Buddhism Pathfinder

BUDDHISM: A PATHFINDER

This pathfinder lists encyclopedias, dictionaries, books, periodical indexes, and web resources that directly address topics related to Buddhism or include Buddhism within their scope. The intended audience for the pathfinder is undergraduate college and university students, though the pathfinder might also be useful for high school students and members of the general public seeking to answer factual questions about Buddhism or pursuing open-ended research on Buddhism.

The sources listed on the pathfinder are organized to address varying research needs. The pathfinder lists subject-specific encyclopedias providing brief overviews of the tradition. A list of outstanding surveys of Buddhism provide more detailed (yet still introductory-level) discussion of the subject. The pathfinder identifies specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias suitable for answering short, factual questions about Buddhism. The pathfinder explicitly identifies electronically available sources (including several ebooks) in bracketed notations following an item's title. The pathfinder also identifies primary source materials, as a guide for students whose assignments require the inclusion of primary sources.

REFERENCE WORKS: RELIGIOUS STUDIES / GENERAL REFERENCE

(These sources contain brief articles on Buddhist-related topics and/or definitions of Buddhist terminology. They may be useful in identifying a research topic or answering brief, factual questions about Buddhism.)

The Brill Dictionary of Religion. Kocku von Stuckrad, ed. Boston: Brill Academic, 2006.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1998.
Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd edition [print; electronic version available through Gale Virtual Reference Library]. Lindsay Jones, ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA/Gale Group, 2005.
The HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion. Jonathan Z. Smith, William Scott Green, and Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices [print; electronic version available through Gale Virtual Reference Library.]. Thomas Riggs, Ed. Detroit: Gale, 2006.

REFERENCE WORKS: BUDDHISM

(Compared to the items above, these sources contain more comprehensive and detailed coverage of Buddhist-related topics. They may be useful in identifying a research topic, providing concise information about a Buddhist doctrine, term, significant historical figure, practice, etc, and/or answering brief, factual questions about Buddhism.)

Dictionary of Buddhism. Damien Keown. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Encyclopedia of Buddhism. Robert E. Buswell Jr., ed. New York, NY: Macmillan Reference USA/Gale Group, 2004.

BOOKS ABOUT BUDDHISM: OVERVIEWS OF BUDDHIST HISTORY, DOCTRINE, AND PRACTICE

(These sources contain introductory discussions of topics related to Buddhist history, doctrines, practices, and philosophical schools and movements.)

Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction [print; NetLibrary]. Damien Keown. Oxford [UK]; New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Buddhism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. Stephen C. Berkwitz, ed. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006.
Buddhist Thought: Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition [print; ebrary]. Paul Williams, with Anthony Tribe. New York, NY: Routledge, 2000.
The Foundations of Buddhism [print; NetLibrary]. Rupert Gethin. Oxford [UK]; New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History, and Practices. Peter Harvey. Cambridge [UK]: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. John Powers. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1995.
Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations. Paul Williams. London; New York: Routledge, 1989.
The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to its History and Teachings. Donald S. Lopez. New York, NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001.

BUDDHIST TEXTS (PRIMARY SOURCES IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB)

Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism
Buddhist Scriptures. Donald S. Lopez, London, UK: Penguin Classics, 2004.
Internet Sacred Text Archive: Buddhism
A Modern Buddhist Bible: Essential Readings from East and West. Donald S. Lopez. Boston, MA: Beacon Press 2002.
Original Buddhist Sources: A Reader. Carl Olson. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 2005.

ARTICLE INDEXES AND DATABASES: RELIGIOUS STUDIES

ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials [electronic]
Religion Index One. Periodicals. [print]
Religion Index Two. Multi-Author Works. [print]
Religion & Philosophy Collection [electronic]

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE INDEXES AND DATABASES: HUMANITIES / GENERAL