Review

Reviewed Work(s): The Path of the Buddha by Kenneth W. Morgan

Review by: Winston L. King
Source: Journal of Bible and Religion, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Apr., 1957), pp. 134+136
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1457669
Accessed: 18-03-2017 12:59 UTC

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 134 BOOK REVIEWS

such as the universities

ent, since each author at Beirut
is an "official" repre-
has had a sentative ofcultural
quickening his religion. Most sketches
effect were
proportions toof the number
necessity generalized of
and externalized,
Even the political awakening
rather than of
being internal spiritual portraits. t
owes much to this force.
Particularly in the
accounts of Japanese
The final chapter (9)
Buddhism, due to theis
numberon "Mi
of sects to be
and World Peace." The author states that dealt with, there is a plethora of names,
formal doctrinal distinctions, and historical
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism "once acted
in unison." Then he adds Buddhism and framework. Among all the accounts there
hints that if these four religions will redis-
was some repetitious detail both in history
cover what is common to all and work to- and doctrinal exposition. This I regard as
an editorial limitation. Were the right ques-
gether for world peace "in a state of friendly
yet fierce tension" with each other, then
tions put to the authors ? Did they see each
world peace will be won. other's work before their final writing?
Perhaps so. But how get them to do it ? On the whole I found the Theravidin
Of course the hard question requires a hard
pieces better, probably because the Mahayvn-
answer. A stimulating and informative little
ists had to cover a wider range of history, di-
verse practices, and diffuse doctrine. In
book. Useful for undergraduates; bibliogra-
phy appended. general the disagreements between the tw
W. F. STINESPRING groups were played down. While this leaves
Duke University the Westerner less sure of the quality and
quantity of these differences, it is undoubt
edly a genuine expression of the Buddhist
FAR EAST spirit of tolerance.
Some interesting points raise themselves.
The Path of the Buddha. KENNETH W.does not need the rebirth idea for
If Karma
MORGAN, Editor. New York: Ronald
its own (Karma's) functioning (p. 157)
Press, 1956. vii + 419 pages. $5.00.
what does Karma truly mean? And what
This volume is a companion to The Reli-then is the Buddhist rationale of the "prob-
gion of the Hindus by the same editor and lem
is of evil"? Do the writers who relate
an "inside" view written by eminent Bud-miracle stories do so with tongue-in-cheek,
dhists from India, Burma, Ceylon, Tibet, or accept them seriously even while ex-
and Japan. It includes both general andpounding a sophisticated philosophy of the
specific accounts of the historical career of"emptiness" of all phenomena? (Particu-
Buddhism in all these countries, expositionslarly was this contrast evident in the Tibetan
of the Theravidin and Mahdyvna interpre- defense of miraculous Tantric powers and
tations, and an excellent final chapter on the
philosophical Mahaiyvna doctrine side by
unity and diversity within Buddhism. Oneside.) And is the Buddhist any more suc-
cannot well argue against the competence of cessful in making his distinction between
the contributors. Most of the chapters are"reverence" for images and relics, and "wor-
quite adequate performances of the task set ship," than the Roman Catholic ?
them; and some very interesting out-of-the- I would not choose this book as my only
way materials are presented. book on Buddhism for Western readers, nor
The questions I would raise relate to theas a text for a course. It halts somewhat un-
inherent limitations of this type of approach easily between a manual for the uninitiated
and to the editorial arrangement. Something
and exposition for the initiate. But as a
of the best-foot-forward attitude is here pres-
source-book of contemporary and authentic

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 136 BOOK REVIEWS

complete and
Buddhist expression freedom of
an inquiry in the field.
all-over
cal account of Buddhism,
When government. isit is of
supported gre
by religious
dogma, it isand
to the general reader dangerous to examine the dogma
teacher.
too L.
WINSTON closely.
KINGWith the coming of complete
Grinnell College religious freedom at the end of World War
II, there is now complete liberty to scrutinize
the religious beliefs of that and every other
Japanese Religion
era. in the Meiji Er
piled and editedThe by plan KISHIMOTo
of the book is to discus H
Translated andShinto,
adapted
the nationalbyFaith,JOHN
then Bud
HOWES. Tokyo: and Obunsha,
finally Christianity. It1956.
is not a litt
377 pages. No price
prising togiven.
note that Christianity oc
about one hundred
The Centenary Cultural thirty-six page
Council of
is, with the financial help
dhism sixty-eight of
pages and the J
Shinto six
pages. There is
government, compiling a cultural hi an introductory cha
modern Japan, thatsome thirty pages on religion
is, since the op dur
Japan to the west Tokugawa
with era, and a coming
the concluding sect
modore Perry. This runs
four chapters to eight
on Religion and Social
opment. The
umes in the Japanese various sections
original. were w
Last
volume on Japanese Literature
by scholars who are specialistsin t
in the
Era was published.tive fields of Shinto, Buddhismoth
Presumably and
umes of the seriestianity,
will but eventually
none is a specialist inap
English and as thecovered. There are hopes,
Council none as yet. "cIt
as a first
ute to understanding attempt,
both and a laudable
within Ja
abroad." The volume under
write a religious review,
history of the peri
ond to appear in editor
English,
and compiler is, as the
is a professor in th
tor asserts in hisversity
preface,
of Tokyo and not so
head of themuDepar
of Religious
eral translation as Studies. He is a Harvard
an adaptation for
readers who might
andhave read
has lectured or studie
at Harvard, the Uni
western-written history of
of Chicago and Japanese
at Stanford h
Universit
but little other specialized
Just what is the Meiji mater
Era? Nowher
original was supposed to
I recall does thebe
datewritten
of the period a
dergraduates studying
From thetheir nation's
translator's h
preface the im
and the Council
wanted the
is easily gotten that translati
the book purpo
useful as a source for
cover undergraduat
the near century since the ope
papers or "as a text
Japan. for graduate
The Meiji era ends beforestt
working more specifically in World
ginning of the first the War
field
(186
Far East." The average reader doesn't know this
The whole project is a most worthy one,The story of the attempt to restore S
and deserves to be widely known. As farand as make it a State religion is a fasc
religion is concerned, it is good to have pe-
one, as it can be told now with greate
riod studies made by scholars on the field.dom than would have been possible
And this was a period which had not been the disestablishment of Shinto. The s
studied as much as earlier periods, partly Christianity in the period presents n
perhaps because it was too recent, but also
sight as it is told from the angle of
not the West.
partly because religion and government were
too closely bound up together to permit of Altogether it is a most welcome addition to

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