Buddhism: Its History and Literature

Overview

T.W. Rhys Davids’ Buddhism: Its History and Literature (1926) represents the culmination of his life’s pioneering work establishing Buddhist studies as a serious Western academic discipline. This comprehensive overview synthesizes Rhys Davids’ decades of Pali scholarship, providing accessible yet authoritative introduction to Buddhist history, doctrine, literature, and cultural impact—serving a generation of scholars and general readers encountering Buddhism before it became widely studied in the West.

The work traces Buddhism from its origins in 6th-century BCE India through its transformation into a pan-Asian religious civilization, combining historical narrative with analysis of canonical literatures, philosophical systems, and cultural adaptations. Rhys Davids’ approach privileges Pali sources as closest to “original Buddhism,” while acknowledging Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna developments—a perspective reflecting both his Pali Text Society work and early 20th-century assumptions about religious “evolution.”

Published posthumously (Rhys Davids died in 1922), the work consolidates his scholarly legacy: founder of the Pali Text Society (1881), translator of major Pali texts, creator of the first Pali-English dictionary, and arguably the most influential Western Buddhist scholar of his era.

About T.W. Rhys Davids (1843-1922)

Thomas William Rhys Davids’ career revolutionized Western understanding of Buddhism. Born in England, he joined Ceylon Civil Service (1866-1872), where encountering Buddhism transformed his life trajectory. Learning Pali from Sri Lankan monks, he recognized its importance for understanding early Buddhism—then neglected in European scholarship favoring Sanskrit Mahāyāna texts.

Returning to Britain, Rhys Davids founded the Pali Text Society to publish critical editions and translations of Theravāda canonical literature. As Professor of Pali at University College London, he trained the first generation of Western Pali scholars. His prodigious output included: translations of Dīgha Nikāya, portions of other Nikāyas, Milinda-pañha; the Pali-English Dictionary (with William Stede); Buddhist India (1903); and numerous articles establishing Buddhism’s historical and doctrinal foundations.

Rhys Davids approached Buddhism with Victorian rationalist sympathies—emphasizing its philosophical and ethical dimensions while downplaying “superstitious” elements. This perspective, though now recognized as partial, enabled Buddhism’s serious reception in skeptical Western intellectual circles.

Historical Overview

The Buddha’s Life and Times

Rhys Davids reconstructs the historical Buddha (ca. 563-483 BCE, though dates debated) within the context of 6th-century BCE India’s intellectual ferment—the śramaṇa movement challenging Brahmanical orthodoxy. He portrays the Buddha as rational reformer addressing spiritual and social problems through psychological insight rather than metaphysical speculation.

The account covers: the Bodhisattva’s princely youth; renunciation and ascetic practices; enlightenment under the Bodhi tree; first sermon at Sarnath; forty-five years of teaching; establishment of the monastic saṅgha; parinirvāṇa at Kushinagar.

Early Buddhist Community

The work traces the saṅgha’s development: monastic rules (Vinaya) evolution; lay supporter relationships; women’s ordination; early councils (Rājagṛha, Vaiśālī) codifying teachings and resolving disputes; sectarian divisions producing eighteen schools.

Theravāda Tradition

Extensive coverage of Theravāda Buddhism’s preservation in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia: Mahinda’s 3rd-century BCE mission to Sri Lanka; Pali canon’s written codification (1st century BCE); Buddhaghosa’s 5th-century CE commentaries; development in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos.

Mahāyāna Development

While less enthusiastic about later developments, Rhys Davids acknowledges Mahāyāna’s historical importance: bodhisattva ideal; devotional practices; philosophical schools (Mādhyamaka, Yogācāra); spread through Central Asia to China, Korea, Japan; major texts (Prajñā-pāramitā sūtras, Lotus Sūtra, Pure Land scriptures).

Geographical Expansion

Charts Buddhism’s spread: Aśoka’s patronage and missionary activities; Silk Road transmission to Central Asia and China; adaptation to Chinese culture and synthesis with Daoism/Confucianism; development of distinct Japanese schools (Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren); Tibetan Buddhism’s unique synthesis; decline in India from 7th century onward.

Buddhist Literature

Pali Canon Structure

Detailed explanation of Tipiṭaka (“Three Baskets”):

Vinaya Piṭaka: Monastic discipline—rules for monks/nuns, ordination procedures, community governance.

