While "Buddhist Thought 2: Analysis of Existence " introduced in the previous article explained Abhidharma, the pinnacle of Buddhist philosophy in Theravada Buddhism (or more precisely, Theravada Buddhism), this work, "Buddhist Thought 4: Recognition and Transcendence " is a recommended reference book on the philosophy of wisdom, considered the pinnacle of Mahayana Buddhist thought. The book is a highly recommended reference book on the highest level of Mahayana Buddhist thought.

In this book, we will first look at what materialism is in the first place and from what historical aspect it has emerged. For us readers, it would be too strict to start with an esoteric idea. Therefore, this book is an introductory book, so we will start by looking at the process of its formation rather than the esoteric philosophy of materialism and get a rough overall picture of it. This was very helpful to read.

This book, "Buddhist Thought 2: Analysis of Existence (Abhidharma)" is the second volume in the "Buddhist Thought Series. This series has long been a favorite bestseller as an introduction to Buddhist thought, and my Buddhist studies professor recommends this series.

The theme of this book is Abhidharma, which is a huge obstacle not only for general readers but also for us monks. Although the image of "Abhidharma = difficult and complicated" has already been created, you will learn in this book how significant this Buddhist idea of Abhidharma is for the study of Mahayana Buddhism as well.

I knew the term Mahayana Buddhism, and I knew that Japan was a Mahayana Buddhist country, but I had no idea what this Mahayana Buddhism was all about. But I had no idea what this Mahayana Buddhism was all about.
This is not only true for general readers, but in fact, many monks themselves may feel the same way.
As monks, we too learn the basics of Buddhism, but we tend to focus on studying the doctrines of our own sect.
Of course, I have learned what Mahayana Buddhism is and the characteristics of the major Japanese sects, but to be honest, it is difficult to go into the details of the process of its formation, scriptures, and doctrines.
In this aspect, this book is a very significant commentary for monks of all sects.

As the title of this book suggests, "What is ordination? Some may get the impression from the introduction that this book sounds difficult, but rest assured, it is not. The narrative of Dr. Kan Sasaki is very easy to understand and read.

The book also discusses the uniqueness of such Japanese Buddhism. After all, it is only by comparing the two that we can see what we can see. The book is also very stimulating because it provides a detailed look at the actual conditions of life in early Buddhism in India and Sri Lanka.