What do you think?
Rate this book
Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism
Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism of Dr. Suzuki is one of the finest introductory manuals to date on Mahayana school of Buddhism. As an introductory essay, Dr. Suzuki has endeavoured, within the limitations of space, to be as comprehensive as is possible. Written in a style that is lucid, transparent and easy to read, the book sets out to present the most intricate and complex Mahayana philosophical doctrines in such a manner that an average reader can grasp them. In this noble mission the author has greatly succeeded.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1908
About the author
D.T. Suzuki
462 books468 followersDaisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (鈴木 大拙 貞太郎 Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarō; rendered "Daisetz" after 1893) was Professor of Buddhist philosophies at Ōtani University. As a translator and writer on Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, he greatly helped to popularize Japanese Zen in the West.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 1, 2013
turned up @ home one day, coverless, origins unknown.
Very pleasant surprise.
Was worried it'd be one of those books (vast majority in religion/spirituality realm) for which the reader either drinks the kool-aid during initial chapters, or else hates/loses the book.
My prior familiarity w/ Buddhism was preliminary, so wouldn't be able to assess the rigor of Suzuki's interpretation of Mahayana B.; yet I was pleasantly surprised by Suzuki's obvious proficiency in Western humanities; he can singlehandedly draw parallels/contratsts with the history of Western philosophy, or refer to contemporary (humanities) books; it is a cringe-free read for people like me with humanities background.
Very pleasant surprise.
Was worried it'd be one of those books (vast majority in religion/spirituality realm) for which the reader either drinks the kool-aid during initial chapters, or else hates/loses the book.
My prior familiarity w/ Buddhism was preliminary, so wouldn't be able to assess the rigor of Suzuki's interpretation of Mahayana B.; yet I was pleasantly surprised by Suzuki's obvious proficiency in Western humanities; he can singlehandedly draw parallels/contratsts with the history of Western philosophy, or refer to contemporary (humanities) books; it is a cringe-free read for people like me with humanities background.
May 12, 2020
A historical description of Buddhism, and how the religion has organized itself into many branches. It is said that just a few hundred years after the demise of the Buddha, there were more than twenty different schools. However, two main schools seem to have been dominant: Mahayana and Hinayana (since 1950 the World Fellowship of Buddhists declared “Theravada” should be used instead of Hinayana).
https://www.holybooks.com/outlines-of...
https://www.holybooks.com/outlines-of...
June 4, 2026
I was curious to learn more about Buddhism, especially the Buddhism of East Asia (where people primarily practice Mahayana Buddhism), and I was familiar with Suzuki’s writings, so I thought this would be a good place to begin. I think that was a mistake, and I could have probably gotten a more balanced overview of the subject matter elsewhere.
There are several good things I should mention about the book. First, Suzuki is well-versed in philosophy and in the history of his religion. He can speak about each topic in detail and give sources (a long list of Buddhist quotes, teachings, mantras, myths and poetry, as well as a few Western quotes, when he thinks they’re relevant for comparison or contrast). In most examples, he clearly distinguishes which ideas are Buddhist generally and which ideas apply more specifically to the Mahayana branch. At 216 pages (SophiaOmni version, 2016), it’s a reasonably succinct introduction to the religion.
The first issue I had with the book was its organization. The book introduces a lot of terminology throughout each chapter, most of it in Pali, the Indian language in which most early Buddhist texts were written. Terms are mentioned in passing and then discussed in more depth in a later passage or chapter, without reference to the original use. The whole reading experience would be much better with an index or glossary. The version I purchased (SophiaOmni 2016) is riddled with spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors as well.
The second issue I had was Suzuki’s apparent prejudices against other religious ideas. He repeatedly refers to the idea of an individual soul, which he calls an “ego-soul,” as “vulgar,” “not developed enough [to agree with Buddhist perspectives],” a “crude, primitive faith,” among other insults. This insult—he particularly enjoys the word “vulgar”—is introduced in Chapter 1 and repeated 23 times throughout the rest of the brief book. This does a lot to discredit the tone of objectivity he tries to take through most of his writing.
The third issue I had with the book, related to the previous paragraph, is that Suzuki’s presentation of Mahayana Buddhism often reflects his personal, idiosyncratic and modern views of Mahayana Buddhism rather than a more objective overview of how the religion has been understood and practiced throughout history. This tendency becomes most obvious in the last few chapters, when he offers vague and seemingly inconsistent explanations of concepts like reincarnation and nirvana. As an introduction to Western readers (which he specifies in the introduction is his intention with the book), it seems he wants to portray Buddhism as being a highly rational philosophy rather than a mystical religion. The coherence of the subject matter suffers as a result.
Due to these reasons, I cannot recommend this book to anyone looking for an introduction to Buddhism, Mahayana or otherwise. I would recommend looking for a more scholarly book.
There are several good things I should mention about the book. First, Suzuki is well-versed in philosophy and in the history of his religion. He can speak about each topic in detail and give sources (a long list of Buddhist quotes, teachings, mantras, myths and poetry, as well as a few Western quotes, when he thinks they’re relevant for comparison or contrast). In most examples, he clearly distinguishes which ideas are Buddhist generally and which ideas apply more specifically to the Mahayana branch. At 216 pages (SophiaOmni version, 2016), it’s a reasonably succinct introduction to the religion.
The first issue I had with the book was its organization. The book introduces a lot of terminology throughout each chapter, most of it in Pali, the Indian language in which most early Buddhist texts were written. Terms are mentioned in passing and then discussed in more depth in a later passage or chapter, without reference to the original use. The whole reading experience would be much better with an index or glossary. The version I purchased (SophiaOmni 2016) is riddled with spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors as well.
The second issue I had was Suzuki’s apparent prejudices against other religious ideas. He repeatedly refers to the idea of an individual soul, which he calls an “ego-soul,” as “vulgar,” “not developed enough [to agree with Buddhist perspectives],” a “crude, primitive faith,” among other insults. This insult—he particularly enjoys the word “vulgar”—is introduced in Chapter 1 and repeated 23 times throughout the rest of the brief book. This does a lot to discredit the tone of objectivity he tries to take through most of his writing.
The third issue I had with the book, related to the previous paragraph, is that Suzuki’s presentation of Mahayana Buddhism often reflects his personal, idiosyncratic and modern views of Mahayana Buddhism rather than a more objective overview of how the religion has been understood and practiced throughout history. This tendency becomes most obvious in the last few chapters, when he offers vague and seemingly inconsistent explanations of concepts like reincarnation and nirvana. As an introduction to Western readers (which he specifies in the introduction is his intention with the book), it seems he wants to portray Buddhism as being a highly rational philosophy rather than a mystical religion. The coherence of the subject matter suffers as a result.
Due to these reasons, I cannot recommend this book to anyone looking for an introduction to Buddhism, Mahayana or otherwise. I would recommend looking for a more scholarly book.
May 5, 2024
On top of its excellent organization and exposition of significant Mahayana philosophies, this book excellently counters the common misunderstandings of eternalism and annihilationism that come from the principles of anatta and nirvana.
Very suitable for the beginner looking to bridge towards more complicated sutras.
Very suitable for the beginner looking to bridge towards more complicated sutras.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews