Download or read book Buddhism and Politics in Twentieth-century Asia written by Ian Christopher Harris and published by Burns & Oates. This book was released on 1999 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It has become customary for Westerners to view Buddhism as an otherworldly and introspective religion. By examining the important issues of left-right divisions in the monastic order, the rise of organized lay movements and Buddhist social activism, as well as explicitly Buddhist-inspired political activity, this volume seeks to demonstrate that the emphasis on meditation and mental training is only one strand in this richly complex world-historical tradition."--BOOK JACKET.