William Stoddart's An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism presents a beautifully illustrated book that explains the basics of Buddhism. Stoddart was born in southern Scotland in 1925. He studied language and later earned a medical degree. He has translated many works into English and was assistant editor to the British journal Studies in Comparative Religion. Soddart is considered one of the most important writers on Perennial Philosophy.

An Illustrated Outline of Buddhismstarts with the very basics of what is religion, what is orthodoxy, and where does Buddhism stand with the other religions of the world. Stoddart makes the comparison that Buddhism rose from Hinduism as Christianity rose from Judaism. Buddhism is a universal religion like Christianity and Islam. It willing takes converts, whereas, for the most part, Hinduism and Judaism are something that you are born into.

A very good history of the Buddha's life is given and the Four Nobel Truths and The Eight Fold Path, and the Five Precepts are explained. Buddha's teachings became the Dharma or The Law. From here the book goes on to give a short biography of some early Buddhist figures. Buddhist art is also covered and there are plenty of illustrations in the chapter and throughout the book to show it. From cover to cover the illustrations are amazing.

Basic Buddhist teaching are explained and clarified. Comparisons with other religions are made. Where most religions have a supreme being, Buddhism has a supreme state: Nirvana. Also the divisions and and historical spread of Buddhism are covered. The shortness of my review should not be considered a negative, but just the opposite. An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism is an excellent introduction to Buddhism. ( )

Disclaimer: I received this book free from World Wisdom in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation.

As a Unitarian Universalist, I have always been fascinated with the various religions and spiritualities of the world. Of course, most people think they know what Buddhism is since it is a very prevalent religion. However, there were many little nuances that I never knew about. I knew the basics and that is about all.

This book takes a better look at what Buddhism is and where it comes from. Not only that, but the artwork in this book is absolutely breath taking.

One of the great things is that before delving into what exactly Buddhism is, the author takes the time to explain the similarities and differences between Buddhism and the other major religions of the World.

Next, the author takes us through the life of Siddhartha Guatama. He is the one that they call Buddha. Buddha means "enlightened" or "awakened". We follow Siddhartha's journey towards his awakening. He then explains to us the basic tenets of Buddhism. And introduces us to the various figures that play an important role in Buddhism.

If you have ever wanted to know more about the Buddhist religion, then this book will give you lots of great details. ( )