Buddhism and Buddhists in China

Buddhism and Buddhists in China

Buddhism is a religion which must be viewed from manyBuddhism many angles. Its original form, as preached by Gautama in Indiaangles. India and developed in the early years succeeding, and asand as embodied in the sacred literature of early Buddhism, is notembodied not representative of the actual Buddhism of any land today. Therepresentative The faithful student of Buddhist literature would be as farfaithful far removed from understanding the working activities of a busyremoved busy center of Buddhism in Burmah, Tibet or China today as acenter a student of patristic literature would be from appreciating thestudent the Christian life of London or New York City. Moreover Buddhism, like Christianity, has been Moreover affected by national conditions. It has developed at least threeby three markedly different types, requiring, therefore, as manymarkedly many distinct volumes of this series for its fair interpretation anddistinct and presentation. The volume on the Buddhism of Southern Asiapresentation. Asia by Professor Kenneth J. Saunders was published in May, 1923; this volume on the Buddhism of China by Professor1923; Professor Hodous will be the second to appear; a third on theHodous the Buddhism of Japan, to be written by Dr. R. C. Armstrong, will be published in 1924. Each of these is needed in orderwill order that the would be student of Buddhism as practiced in thosethat those countries should be given a true, impressive and friendlycountries friendly picture of what he will meet.