In his book The World’s Religions, Smith (2009) attempts to describe and analyze the major world’s religions. In Chapter 3, in particular, he addresses Buddhism, its origins, specifications, and geographical location characteristics. Smith (2009) begins with outlining the known facts about Buddha, as he is the root of this religion (Jung, 2020). The main purpose is to show the ideological background of Buddhism through the journey of Buddha and how he came to his spirituality. Smith furthers his dive into Buddhism by outlining the basic foundational postulates of the religion and its influence on people. Buddhism later develops the Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, and Big Raft and Little to clarify its postulates further. Smith (2009) also outlines the basic concepts of Buddhism, including nirvana, karma, anicca, and other definitions. Moreover, he draws the distinction between Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. Smith (2009) concludes the chapter by analyzing the influence of Buddhism on the Asian region, especially India, its birthplace. Thus, Smith manages to not only provide the full background of Buddhism but help the reader to understand its significance, background, and effects on people.
References
Jung, C. G. (2020). Foreword To Suzuki’s “Introduction To Zen Buddhism”. In Psychology and the East, 138-157. Princeton University Press.
Smith, H. (2009). The World’s Religions (Plus). New York: HarperOne. Web.