With a history spanning more than two and a half millenia and over 300 million adherents worldwide, Buddhism is one of humankind's most interesting and populous religions. This book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding Buddhism as a historically compelling religion. Because the study of Buddhism is a difficult task, including so many varied cultures, this volume seeks to assist the reader by providing a carefully designed pronunciation guide to Buddhist canonical languages, an overview of the Buddhist scriptures preserved in Pali, Chinese, and Tibetan, a chronology of Buddhist history, a map of the Buddhist world, and an extensive introduction to the history, doctrine, and community life of the religion.