World of the Buddha: An Introduction to the Buddhist Literature

This is a selection from among the most significant texts in the body of Buddhist literature, culled especially for readers who want a rich, varied, and comprehensive collection in one volume, and includes translations from Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese, and Lao. For the benefit of the newcomer to Buddhism—and to facilitate the use of this volume in an academic context—the pieces are arranged in chronological order and each chapter is preceded by a separate commentary. In addit...