as synonymous with religion itself. Such belief is not synonymous with the Dharma. The Buddha in fact taught that belief in a personal God and immortal soul were rationalizations of desires, of our craving for love and protection, our attachment to our own personalities, and our thirst for life. Enlightenment can be attained by the renunciation not only of selfish desires but of the religious theories or views (drstí) that are based on those desires. Belief in personal God and immortal soul are not helps but hindrances to one who would follow the Dharma.

I would encourage everybody to read this book to understand the one of greatest treasures of the human kind i.e. Buddhism.

[Leandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro más completo sobre budismo desde una óptica occidental, analítica y sociológica. Es lento, denso y en algunos aspectos me resultó inservible, lo que es una genialidad. No es vivencial ni proselitista, es un análisis frío y conciso sobre la historia del budismo

[Dharmamitra Jeff Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

As is already sated, I will echo the notion that "The Survey" (as it it referred to by most Buddhist practitioners that I know) is truly "Indispensable" for anyone that is attempting to grasp at the depth and breadth of the Buddha-Dharma, and its historical and cultural, evolution and development. Also as noted in the description is the "Best of" endorsement from Dr Edward Conze, who is widely know as "The Best of" and "The Patriarch" of early Western Buddhist Scholars, and Pali and Sanskrit Translators of the 20th century.
As far as my subjective experience goes; The Survey is the antithesis of "light reading." It is DENSE and complex. It is NOT to be confused with "An Introduction to Buddhism." Quite the opposite, it is composed by and for those with high intellectual comprehension, and a wish to delve deeper into the Buddha Dharma in its deeper essence. However at the same time, it is NOT a book of "Philosophy" or written for strictly Academic purposes, although it is well known and respected among East Asian and Buddhist Studies Scholars. In fact, I know of an American-born Bhikkhu (Buddhist Monks) who was ordained in the Theravada Tradition, into aThai Forest Buddhist Monastic Sangha. I found it interesting that his monastic Order uses "The Survey" as part of the Dharma Education for the Bhikkhus that are native english speakers because of its profound depth and breadth of insight into the broad spectrum of Buddhism, from the perspective of a brilliant Western born, Ordained Bhikkhu, who was only in his late-20s, I believe, perhaps only his mid-20s, when The Survey was introduced as a series of lecture given in India in the 1950s, and later compiled and published in its current format.
I've been on two Dharma study retreats where the first two chapters was the textual basis of the study. I gained more perspective from "A Survey" than all of the many other primary, secondary and tertiary Dharma books I have studied, and waxed more insight into the fundamental essence of the Buddha's Nirvana Insight, often called "Dependent Origination" or "Conditioned-Coproduction" which is Sanskrit is Pratītyasamutpāda ( Pali:paticcasamuppāda) and cannot stress enough the efficacy of The Survey as PROFOUNDLY insightful examination of not only the breadth and historical adaptations of the Dharma, but the depth of penetrating insight into the essence of the principles that are common throughout all manifestations of the Dharma.
As I said, it is not to be confused with an Introduction to Buddhism. On that subject, I high recommend another compilation of Sangharakshita's work called "A Guide to the Buddhist Path" which is not only much easier to digest, and broken into short, usually 2-3 page sections dealing with a very full teaching on the essential principles of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, as well as the Three-Fold Path of Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom. It offers a well-rounded "guide" to anyone that wishes a solid foundation in understanding Buddhism, as well as the essentials for becoming a full-time Buddhist Practitioner.

[Gerardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful book. Both in depth and width, Sangharakshita provides the reader with a full introduction about Buddhism as a whole. Not only that, but he answers all the questions any newcomer to Buddhism usually has (as I did before reading the book), like the distinction between Hinayana and Mahayana, the Six/Ten Paramitas and the basics of its metaphysics.
Granted, the author gets a little dense at some points, a little ardent when speaking about the Theravadins, but I believe these passages should be regarded as proof of Sangharakshita's passion for his religion, not as a hindrance to the understanding of the text.
I strongly recommend reading the Survey (and purchasing it, for future re-readings)to anyone seriously interested in learning about Buddhism.
Everything you need to know is in here.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Save for the (continuous) pathetic attempts to trash the Theravadin tradition and assert the legitimacy of the Mahayana texts, to the extent that the former is accused of "many edits" and the later is assumed to preach the true word of the Buddha (though it's texts are hundreds of years later than the Pali Canon), this is a decent introductory book.

However, it is not really what I expected. The author has the habit of rambling on for pages on every subject, without giving substantial information. It's certainly not a scholarly work, more of a long story about how the author understands the whole of Buddhism.

This is just my opinion. Maybe others were more impressed, but I would personally recommend a different book on the subject.

[Amritamati Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book again and again and always find more to reflect on and discuss with other Dharma practitioners. It is definitely not an introductory book and people new to Buddhism would be better placed reading "A Guide to the Buddhist Path" by Sangharakshita, or the smaller, but excellent "Introducing Buddhism" by Chris Pauling. Sangharakshita's passion for the Dharma shines through, along with his ability to see Buddhism in both its breadth and its depth. A remarkable book for someone who was only 29 and had only been practising the Dharma for about 13 years.

[Alex Rhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to understand. Would not recommend for someone with little knowledge of Buddhism. But for a scholar of Buddhism, it provides a very interesting theory of the relationship between the different schools of Mahayana Buddhism given by someone on the inside.