Buddhism

I arrived at this 1967 book after first reading Thomas Berry's more recent, deep-ecology books, DREAM OF THE EARTH (1990) and THE GREAT WORK (1999), both of which I highly recommend. While reading those books, I wondered if Berry's ecological views have a Buddhist influence, although any such influence was not explicit in his writing. The final paragraph of this book, however, possibly confirms Berry's Buddhist perspective.This is a challenging, textbook introduction to Buddhism. Although the book's cover states this book is "aimed specifically at the general reader who knows very little about Buddhist tradition," it probably misses its mark. Rather, it seems aimed at a slightly more academic audience. Berry's writing here tends to be scholarly. He covers his subject in depth and in dense detail. He demonstrates a clear understanding of Buddhist history, texts, and dharma, including the concepts of suffering, impermanence, emptiness, nirvana, karma, and monastic life. Berry also approaches his subject with respect and admiration. He writes: "To be ignorant of Buddhism, is to be ignorant of a large part of man's spiritual, intellectual, and cultural formation . . .What Buddhism has done belongs to the highest moral, spiritual, intellectual and cultural achievements ever attained by man" (p. 183). This is the point, I think, of this rewarding Thomas Berry book.G. Merritt