This book is a rare critique of the Buddhist Tradition. Patrick Foster, a former Buddhist himself, brings to this exploration the tools of professional Religious Studies and Philosophy. Its examination of early Buddhism and later Mahayana are an in-depth study of one of civilization's oldest, largest, and most complex religious traditions. There are four informative appendices on semantics, logic, meditation, and self. Whether you are a practicing Buddhist, a scholar, or someone interested in how religion fits into the modern world, this book will make you think.