Survey of Buddhism: Chapter One

Sangharakshita's A Survey of Buddhism has inspired readers for decades. The great Buddhist teacher and writer Lama Anagarika Govinda wrote, 'It would be difficult to find a single book in which the history and development of Buddhist thought has been described as vividly and clearly as in this survey.' This first chapter illuminates the doctrines and methods common to all schools and draws out the transcendental unity of Buddhism. Written for practitioners rather than scholars, Sangharakshita covers the nature of the Buddha and Enlightenment, and outlines core doctrines of the Dharma. He argues for the priority of the wise and altruistic Bodhisattva as a goal of Buddhist practice.