The Essence of Buddhism. By P. Lakshmi Narasu. (Srinavan I
Varadachari and Co., Madras.)—This is' a defence of "If I have succeeded," writes the author in his preface; "in giving Buddhism the aspect of modernity, I have done so, not -by seasoning modern ideas with a little :Buddhistic saute, but by getting beneath all forms of Buddhism and bringing to light the essential truths therein contained." .Obviously this is a very- large claim for any man to make. Practically it means a complete,
restatement of Buddhist belief. How can it ,to affect the millions of believers scattered over half the world ? The readers of the pampblet may be affected by it—and it is certainly written with much ability—but how about those to whom it is inaccessible ? How far the writer has departed from popular conceptions of his faith may be seen by the statement that "even the practice of vivisection, if guarded from all abuse, is justifiable in so far as it subserves general happiness." •
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