The remarkable fact is, that we have here set forth a view of religion entirely independent of the soul theories, on which all the various philosophies and religions then current in India were based; entirely free from the idolatries and superstitions of the day.... We are struck at once with the analogy between it and the ideals of the last pagan thinkers in Europe before the rise of Christianity, and of some of the most advanced thinkers to-day. And the similarity is no mere chance.
-from "The Signs, the Path, and the Fetters"
What firsthand sources of information do we have about the life of the Buddha? What are the stages of the Wheel of Life? How well do modes of Eastern and Western thought mesh?
One of the late 19th century's foremost experts on sacred Buddhist texts offered this layman's introduction to India's great religious tradition in a series of popular lectures delivered in 1894-1895 at a variety of highly respected educational institutions, including Cornell University, Columbia College, and the Lowell Institute.
Published in book form in 1896, the lectures cover:
. Religious Theories in India Before Buddhism
. Authorities on Which Our Knowledge of Buddhism Is Based
. Notes on the Life of the Buddha
. The Secret of Buddhism
. Some Notes on the History of Buddhism
Lucid and informative, this remains an excellent primer on Buddhistic beliefs and practices.
British scholar THOMAS WILLIAM RHYS DAVIDS (1843-1922) was an expert in the ancient Indian language Pali and served as professor of Pali at the University of London from 1882 to 1904. He wrote numerous articles about and published many translations of sacred Buddhist texts.
