Paul Williams’ first point is that Mahayana Buddhism was not, at the time of its emergence, a monolithic movement. Rather, it was a collection of sometimes related and sometimes unrelated trends. In the quest for the origins of these trends, particularly interesting are texts such as the Ajitasena Sutra, where the beginnings of Mahayana ideas can be seen in what is clearly a Theravada context. Then followed the Mahayana proper: the Prajnaparamita texts and the philosophical treatises of the Madhyamika and Yogacara schools. After introducing these, Williams explores particular Mahayana ideas: the doctrine of the tathagata-garbha (loosely, “buddha-seed”), the East Asian “Flower Garland” tradition, the Lotus Sutra, the three bodies of the Buddha, the bodhisattva ideal, and the devotional forms of Buddhism centered around particular buddhas and bodhisattvas.There’s certainly a lot of intellectual meat in Williams’ book — I found the chapters on Madhyamika and Yogacara particularly challenging! — but Williams does a good job of explaining the ideas involved. Although he occasionally lapses into apologetics, I would recommend his book to anyone who wants a substantial introduction to Mahayana Buddhist thinking. As the subtitle indicates, it is not, though, intended to be an introduction to Mahayana Buddhist practice.
Paul Williams. Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations. 2d edition. London: Routledge, 2009. Paperback. 455 pages. ISBN 9780415356534. $35.95.
