Volumes VII and VIII of this series deal with early Buddhism a few centuries after the life of the Buddha. These volumes render quite well the early schisms that emerged from the various understandings and interpretations of the followers of what one could call "the original Buddhist teachings" (which we have almost no chance to know what they really were). Buddhism is really that : a bunch of different and sometimes contradictory schisms that each show the particular biases of the members of each schism. However, being aware that the goal of Buddhism should not depend on the means to attain it, one should use his intelligence to determine what statement is due to the misbeliefs or assumptions of each schism to understand its purpose. Don't think that consistency is a good criterion to judge philosophy, scholarly accounts rely on scientific beliefs of consistency and logical thinking. Philosophy transcends such petty intellectual biases modern scientific thinking takes as true.

These two volumes coupled with the volumes edited by Bhikkhu Boddhi (Middle-length, long and connected discourses of the Buddha published by Wisdom books) will provide you with everything you need to undertand what Buddhism is about. Do not let scholars prevent your heart and soul to feel what the Buddhist teachings can provide.

Noble Ross Reat's 'Buddhism: A History' sheds new light on old theories of connections between Mahayana and Hinduism, the emergence of Mahayana philosophy as a reaction to Nikaya Buddhist philosophies, the importance of Nikaya Buddhism as the fundament of later (Mahayana) development, and the large cultural framework wherein Buddhism evolved to its present from. The emphasis and relativation of Mahayana in historical and philosophical context makes its importance brittle. He has a clear style, good argumentation, terrific insight and a no-nonsense approach. The rich text, unfortunately, is so inviting that one would wish for a larger elaboration and more Pali or Sanksrit terminology. Essential reading for advanced afficionados.

The development of the various schools and sects is treated in great detail. The philosophical bases of the different versions of Buddhism are compared and contrasted. It's also a good introduction to Asian history in general. Each country or region has its own chapter. I thought the emphasis given to the politicization of Buddhism and its importance in the emergence of the national identity of the various Asian peoples was especially good. I also learned how Buddhism greatly enriched Taoism, Confucianism, and Hinduism.

My kind of book--Scholarly, humane, beautifully written, all-encompassing, precise, concise. Starting from the life of the Buddha, and describing the development of Buddhist thought as it spread from country to country, and describing Buddhism's part in Asian history, I was amazed by its completeness and intelligence.