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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Challenging Book, 14 Jan 2002
By A Customer
This is a first class book for all Buddhists who feel the need to relate the Buddhist way of life to the world in which we live over and above the particular, individual insights the Way offers to each of us (which, of course is valuable). The range Brazier covers shows how Buddhism is a family of ideas and practices with big differences, in fact contradictions, between the members of the family. Because of Brazier's open acknowledgement and treatment of these differences, I think, The New Buddhism would also be of interest to non-Buddhists who, having experienced first-hand those differences, are tempted to caste the whole Buddhist way into the fire as 'sophistry and illusion' (no pun intended). Each Buddhist tradition, historically and culturally, has been dependant on the conditions of that time and place. Brazier raises the question of what Buddhism could mean (he may say 'ought' to mean, I don't know) in our time and place. Of course, there is no way anyone can know what the Buddha actually said, he never wrote anything himself and what comes down to us is interpretation, exposition and, no doubt, sheer fabrication. But it is this challenge to place Buddhism in our time and place which makes this book controversial. The world may be suffering and illusion and yet compassion and wisdom promotes the need to address the conditions and consequences that obtain. This is the strength of the book. Brazier achieves this by questioning Buddhist beliefs and looking for a compassionate way through. The problem is that Buddhists are going to have to think about the issues raised and not respond intolerantly to what is a very real and important challenge to their accepted beliefs and practices. However, despite his easy style of writing, Brazier's uncritical stress to get back to some sort of original Buddhism is one of the things which I think fails the book along with a few bits of silliness (utopian, in this case) which tends to sneak its way into most Buddhist books - but so what? Any way of life carries with it a responsibility - as has been so clearly highlighted recently by the scandalous behaviour of Zen exposed in 'Zen at War' by Brian Victoria - and Brazier is entitled to dream a bit ... as are we all
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