Meditation,
Karma, Zen, Tantric, Nirvana – these
are some of the many Buddhist ideas that have
entered our Western popular idiom, usually
inappropriately. What is the truth of Buddhism,
its history and variety of practices? This
vast and complex non-theistic religion is
woven into the fabric of Asian civilizations
from India to the Himalayan regions, China,
Vietnam, Korea, Japan and elsewhere.
Introducing
Buddha describes the life and teachings of
the Buddha. Author Jane Hope, who has herself
taught Buddhism extensively, also shows that
enlightenment is a matter of experiencing
the truth individually and by inspiration
which is passed from teacher to student. Superbly
illustrated by Borin Van Loon, the book illuminates
this process through a rich legacy of stories,
and explains the practices of meditation,
Taoism and Zen. It goes on to describe the
role of Buddhism in modern Asia and its growing
influence on Western thought.
***
Jane
Hope is a practising Vajrayana Buddhist and
has taught Buddhism extensively through Europe
and North America. She has also worked as
a bereavement counsellor.
Borin
Van Loon is a Surrealist artist and illustrator
whose work ranges from oil paintings to a
cut-out book on DNA.
