The Garland of Views : a translation and commentary of the man-ngag Ita-ba'i phreng-ba
Abstract
Western writers on Buddhism tend to concentrate on particular schools, problems, or cultures. Therefore, a Westerner has difficulty, understanding the relation between these, and seeing the organic unity of Buddhism. The Garland of Views is translated here to provide such a perspective. Although concise, it covers all the basic world views known to its author and indicates the problems inherent in each which forced the next logical step in development.
The basic problem in dealing with this text is that it is a "refresher course" written for those already thoroughly familiar with the subject matter. At first glance it appears to be a mass or jargon strung into one long mnemonic aid. The result resembles nothing so much as those cards, containing all principles of French grammer, sold to beginners in that language. Comprehensive and comprehensible--if you already know it!