The Board of Missionary Preparation of the Foreign Missions Conference of North America planned a series on ‘The World’s Living Religions’ in 1920, and volume three of that series was published. The series aims to familiarise Western readers with the true religious practices of each significant non-Christian nation. The original version of Buddhism, as it was taught by Gautama in India and developed in the years that followed, is not an accurate representation of Buddhism as it is practiced in any country today.
Like Christianity, Buddhism has been impacted by national circumstances. It contains at least three distinct kinds, necessitating as many separate volumes in this series to fairly interpret and present it. Buddhism requires that both a missionary and a professional student of the religion approach it with a genuine understanding of what it intends and accomplishes for its adherents.
Undoubtedly, many high-minded, pious, and serious people live idealistic lives among the followers of Buddhism in China. Such minds should be strongly attracted to Christianity without losing any of their joy, certainty, or dedication. Instead, it ought to encourage a more nuanced understanding of the working world, a higher view of God, and a more acute awareness of one’s own need and sinfulness.