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An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices . By Peter Harvey. Cambridge University Press, 1990. Pp. xxii + 374. £10.95.

An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. By PETER HARVEY. Cambridge University Press, 1990. Pp. xxii + 374. £10.95. IN a recent book Paul Williams described the scholarly study of Buddhism as no longer in its infancy, but still at the toddler stage. One symptom of this accurate diagnosis has been the lack of a one volume introduction to Buddhism by a single author. It is this gap which Harvey's book fills. As such an introduction Harvey's book has much to commend it. It is clearly written and has some useful maps and diagrams (the photographs are rather less helpful). Its structure is simple and easy to follow: the first half of the book deals mainly with Buddhist belief, the second with Buddhist practice, and the last two chapters consider the modern history of Buddhism. There is also an excellent bibliography. In the section on belief Harvey presents the main themes of Buddhist thought clearly and succinctly. The main weakness is that he sometimes fails to relate them closely enough to their social and intellectual contexts. The origins of Buddhism and of its later variants consequently remain somewhat obscure, the impression being given that they arose ex nihilo. As Steven Collins has demonstrated so illuminatingly and decisively in his book on Theravada Buddhism, Selfless Persons, early Buddhism had extremely close connections with Brahmanic Hinduism, even when it was reacting against it, and it is a pity that Harvey does not take sufficient account of this. The distinction between belief and practice on which the structure of Harvey's book relies is a tricky one at the best of times and is particularly hard to apply to Buddhism, a religion that is so eminently practical. In his defence Harvey can fairly claim that the inclusion of a section on 'Buddhist Practice' has enabled him to discuss topics that commentators on Buddhism too often neglect: devotion, ethics, the Sangha, meditation. But the weakness of the scheme is particularly evident in the treatment of Buddhist ethics, in which Harvey repeats much material already included in the book's first section on 'belief. He also gives greater attention to specific precepts than to underlying characteristics of Buddhist ethics like individualism and 'works-righteousness'. The treatment of the modern history of Buddhism is perhaps the least interesting section of the book. There is exhaustive and exhausting detail, but no wider perspective and no identification of trends.