"Over the course of twenty-five centuries, Buddhism spread from its place of origin in northern India to become a global tradition of remarkable breadth, depth, and richness. In this ambitious book, Donald S. Lopez Jr. draws on the latest scholarship to construct a detailed and innovative history of Buddhism--not just as a chronology through the centuries or as geographic movement across a map, but as a dense matrix of interconnections. Beginning with the life and teachings of the Buddha, Lopez shows how a set of evolving ideas and practices traveled north and east to China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Tibet, south and southeast to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia, and finally westward to Europe and the Americas. He provides insights on questions that Buddhism has asked and answered in different times and different places--about apocalypse, art, identity, immortality, law, nation, persecution, philosophy, science, sex, war, and writing. Vast in its erudition and expansive in its vision, this is the most complete single volume history of Buddhism in its full historical and geographical range." -- Provided by publisher.

Buddhism: A Global History by Donald S. Lopez Jr. offers a comprehensive account of Buddhism's journey across the world over 2,500 years, from its origins in northern India to its current global presence. The book explores Buddhism not only as a chronological or geographical movement but as a network of interconnected ideas and practices. Lopez traces the spread of Buddhism across various regions, including China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Tibet, Southeast Asia, and eventually to Europe and the Americas. The author examines the diverse ways Buddhism has addressed a range of topics such as philosophy, identity, law, art, science, and more, across different cultures and eras. With its broad scope and scholarly approach, this book offers a detailed overview of Buddhism's historical development and global influence.