In the mountain hall we are taking our seats, In solitude calming the mind; Still are our souls and in silence prepared By degrees the truth to find. -"Devotion" This beautiful meditation on the dharma, or truth, of Buddhism is the perfect introduction to one of the world's most ancient faiths. Concise and sensibly organized, Carus-one of the foremost figures of American Buddhism of the early 20th century-gently explains, in this 1918 book, the faith's "noble truths" concerning suffering and its roots, the "ten evils" that bedevil us, and the concepts of Karma, Samskara, and Nirvana. A selection of Buddhist poetry, little gems of verse culled from a variety of ancient and contemporary sources, serves as meditations on the life lessons offered here. American philosopher and theologian PAUL CARUS (1852-1919) also wrote The Religion of Science (1893), The Gospel of Buddha (1894), and The History of the Devil (1900).