The essays in the volume are in honour of Prof. N. H. Samtani, an Indian scholar of international fame in Buddhist studies. The contributions by scholars from India and abroad deal with aspects of teaching and liberation in Buddhist thought, examining the Buddhist canon in detail and many works by Buddhist scholars in the past. They clarify the differences between the sects of Buddhism: the Hinayana, Sravakayana and Theravada or Southern Buddhism. They refer to specific texts to explain the concepts of Buddhism and different thought traditions in it.

This exposition includes a discussion on the sect affiliation of the Arthavinishchaya-nibandhana and the concept of selflessness of persons in the Madhyamakavatarabhashya especially with reference to Chandrakirti's introduction to it. An interesting article examines the importance of the concept of 'suffering' in Buddhism as as depicted in the Pali Nikaya literature and in the Agama literature available in Chinese translation. The articles include an in-depth exposition on the famous Buddhist scholar of yore, Nagarjuna's Suhrllekha and discussion of a short sutra on the twenty-two faculties (indriya) based on a full citation in Shamathadeva's Upayika-tika on the Abhidharma-koshabhashya, a work preserved only in Tibetan.

The book is bound to interest scholars of religious studies in general and of Buddhist studies in particular.

The editors of the volume are experts in Buddhist studies. Prof. Lalji 'Shravek' is Prof of Pali in the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He is a specialist in Abhidharma studies. Charles Willenen is rector of the International Buddhist College, Thailand.