Buddhism Its Essence and Development

by Conze, Edward

• ISBN13: 9780486430959
• ISBN10: 0486430952
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-08-27
• Publisher: Dover Publications

Summary

Based on a series of Oxford lectures delivered by a well-known Buddhist scholar, this volume covers the entire range of Buddhist thought. It introduces Buddhism as both religion and philosophy, discusses its common ground with other faiths throughout the world, contrasts monastic and popular Buddhism, and defines old and new schools of thought.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Buddhism as a Religion	p. 11
Buddhism as a Philosophy	p. 15
Self-extinction	p. 18
'Radical Pessimism'	p. 21
Immortality	p. 23
Survival Value	p. 25
Common Ground
The Flavour of Dharma	p. 27
The Documents	p. 28
The Buddha	p. 34
Is Buddhism atheistic?	p. 38
The Four Holy Truths	p. 43
Cosmology[degree]	p. 48
Monastic Buddhism
The Samgha	p. 53
Poverty	p. 54
Celibacy	p. 58
Inoffensiveness	p. 61
Main Currents of Monastic Thought	p. 66
Popular Buddhism
The Place of the Laity	p. 70
The Temporal Power	p. 72
The Services of the Samgha	p. 77
The Influence of the Laity	p. 85
The Old Wisdom School
Sects	p. 89
Sariputra	p. 90
Arhats	p. 93
Practices	p. 95
Moral Discipline	p. 96
Trance	p. 99
Wisdom	p. 105
Decline	p. 114
The Mahayana, and the New Wisdom School
The Mahasanghikas	p. 119
Hinayana and Mahayana	p. 121
Literary Development	p. 123
Bodhisattvas	p. 125
Emptiness	p. 130
Salvation	p. 135
Parallels	p. 140
Buddhism of Faith and Devotion
The Reception of Bhakti	p. 144
Literary History	p. 146
The Agent of Salvation	p. 147
The Aims of the Faithful	p. 152
Methods	p. 157
Self-extinction and Faith	p. 159
The Yogacarins
Wisdom and Trance	p. 161
Literary History	p. 163
"Mind-only"	p. 166
"Store-consciousness"	p. 168
Further Doctrines	p. 171
The Tantra, or Magical Buddhism
The Problem of the Tantra	p. 174
History of the Tantra	p. 176
Tantric Practices	p. 180
Tantric Philosophy	p. 188
Tantric Mythology	p. 189
Left-handed Tantra	p. 191
The Control of the Body	p. 197
Non-Indian Developments
Survey	p. 200
Ch'an	p. 201
Amidism	p. 205
Rnyin-ma-pa	p. 207
European Buddhism	p. 210
Appendices
Table of Dates
Diagram: New Wisdom School, Yogacarins, Tantra
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