E.A. Burtt's presentation of the ideas of the Buddha in the book The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha suggests the general nature of Buddhism, the history of the religion, ways Buddhism has changed over time, and the difficulties encountered in formulating and transmitting this particular doctrine to the world. Burtt notes the difficulty he had in developing this book given the vast amount of material from which he had to choose, though a great deal of what might be considered is not available for study or has not yet been translated into English. Burtt relates the development of Buddhism to earlier and more primitive religious ideas in India, recognizing that much of the history of that period is unknown and that the precise details of earlier religious beliefs and how they affected the development of Buddhism remains unknown.
The readings and the commentary on these readings by Burtt can be seen as a general outline of Buddhist thought beginning with the Buddha himself and continuing through different types of Buddhism as developed in Japan and China. The Buddhist conception of salvation is a central issue examined by Burtt. There are four paths to achieving salvation under this conception. The ascetic practices involve seclusion of the body and restraint of speech. There are usually thirteen practices listed, and these go back to the time when the Buddha was alive. These practices are meant to purify the mind and make it fit for the "pure life." The monastic approach fosters seclusion of the mind, as with monks and nuns. The path of Bodhisattva sees the practitioner as progressing along an upward-oriented path of ten stages. The first seven stages are subject to spiritual retrogression, while the last three are irreversible. The first seven stages represent the gradual elimination of the "hindrance of defilement," while the last three are the gradual elimination of the "hindrance of the knowable. The Vajrayana ...