The Genesis of an Orientalist

Rhys Davids was the first European scholar to dedicate himself to Pali, and he showed his contemporaries many of the richest vistas beyond. He made it possible for the systematic study and application of Buddhism to be started, something that had previously been done without consistency or method. To investigate the nature and Eurocentric attitudes of Western attempts to interpret distinctively Asian religious and cultural institutions, Rhys Davids was used by the author. This book is about Buddhism and the efforts of Westerners to understand what was then a relatively unknown oriental faith. It was amazing to see Rhys Davids’ ability to empathize with other cultures. It’s a strange fact that Rhys Davids has never been published a biography. He was the epitome of Victorian biographies, embodying in particular its grand delusive message that misfortunes, human frailties and social disabilities can be somehow changed or overcome through the transforming power and perseverance of character, faith, and perseverance. However, this book is not a biographical revival. Instead, it focuses on Rhys Davids’ ideas and work. It also attempts to link Rhys Davids with themes that continue to play an important part in East-West cultural dialog.