[Buddha-l] Where does authority for "true" Buddhism come from?

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Thu, 2006-01-26 at 12:01 -0500, Tom Troughton wrote:

> Since we're discussing worthwhile historical sources, does anyone have
> any comments on Hirakawa Akira's A History of Indian Buddhism,
> translated by Paul Groner? Nakamura's Gotama Buddha and Indian
> Buddhism?

Hirakawa's book is one that I deeply admire and regularly recommend. My
enthusiasm for Nakamura's work is mored muted. I met him once and felt
he was a very fine man of remarkable kindness and gentleness, but, alas,
gentlemen are not automatically excellent scholars.

-- 
Richard