📘 About this eBook

Author:
➡️ Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki (1870 – 1966)
A Japanese scholar, philosopher, and Buddhist monk best known for bringing Zen Buddhism and Mahāyāna thought to Western readers in the early 20th century. His clear, scholarly style helped make Buddhist ideas accessible to English speakers.

📖 Title:

Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism
(Alternate title: Outlines of Mahâyâna Buddhism — older spelling)

This book is an introduction to Mahāyāna Buddhism, one of the two main branches of Buddhism (the other being Theravāda). Suzuki explains its philosophy, psychology, and cosmology, including key ideas like:

• The Bodhisattva ideal (striving for enlightenment for the sake of all beings),

• Śūnyatā (emptiness),

• Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature in all beings), and

• The distinction between relative and absolute truth.

It’s written for a Western academic audience, so the language can be philosophical and a bit formal.

🏛️ Publication Details

• Original Publication: Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company, 1908
  Open Court was an American publisher specializing in philosophy and comparative religion, making Suzuki’s book one of the first Western publications on Mahāyāna Buddhism.

• Credits: An anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer — The text was digitized and proofread by a volunteer for free public access.

📚 Reading Level:

➡️ Reading ease score: 56.7 (10th–12th grade)
This means the text requires some advanced vocabulary and conceptual understanding, typical for readers familiar with philosophy or religious studies.

🗂️ Library Classification (LoC Class):

BQ — Buddhism
This is the official Library of Congress code for books about Buddhist doctrine, history, and philosophy.

🌏 Subjects:

• Mahāyāna Buddhism — Doctrines
  The book explains the major teachings and metaphysical structure of Mahāyāna thought — a path emphasizing universal compassion and the potential for enlightenment in all beings.

🧾 Technical Details

• Category: Text — A written eBook (no illustrations or multimedia).

• EBook-No.: 75283 — The unique Project Gutenberg identifier.

• Release Date: February 3, 2025 — The date the digital version became publicly available.