From Booklist
Buddhism, a term of relatively recent origin, refers to a pan-Asian religious tradition that dates back more than 2,500 years and encompasses much geographical, doctrinal, and linguistic diversity. As the most comprehensive collection of discrete Buddhist terms available, this resource is an outstanding addition to available reference sources. The more than 5,000 entries treat individuals, sacred texts, concepts, schools, deities, and important geographical locations. Brief biographical entries for a selection of important Buddhologists are also included. A few maps and some additional reference tools are included to aid the reader. A listing of historical periods in India, China, Korea, and Japan allows the user to quickly see the Edo period in Japan occurred during the Choson period in Korea. A time line of Buddhism presents important events from across the Buddhist world. Nearly 150 pages are devoted to cross-references from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Pali, Sanskrit, and Tibetan terms to the form used for the entry. Finally, selected numerical lists from the Buddhist traditions, such as the 2 means of knowledge and the 32 marks of a great man, are provided. Since this work is a dictionary, it lacks entries that, say, introduce Buddhism in a particular country or describe Buddhist monasticism generally. Two other sources, both titled Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Macmillan, 2004; Routledge, 2007), fit that bill. The Macmillan set also addresses the intersection of Buddhism with other religious traditions, while the Routledge volume includes content about the academic study of and Western approaches to Buddhism. Although scholarly in its accent and geared to the specialist reader, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism nicely complements these other two works. Collectively, they form an excellent trio of reference sources. Highly recommended for theological, academic, and large public libraries. --Christopher McConnell
Review
"Buddhism's ancient history and depth of culture are reflective in this volume's extensiveness. . . . Owing to the length and breadth of this volume, this will supersede previously published titles such as Damien Keown's
Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism."--
Ray Arnett, Library Journal (Starred Review)"One of the take-a ways is how we're just scratching the surface on what we have translated into English. I almost regret the decision I made about 25 years ago not to shift my focus from training to learning languages so I could be a Buddhist scholar. Particularly, I was struck by how little I know about the Korean tradition! Except for Buswell's work, there's still very little translated into English, as far as I know."--
Dosho Port, Wild Fox Zen
"As the most comprehensive collection of discrete Buddhist terms available, this resource is an outstanding addition to available reference sources. . . . Highly recommended for theological, academic, and large public libraries."--
Christopher McConnell, Booklist
"[T]he dictionary includes an impressive set of reference tools. . . . Much more than a compilation of the philosophies of elite Buddhist figures, the
Dictionary deepens our understanding of local traditions and their unique approaches to Buddhist practice, offering glimpses into the many Buddhisms and Buddhist belief systems that have developed over the past two and a half millennia. Both professional and amateur scholars will want to keep
The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism within easy reach."--
Rory Lindsay, Buddhadharma
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