Rather than being a treatise on historical Buddhism or its schools of thought, this book is centered on its main message. It would be almost impossible to condense the richness of over twenty-six centuries in which the Buddha's teachings developed almost spontaneously, but we shall attempt nevertheless to outline the spirit of these teachings. The first section of the volume begins with a reflection on the concept of emptiness and fullness in the Buddhist tradition compared with the same concept in the Hindu and Christian traditions, then continues with an ancient Buddhist legend as a contrast to the current technological civilization, and closes with a chapter dealing more specifically with the interpretation of the silence of the Buddha. The second section features a detailed study entitled The Silence of the Buddha, representing a response to the modern-day approach defined as "religious atheism", which is neither a mere contrast to all the variously surreptitious forms of theism, nor the affirmation of the non-existence of God. It is, at least in the case of Buddhism, a refined form of religiosity, purified from all hints of idolatry, extremely close to the so-called post-modern intellectual sensitivity. Silence is not the suppression of sound and speech, but the condition of listening and the origin and destiny of the word itself.

Opera Omnia (Vol. 5): Buddhism, Raimon Panikkar, Motilal Banarsidass Publications, Hardcover, 429 pages, $50.95

Raimon Panikkar (1918�2010) was a Catholic priest, theologian, and philosopher born in Barcelona to a Spanish mother and an Indian Hindu father. His life was dedicated to interfaith dialogue, blending Hindu and Christian spirituality, and he became a prominent academic in comparative religion. After earning doctorates in philosophy, chemistry, and theology, he held professorships at universities like the University of California, Santa Barbara, and was instrumental in discussions on religious pluralism.