Wm. Theodore de Bary (1919–2017)

A history of buddhism complemented with many translated texts from the Indian, Chinese and Japanese buddhist schools. Some of these religious texts probably lose a part of their meaning in translation, but they still provide a different approach to the history of buddhism than mere historical narrative does. However, the depth of the material indicates to me that this book was intended primarily for serious students of buddhism, it's certainly not an introductory book.

This is an essential book for anyone who is studying the Japanese culture and wants to understand their way of thinking. It contains cultural primary documents that have been translated into English. The author early on states that this book is best read after gaining initial knowledge of Japan's history, and I recommend that, too! There are some concepts and important figures that may be confusing to people who pick this up as one of their first Japanese history texts.
(Just to note, I am show more reviewing the '56 copy of the book, and might change this review when I obtain the newer version. I'm curious what they changed and/or added in!)

The author moves along chronologically and thematically, so oftentimes all Buddhist content is grouped together as is the political and Shinto entries. I haven't made up my mind whether there is a better way of arranging the contents of the book, but that does mean that sometimes reading one section all the way through is a slog. For example, the author covered all of the new Buddhist sects in the Kamakura period in one go... That was quite a lot to read for someone who is not necessarily interested in the religious side of a culture so much. For those like me who are more interested in artistic production, reading an art history textbook or regular book might be better, as de Barry only slightly touches on artistic traditions.

Another minor but important addition would be to add a timeline. This book is intended for those who already have some sort of introduction to Japanese history, but nevertheless, a visual guide for where in time a section is would have been helpful. Along the same lines, chronological life and death dates next to authors' names would have been excellent. In my 1956 copy, there were general dates for the chapter, but not for an author, or when their works were written. Yes, sometimes de Barry mentioned the dates in the bulk of introductory paragraphs, but I am a strong proponent of easy-to-find reference materials in favor of integrating them into paragraphs.

Overall, this book is heavy on primary text; naturally, de Barry introduces the important figures before the figures' writings, but de Barry does not delve into an author's background too much. Aside from very important figures, I had to additionally look up a persona in order to understand them and their contribution to Japanese history. If you go into this book with the expectation that befits an introductory text, then I imagine you'll have an excellent time reading this book. If you are more advanced in Japanese Studies, I think this will serve as a good refresher or reference point but for finer details, it would be better off to consult an academic source or text that has a narrower focus. In the end, I enjoyed de Barry's comprehensiveness and enjoyable writing style. 'The Sources of Japanese Tradition: Volume I' has space reserved on my bookshelf already! Now, onto Volume II. show less

Huge book; short review.

Voluminous, informed ... but kinda boring: how was all that made so ... boring? Good passages, but overall just too much work. Look at how many other reviewers gave up on "A Distant Mirror" (I finished)

Structurally, the problem is that no real superstructure was presented, just a long disconnected series of follies, deaths & betrothments. One hundred years war, the plague shouldn't be boring, but successfully, they were.

5 stars for content
2 stars for interest, reader show more captivation
3 stars for me. show less

This is a good historical overview of Buddhist thought, from its origin and how it evolved subsequently in India, China and Japan. The editors mainly quote from the primary sources of the important and influential Buddhist writings while giving their historical and social context. This is an accessible and good starting point and reference material if you are interested in studying Buddhism.