Early History of the Spread of Buddhism and the Buddhist Schools

Book excerpt: Ref: CosmoMr. Dutt's work is a compendium where all information connected with the progress of Buddha's work is available in a well-ordered form. Such a work, the details of which have been laboriously collected from the Buddhist scriptures and arranged in such a way as to enable one to see the large masses of details about Buddha's career in their logical and chronological relations, has certainly a great value not only for scholars but for ordinary readers interested in the history of the spread of Buddhism. This generally is the matter that forms the first part of this treatise. The second part constitutes of the details delineating the four principal schools of Buddhism including resumes of their doctrines. The portions of the sketches bearing on the origin, development, and activities of the schools have been drawn by Mr. Dutt for the first time from the existing material The book remains a major contribution to the proper study and understanding of the Buddhist religion.