Buddhism: The First Millennium (Soka Gakkai History of Buddhism)

People often talk about "karma' and usually with a negative connotation; but they seldom ask or wonder what karma is and how is it produced. People when asked what they think of when they hear the word "Buddha", often say what generally comes to mind "is the statue of the little fat man with the bald head". This book and the others that I have listed, clarifies the examples I mentioned and much, much more. Buddhism: The First Millenium offers a concise and informative explanation that reveals how Buddhism spread and became a teaching followed by millions of individuals the world over; after the passing of it's founder. Daisaku Ikeda, the author writes in a manner that is scholarly but in terms that are easy to understand and comprehend. This particular book is the second in a series of three that take into account a historical overview as to how Buddhism came into being. The first book, The Living Buddha; the second book that I am commenting on now and the third book, The Flower of Chinese Buddhism allows the reader to access Buddhism from what I believe is an objective viewpoint from the author. The writing appears to be geared towards informing and bringing to light a teaching or religion that is often talked about but not really understood.

Again a fantastic Job by Ikeda explaining the history of early Buddhism.recommend for those who want an outline of Buddhism after shakyamuni’s death and are interested in Mahāyāna Buddhism ( particularly followers of the lotus sutra

Very good reading!

arrived promptly and as promised. was in excellent condition and well packaged. a thoroughly satisfactory transaction. five stars to the vendor and my thanks!

A bit too didactic for me

This book is an excellent summary of the history of buddhism with a focus upon the practices of Nichiren Daishonin. Ikeda has a wonderful writing style with emphasis upon historical facts and schools of buddhism.

This book is a fascinating “reboot” of understanding the life of Siddhartha, aka Gautama, aka Shakyamuni. It was difficult for me to see how the life of a man 2000 years ago could be relevant to me and my problems in the modern age. But this book is able to bring forth the core universal concepts and make them relevant and useful for modern life. The lens of the author is to see and understand Shakyamuni’s life through the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism – just like Jesus’s life is seen and understood through a wide variety of lenses. I like Nichiren Buddhism because it really emphasizes the equality of ALL people, and not just passively believing in something but taking action in daily life to improve not only my life but the lives of all others.You will sometimes see people refer to the SGI as a “cult” and be deeply suspicious of Daisaku Ikeda. Although a healthy skepticism regarding religious figures is a good thing, it is also important to look at their achievements over time, the difference they have made in the world, and do respectable people respect them and their work – do they stand the test of time? Dr. Ikeda has 378 academic honors from respected universities around the world because of his peace work including Martin Luther King’s alma matter Morehouse College, more than 760 honorary citizenships from cities, states and local governments around the world, great friendships and dialogues for peace with hundreds of notable figures around the world including Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Wangari Maathai, Arnold Toynbee, Elise Boulding, Anwarul K. Chowdhury and many more. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize multiple times and has hundreds of honors from around the world. The United States House of Representatives and individual states including Georgia, Missouri, and Illinois have passed resolutions honoring the service and dedication of Daisaku Ikeda as one "who has dedicated his entire life to building peace and promoting human rights through education and cultural exchange with deep conviction in the shared humanity of our entire global family." If you look at his Wiki page you will see much of his incredible lifetime of work, not only as an individual but as the representative of millions of SGI members also working for peace and justice in their communities through self empowerment and a profound respect for all life.

I am commenting on the Review by Avery Morrow who terms this book by Daisaku ikeda as dissastrous and in the next breath proclaims himself to be such a learned scholar that he heaps sarcasm on SGI also.How does Amazon permit such Reviews to even be printed .Its ok to give a negative review but what Avery is indulging in is not Buddhism -that is respecting the dignity and faith of millions of SGI members.Avery seems to be a frustrated person in life and doesnt quite appreciate the growth of Soka gakkai.I would request him to stick to meaningful criticism and not indulge in this kind of a childish and immature response .Criticism doesnt mean being direspectful to Soka gakkai members!

Exactly what you need if you wish to understand how and why the practice is where it is