Buddha and Buddhism

Card catalog description
An introduction to the life of the Indian Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who founded Buddhism in about 531 B.C. and became known as Buddha.


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Gr 3-5-Unlike other books on religion, these volumes combine biographies of Jesus and Buddha with information about their teachings and the sacred texts, places, and festivals associated with their beliefs. Limited material is given on Buddhism and Christianity today. There is little or nothing regarding history or sects/divisions (Jesus discusses Christianity's "Family Differences" in seven sentences, but Buddha ignores the two traditions of Mahayana and Theravada). Both books are colorful and attractive, and make good use of photos and drawings. Brown's biography covers the basics of Jesus's life and ministry adequately, but doesn't cite the Bible translation he uses. The section on festivals excludes Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday and never indicates when Easter occurs. The author also incorrectly states that confirmation takes place in "teenage (or adult) years"; children are confirmed in some churches as well. Marchant omits many key events from Buddha's life; Demi's Buddha (Holt, 1995), for the same age, is more thorough and also includes major doctrines. In addition, Marchant doesn't discuss karma, mandalas, or bodhisattvas, or identify the "Three Jewels" as such. Anita Ganeri's What Do We Know about Buddhism? (Peter Bedrick, 1997) and the "Beliefs and Cultures" series (Children's) are more useful sources than these publications.-Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY


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