Awakening : An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought

by Bresnan, Patrick S.

• ISBN13: 9780205739097
• ISBN10: 0205739091
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-11-10
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

This book provides an exceptionally complete overview of the historical development of the major Eastern traditions of religious and philosophical thought (in India, China, and Japan.). The book uses an engaging style that is filled with anecdotes, analogies, definitions, comparisons, and supporting quotes from primary and secondary sources. It guides learners in recognizing the interrelationships that exist among the various systems, appreciating the relevance of these traditions to the concerns of modern times, and understanding the major issues of interpretation regarding these systems.The traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism are broad umbrellas that include a number of specific schools, each of which is treated individually. Other traditionssuch as Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintoare brought into the story at the appropriate place. Owing to the current high degree of interest in the subject, the historical development of Zen Buddhism receives a bit more attention that the other traditions.For anyone interested in and excited by the ideas and histories of Eastern thought.

Author Biography

Patrick Bresnan is a professor at DeAnza College in Cupertino, CA.

Table of Contents

Hinduism and Related Traditions of South Asia	p. 1
India Before the Vedas	p. 2
The Lay of the Land	p. 2
South Asia Before the Vedic Age	p. 4
The Theory of Indo-Aryan Migrations	p. 6
Varna: The Caste System	p. 11
The Brahmin Caste	p. 14
Study Questions	p. 16
Veda and the Vedas	p. 17
Yajna: The Vedic Sacrifice	p. 18
The Vedic Pantheon	p. 22
An Overview of Vedic Cosmology	p. 28
Study Questions	p. 31
Introduction to the Upanishads	p. 32
The Sannyasin Tradition	p. 33
Key Elements of the Upanishads	p. 36
An Overviews of Vedanta Cosmology	p. 50
Study Questions	p. 53
The Bhagavad Gita	p. 54
The Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata	p. 56
The Opening Scene	p. 60
The Bhagavad Gita as Metaphor	p. 61
The Awakened Person	p. 62
Karma Yoga	p. 67
Raja Yoga	p. 69
Bhakti Yoga	p. 70
Study Questions	p. 71
Darshana	p. 73
The Orthodox Darshanas	p. 74
The Heterodox Darshanas	p. 85
Study Questions	p. 96
The Devotional Movement	p. 97
The Trimurti	p. 98
Ramanuja	p. 107
The Hindu Temple	p. 108
Study Questions	p. 112
A Millennium of Strife	p. 113
The Muslim Era	p. 113
The Modern Era	p. 121
Study Questions	p. 128
Shakyamuni Buddha and the Early Development of Buddhism	p. 13
The Life of Shakyamuni Buddha	p. 132
The Palace Youth	p. 133
The Sadhu Years	p. 140
The Awakening	p. 142
The Teaching Years	p. 146
Study Questions	p. 150
Basic Teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha	p. 151
The Doctrine of Anatman	p. 154
The Four Noble Truths	p. 162
The Noble Eightfold Path	p. 171
Study Questions	p. 177
Theravada Buddhism	p. 178
The Early Centuries	p. 179
Ashoka	p. 181
Theravada Buddhism	p. 184
Study Questions	p. 192
Mahayana Buddhism	p. 193
Diversity and Religious Elements in Mahayana	p. 198
The Nature of Buddha	p. 199
Madhyamaka	p. 204
Yogacara	p. 211
The Bodhisattva	p. 214
Artistic Expression in Early Mahayana	p. 217
Study Questions	p. 221
Non-Buddhist Traditions of East Asia	p. 223
Confucius and Confucianism	p. 224
Confucius	p. 227
Mencius	p. 237
Other Voices from the Period of Hundred Philosophers	p. 240
Later Developments in the Evolution of Confucianism	p. 245
Study Questions	p. 250
Daoism	p. 251
The Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching)	p. 252
Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu)	p. 262
Religious Daoism	p. 266
Study Questions	p. 274
Shinto	p. 275
The Shinto Creation Story	p. 277
The Shinto Shrine and Festival	p. 279
Historical Development of Shinto	p. 282
Study Questions	p. 286
Buddhism in China and Japan	p. 287
Early Buddhism in China	p. 288
Buddhism in the Tarim Basin	p. 289
Tiantai Buddhism	p. 292
Huayan Buddhism (Hua-Yen)	p. 294
Pure Land Buddhism	p. 295
Persecution and Recovery	p. 299
Study Questions	p. 301
Tibetan Buddhism	p. 302
The Establishment of Buddhism in Tibet	p. 307
The General Character of Buddhism in Tibet	p. 310
A Historical Overview of Buddhism in Tibet	p. 323
The First Period: The Era of the Yarlung Empire	p. 323
The Second Period: The Sakya Era	p. 324
The Third Period: The Era of the Dalai Lama	p. 328
Study Questions	p. 337
Chan Buddhism	p. 338
Bodhidhama	p. 342
Huineng (Hui-Neng)	p. 351
After Huineng	p. 360
Study Questions	p. 374
Zen Buddhism	p. 376
Japan Before Zen	p. 376
Rinzai and Soto Zen	p. 380
The Zen Monastery	p. 390
Zen and the Arts	p. 404
Study Questions	p. 412
Works Cited	p. 413
Index	p. 415
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.