The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism
Buddhism, a term of relatively recent origin, refers to a pan-Asian religious tradition that dates back more than 2,500 years and encompasses much geographical, doctrinal, and linguistic diversity. As the most comprehensive collection of discrete Buddhist terms available, this resource is an outstanding addition to available reference sources.   The more than 5,000 entries treat individuals, sacred texts, concepts, schools, deities, and important geographical locations. Brief biographical entries for a selection of important Buddhologists are also included. A few maps and some additional reference tools are included to aid the reader. A listing of historical periods in India, China, Korea, and Japan allows the user to quickly see the Edo period in Japan occurred during the Choson period in Korea. A time line of Buddhism presents important events from across the Buddhist world. Nearly 150 pages are devoted to cross-references from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Pali, Sanskrit, and Tibetan terms to the form used for the entry. Finally, selected numerical lists from the Buddhist traditions, such as the 2 means of knowledge and the 32 marks of a great man, are provided.   Since this work is a dictionary, it lacks entries that, say, introduce Buddhism in a particular country or describe Buddhist monasticism generally. Two other sources, both titled Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Macmillan, 2004; Routledge, 2007), fit that bill. The Macmillan set also addresses the intersection of Buddhism with other religious traditions, while the Routledge volume includes content about the academic study of and Western approaches to Buddhism. Although scholarly in its accent and geared to the specialist reader, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism nicely complements these other two works. Collectively, they form an excellent trio of reference sources. Highly recommended for theological, academic, and large public libraries. --Christopher McConnell