The Buddhist Catechism

Olcott, Henry Steel, 1832-1907Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 132K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Buddhist Catechism by Henry Steel OlcottAuthor: Olcott, Henry Steel, 1832-1907,Language: English, Class: BQ: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Buddhism, Release Date: Oct 8, 2009

Editor's review

The Buddhist Catechism is an introductory work on Buddhism written in English by Henry Steel Olcott, organized in question-and-answer form so that readers can gradually learn the basic concepts, doctrinal framework, and ethical claims of Buddhism by topic. This catechism form derives from the tradition of religious education; its advantages are clear organization and explicit questions, making it suitable as an introductory outline and review guide. Its drawback lies precisely here: the question-and-answer form tends to compress complex issues, and its treatment of the historical development of doctrines and differences among schools is limited. The Project Gutenberg edition is a free public-domain electronic text, convenient for searching and excerpting, but it usually lacks a modern scholarly introduction and detailed notes. It is best read as an overview of Buddhism in the nineteenth-century English context, not as a definitive statement of contemporary Buddhist studies. It suits readers with an initial interest in Buddhism who wish to quickly build a conceptual framework, and also serves as material for comparative religion or English extensive reading; those seeking translations of primary sources, detailed distinctions among schools, or academic textual research will need to consult other materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers with an initial interest in basic Buddhist concepts who wish to quickly build a framework
Learners who need English introductory religious material for extensive reading or classroom discussion
Readers engaged in comparative religion or cultural studies who want to understand early English-language Buddhist works
Readers who like the question-and-answer structure and find it convenient for consulting and reviewing by topic

Not a good fit for

Specialist readers expecting contemporary Buddhist studies, detailed distinctions among schools, or academic textual research
Practitioners or researchers who need translations of Buddhist primary sources and detailed annotations
Readers who want an equal presentation of multiple schools rather than a single overview perspective

Reading tips

Begin by browsing the table of contents and list of questions, reading in topical groups rather than straight through in order.
After each group of questions and answers, summarize the core concepts in your own words to test whether you have truly understood.
Read alongside reliable general introductions to Buddhism, noting the period context and limitations of the book's statements.
Connect the ethical claims in the book with real-life situations and take brief reading notes to reinforce impressions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers who know nothing about Buddhism?

It is suitable as English introductory material for a first acquaintance with Buddhist concepts; the question-and-answer form makes it easier to look things up and organize them. But it was written in the nineteenth century and its statements carry the context of their time, so beginners would do best to read it alongside contemporary general introductions.

What are the reading advantages and disadvantages of the question-and-answer form?

The advantages are explicit questions and a clear structure, convenient for consulting and reviewing by topic; the disadvantages are that complex doctrines are easily compressed into brief answers, and the historical development and differences among schools are treated only to a limited extent. Readers can treat it as a framework text rather than a final conclusion.

Does the Project Gutenberg edition include modern annotations?

According to the information, the book is published by Project Gutenberg, which mainly provides a free public-domain electronic text and usually does not include a modern scholarly introduction or detailed annotations. For deeper understanding, one should refer separately to contemporary general introductions to Buddhism or academic works.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Olcott, Henry Steel, 1832-1907 Author

Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907) is the author of two English works on Buddhism: The Life of Buddha and Its Lessons and The Buddhist Catechism. The first follows the Buddha's life as a narrative thread and draws out lessons that remain relevant to modern readers; the second adopts a question-and-answer format to set out the basic teachings of Buddhism in an orderly way, making them easy for beginners to follow step by step. Both books address English-speaking readers in plain and concise prose, avoiding elaborate scholarship and concentrating instead on presenting the Buddha and Buddhist thought clearly and accessibly. They played a part in introducing Buddhist knowledge to the West. Because public information is limited, details of his life and his classification remain unavailable; this note therefore focuses only on the subject matter and style of his works.