Essential Guide To Buddhism

Beginning with an overview of Buddhism, this book explores the religion’s origins in northern India and Nepal, through to its development and spread across Asia, to its vibrant and sometimes contradictory present. Key topics explored in the study of Buddhism, include rituals and its scriptures, meditation and monasticism, death and the afterlife, along with contemporary issues such as Buddhism and economics. Over 70 illustrations are included throughout and each chapter contains suggested further reading and a glossary of key terms and concepts.