Author: Tom LowensteinPublisher: Duncan Baird publishersYear: 1996Language: EnglishPages: 184ISBN/UPC (if available): 1900131196
One of the world’s great Eastern religions, Buddhism has become an increasingly potent influence in the West. This book is a vivid, richly illustrated guide to the history and legends of Buddhism, and to the main themes and beliefs in the Buddhist spiritual tradition, both today and in the past.The Buddha’s teaching and the influential concepts of Buddhist philosophy are described in depth, and the book also traces the development of Buddhism as it spread from its Indian homeland to Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Tibet. Each country or region has a chapter devoted to it, allowing the distinctive features in the Buddhism of that country to be thoroughly explored. The often complex doctrines are clearly explained in a lucid, authoritative text.The final chapter chronicles the growth of Buddhism in the West and shows how, with its mixture of ethical and spiritual teachings and its offering of a complete way of life, the religion has such powerful appeal to Westerners in their quest for an understanding of the human predicament.A documentary reference section at the back of the book includes a guide to major Buddhist sites, a section on Present-day Buddhist masters, a comprehensive glossary and a list of Buddhist organizations for those who wish to explore the subject further.
IntroductionTHE EARLY DAYS OF THE BUDDHAThe birth of the future BuddhaThe Four SightsHomeless wanderingKarma and samsaraTHE ENLIGHTENMENTThe Struggle for enlightenmentRecollection of past livesThe Buddha’s enlightenmentThe Middle WayThe Three Characteristics of ExistenceThe Law of CausalityFROM ENLIGHTENMENT TO DEATHAfter the enlightenmentThe social and religious contextJains and BuddhistsThe beginning of the religious communityAccounts of the Buddha’s lifetimeBuddhist meditationThe Buddha and the supernaturalThe last days of the BuddhaEARLY INDIAN AND MAHAYANA BUDDHISMAfter the Buddha’s parinirvanaBuddhism in societyThe emperor AshokaThe growth of MahayanaThe Perfection of wisdomTHERAVADA OR SOUTHERN BUDDHISMBuddhism is established in Sri LankaTheravada Buddhism in Sri LankaThe spread of TheravadaMonks and laity in Theravada BuddhismBuddhist monuments of Southeast AsiaBUDDHISM IN CHINAThe eastward spread of BuddhismConfucianismTaoismThe beginnings of Chinese BuddhismThe period of domestication in ChinaThe T’ien-t’ai and Flower Garland schoolsThe Pure Land sectCh’an:the school of meditationBUDDHISM IN JAPAN Shinto: the way of the godsChinese influence in the Nara periodTendai BuddhismKukai’s Shinngon SchoolPure Land in JapanNichirenThe beginnings of Zen Rinzai Zen: the study of koansSoto Zen: DogenSoto Zen: Dogen’s practiceZen and the artsBUDDHISM IN TIBETPre-Buddhist Tibet and the Bon religionMonks and lamasTibetan monastic schoolsThe Buddhist cosmosTantric BuddhismVajrayanaTantric deitiesMandalas and yantrasSymbols of the mandalaBUDDHISM COMES TO THE WESTThe early European linguistsNineteenth-century OrientalismBuddhism in modern EuropeNorth American MysticsBuddhism in modern North AmericaDOCUMENTARY REFERENCESelected Buddhist sitesFour great modern mastersMap of AsiaUseful addresses GlossaryFurther readingIndexPicture credits