Buddhism, the First Millennium

by Daisaku Ikeda

Beginning with the events immediately following the dark days after the death of Shakyamuni and continuing over a period of 1,000 years, this dynamic tome covers a vast and complex series of events and developments in the history of Buddhism. Through a thorough examination of its early development in India, a new light is cast on little-known aspects of Buddhist history and its relevance to the understanding of Buddhism today. Topics include the formation of the Buddhist canon, the cultural exchange between the East and West, and the spirit of the Lotus Sutra .

Genres: Buddhism, Religion

172 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1982

About the author

Daisaku Ikeda was a Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder, educator, author and poet. He was the third president of the Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist organization and the founding president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), which is today one of the world's largest and most diverse lay Buddhist organizations, promoting a philosophy of character development and social engagement for peace.

Ikeda was the founder of the Soka (value-creation) schools, a nondenominational school system based on an ideal of fostering each student's unique creative potential and cultivating an ethic of peace, social contribution and global consciousness. The school system runs from kindergarten through graduate study and includes a university in Tokyo, Japan, and another in California, U.S.A.

Ikeda was a staunch proponent of dialogue as the foundation of peace. Since the 1970s he has pursued dialogue with a wide range of individuals around the world in political, cultural, educational and academic fields. Over 50 of these have been published in book form, with people such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Elise Boulding, Joseph Rotblat and André Malraux. In furtherance of his vision of fostering dialogue and solidarity for peace, Ikeda has founded a number of independent, nonprofit research institutes that develop cross-cultural, interdisciplinary collaboration on diverse issues: the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy. The Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum promote mutual understanding and friendship between different national cultures through the arts.

Ikeda was a prolific writer who has published more than 100 works, ranging from Buddhist philosophy to biographical essays, poetry, children's stories and photographic collections.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, it has been an interesting look at the early history of Buddhism as it began in India with Shakyamuni Buddha (the former Prince Siddartha), and the way he came to enlightenment and began to teach the people of India that they too need not live life suffering, but they could become happy and joyful and enlightened as well. Also, an interesting read on the way the Buddhist scriptures were passed down orally through the elite of the priesthood of the time, until all scriptures were known and agreed upon then codified into what we now know as the many sects of Buddhism practiced today.

[Mike Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An explanation of Hinayana vs Mahayana more complete yet simply put than any I have encountered. And I have studied many.

[Carlos Eliseo Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although following the particular views of Nichiren as interpreted by Soka Gakkai, I think that this book is of interest to anyone who is curious about Buddhism.

In particular the first part of the book, has many stories and tales that I found fascinating. Being interested in Ancient Rome, I enjoyed reading about the connection between Ashoka and Ancient Greece, as well as Ikeda's comments on "Questions of King Milinda." Many other stories presented in the book were also interesting, such as the one about Ambapāli, a prostitute who followed Buddha. I would love to read a study comparing her with Mary Magdalene. (Perhaps "Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism" by Ananda?)

The second part deals more with the differences between Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism and explains Buddhist, such as kū.

The book contains a good subject index.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel to The Living Buddha. It explains what happened in the aftermath of the death of Shakyamuni Gautama.

[Me · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t follow SGI bu found this book to be very solid