Review: Histoire du Bouddhisme Indien des Origines à l'ère Saka

Summary

In this review, N. Dutt evaluates Étienne Lamotte’s monumental French work, ‘Histoire du Bouddhisme Indien des Origines à l’ère Śaka’ (Louvain 1958), which spans over 860 pages and includes thirty plates, seven plans and five maps. Lamotte’s study, translated as ‘History of Indian Buddhism from its origins to the Śaka era,’ aims to synthesise the vast body of material on early Buddhism into a coherent narrative. Dutt notes that Lamotte covers not only the life and teachings of the Buddha but also the historical evolution of Buddhism up to the start of the Common Era. The topics treated include the political history of the period, legends and traditions from Indian and Chinese sources, the expansion of Buddhism beyond India, its encounters with foreign rulers, archaeological evidence, the formation of sects and their doctrines, the spread of Buddhist literature in various languages, and philosophical and psychological aspects of the tradition. Dutt praises Lamotte’s ability to organise such diverse material in a clear, concise and engaging style. He highlights the usefulness of the extensive bibliographical notes and the author’s mastery of primary sources in Pāli, Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan. The review points out that the book will be invaluable for young scholars seeking orientation in the complex field of Buddhist studies. Dutt does note one regret: Lamotte confines himself to the pre‑Śaka period, leaving the post‑Śaka development of Buddhism unexplored. He expresses hope that the author will produce a continuation covering the early centuries of the Common Era and the rise of Mahāyāna schools. Overall, Dutt considers the book a magnum opus that will serve as a standard reference and that exemplifies the depth of scholarship possible when linguistic and archaeological sources are combined.