Buddhists: Understanding Buddhism through the Lives of Practitioners provides a series of case studies of Asian and modern Western Buddhists, spanning history, gender, and class, whose lives are representative of the ways in which Buddhists throughout time have embodied the tradition. Portrays the foundational principles of Buddhist belief through the lives of believers, illustrating how the religion is put into practice in everyday lifeTakes as its foundation the inherent diversity within Buddhist society, rather than focusing on the spiritual and philosophical elite within BuddhismReveals how individuals have negotiated the choices, tensions, and rewards of living in a Buddhist societyFeatures carefully chosen case studies which cover a range of Asian and modern Western BuddhistsExplores a broad range of possible Buddhist orientations in contemporary and historical contexts