Saher describes this book as "an enlarged anthology of George Grimm's Works on Buddhist Philosophy and Metaphysics." It follows the example of Grimm (1868-1945), the German jurist and orientalist, in interpreting Buddhist doctrine to show its harmony with the traditions of Upanisads and Vedanta. Central to Grimm's, and Saher's, position is a restatement of the anatta idea: "The Buddha went to great
pains to explain what a man was not, .. . but (he) left the 'Self' which, most obviously, existed, being present in some sense or other. This is the literal meaning of anatta, which does not mean "not a Self," but "not my Self," and so presupposes the same Self" (p. 68).
The book should not be read as a work of textual criticism or of historical investigation, but as an example of the encounter between Europeans and Asian thought. Perhaps it might be read in the light of discussions of the absolute in Buddhism earlier in this century, in which Dhamma was thought to be analogous or equated with atta or Brahman.
While Saher follows the pattern of Grimm's interpretations, the book is by no means an anthology of Grimm's writings; Grimm's works are cited a total of five times. Unfortunately, Saher has also adopted Grimm's practice of imprecise annotation of quotations, making reference to sources often impossible.
The volume also contains a brief bibliography of George Grimm, which, despite its appellation, is not a listing of his "Complete Works."
CHARLES HALLISEY UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Review by: Charles Hallisey
Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 101, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 1981), p. 506
Published by: American Oriental Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/601363 .
The Conquest of Suffering. By P. J. SAHER. Pp. xvi + 172.
Delhi: MOTILAL BARNASIDASS. 1977. Rs. 50.00.
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