--- On Tue, 25/5/10, Charles Haynes <[email protected]> wrote:
> From: Charles Haynes <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [silk] Buddhism Reading List > To: [email protected] > Date: Tuesday, 25 May, 2010, 4:58 > On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 3:09 AM, > Sriram Karra <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > I am looking for recommendations for books on Buddhism > (3-5) - I am > > interested in (reasonably) authoritative history and > teachings of the > > prominent schools. If recommendations are based on > second hand reviews, > > please do mention that. > > I've been reading "The Tree of Enlightenment" > http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/tree-enlightenment.pdf > which is a > free online summary of the basic theology, philosophy, and > practices > of the major schools. 402 pages. I'm a somewhat practicing > Buddhist > and I've found it fascinating. On the other hand I like > theology, > philosophy, and the minutiae of doctrinal religious > differences > ("filioque" anyone?) > > I think it would be perfect. > > -- Charles > Sriram Buddhism by Christmas Humphreys did it for me. Slim but reasonably comprehensive narrative. Charles WHOLLY OFF TOPIC. It is even nicer to consider the huge chasm caused by an 'i'; homoousion versus homoiousion. IIRC, Arthur Conan Doyle has a story about the rift. Historically speaking, this was a watershed; Arian vs. Athanasian, perhaps correctly, Arian vs. Catholic, and read for that Visigoth vs. the rest, leading eventually to the domination of Rome over the other patriarchates. The politics of Christianity before Islam is utterly fascinating. IG
