Most Western treatments of Buddhism are historical, tracing in detail the chronology of Buddhism’s emergence and growth and its division into dozens of competing schools. This lucid and elegant introduction to Buddhism takes a non-historical approach, one that is more faithful to the Buddhist tradition itself. Author Roger Corless presents and explains Buddhist teachings and practices in light of events in the life of Buddha. He examines the mythologized version of Buddha’s life and the differing descriptions of Buddha’s life given by his followers. In the major section of the book he considers the matter of greatest importance to modern readers–how the Buddha’s life, in all its descriptions, may be repeated by each individual practitioner.