The Vision of Buddhism

This book attempts to provide a comprehensive introduction to the Buddhist religion in lay terms. Using a style that combines information with anecdote, Corless presents a sweeping survey of Buddhist traditions, organized according to the twelve major "acts of the Buddha" that are used to characterize the biography of Siddhartha Gautama. For instance, when dealing with the regal aspect of the future Buddha's life, Corless surveys the impact that Buddhism has had on the political life of several Asian countries. Similarly, Corless establishes a correlation between the Buddha's death and several different approaches to death found in Buddhism.