Synopsis This book contains twenty articles which have been contributed by scholars who are prominent figures in their own field. They deal with various aspects of Buddhism including the early life of Lord Buddha before he attained enlightenment, his main teachings i.e. the four noble truths, the eight-fold noble path, the middle path, moral precepts, three fold training in attaining nirvana i.e. prajna, sila and samadhi, the philosophy of Buddhism, its different branches, cause of its rise and fall in India and recent insurgence, its humanistic aspect, reasons for its expansion in countries outside India, role of Buddhism in the field of Art and Architecture including painting, music and dance, its impact in providing welfare services particularly by King Asoka, its impact on ecological environments, similarities and differences between Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and some other world religions and future of Buddhism in the present world as depicted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.