Sutta Piṭaka: Discourses attributed to the Buddha, organized into five Nikāyas:

• Dīgha (Long Discourses)
• Majjhima (Middle-Length Discourses)
• Saṃyutta (Connected Discourses)
• Aṅguttara (Numerical Discourses)
• Khuddaka (Minor Collection—including Dhammapada, Jātaka tales, Theragāthā/Therīgāthā poems)

Abhidhamma Piṭaka: Philosophical analysis of mental phenomena, systematic psychology, phenomenology.

Sanskrit Mahāyāna Literature

Survey of major Sanskrit Buddhist texts: Prajñā-pāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom) literature; Saddharmapuṇḍarīka (Lotus Sūtra); Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra; Avatamsaka Sūtra; philosophical treatises by Nāgārjuna, Asaṅga, Vasubandhu.

Chinese and Tibetan Canons

Brief overview of massive Chinese Tripiṭaka and Tibetan Kangyur/Tengyur collections preserving texts lost in Sanskrit.

Core Doctrines

Rhys Davids explicates fundamental Buddhist teachings:

Four Noble Truths: Suffering’s reality, its origin in craving, its cessation’s possibility, the path to cessation.

Eightfold Path: Right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration.

Dependent Origination: Twelve-link chain showing how ignorance produces suffering and rebirth.

Three Marks of Existence: Impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), non-self (anattā).

Nirvāṇa: Liberation from suffering and rebirth cycle through extinguishing craving and ignorance.

Karma and Rebirth: Ethical causation producing future consequences and rebirth in various realms.

Buddhist Philosophy

Analysis of major philosophical schools:

Theravāda Abhidhamma: Phenomenological analysis reducing experience to momentary mental and physical phenomena (dhammas).

Mādhyamaka: Nāgārjuna’s philosophy of emptiness (śūnyatā)—all phenomena lack inherent existence.

Yogācāra: Mind-only idealism—external world as mental construction; store-consciousness (ālayavijñāna) theory.

Practice and Ethics

Overview of Buddhist practice: meditation (samatha and vipassanā); monastic observances; lay ethics (five precepts, generosity, merit-making); devotional practices (pūjā, pilgrimage); festivals and rituals.

Cultural Impact

Assessment of Buddhism’s influence on Asian civilizations: art and architecture (stupas, temples, sculpture, painting); literature; philosophy; social institutions; statecraft; cultural values.

Scholarly Approach

Rhys Davids’ methodology reflects early 20th-century historical-critical scholarship:

Philological Rigor: Direct engagement with Pali sources rather than relying on later interpretations.

Evolutionary Framework: Viewing Buddhism as evolving from “pure” original to later “corruptions”—a Protestant-influenced perspective now recognized as problematic.

Rationalist Sympathy: Emphasizing Buddhism’s psychological insight and ethical teaching while downplaying supernatural elements.

Comparative Method: Relating Buddhism to other Indian philosophies and world religions.

Historical Significance

This work introduced Buddhism to Western audiences when it was largely unknown outside Asia. Rhys Davids’ scholarship:

• Established Pali studies as legitimate academic field
• Made Buddhist texts accessible through translations
• Demonstrated Buddhism’s philosophical sophistication
• Influenced modernist Buddhist reform movements in Asia
• Shaped Western perceptions of Buddhism for generations

Critical Perspectives

Modern scholarship recognizes both achievements and limitations:

Contributions: Pioneering Pali philology; establishing textual foundations; demonstrating Buddhism’s intellectual depth.

Limitations: Privileging Theravāda as “original” Buddhism; Protestant bias toward scriptural authority over practice; evolutionary assumptions; insufficient attention to ritual and devotion; Orientalist frameworks.

Contemporary Buddhist studies builds on Rhys Davids’ philological foundations while incorporating anthropological approaches, Asian Buddhist perspectives, and recognition of Buddhism’s diversity.

This Digital Edition

Internet Archive preservation ensures continued access to this historically important introduction. While superseded by more recent scholarship, the work remains valuable for understanding how Western Buddhist studies developed and how Buddhism was presented to early 20th-century audiences.

How to Access

Free download from Internet Archive (University of California Libraries collection). The 250-page work provides comprehensive overview suitable for readers seeking both historical understanding and introduction to Rhys Davids’ foundational scholarship.