The Sacred East: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto

by Littleton, C. Scott

• ISBN13: 9781569752005
• ISBN10: 1569752001
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-10-01
• Publisher: Pgw

Summary

Increasingly, seekers in the West are embracing the traditions of the East as a way to find meaning amid life's contrasts and confusions. The Sacred East is a uniquely accessible guide to the Hindu traditions of India, the richly varied Buddhist faith, the Confucian and Taoist beliefs of China, and the Shinto religion of Japan.

Clearly written, with striking full-color images on every page, The Sacred East traces these enduring beliefs from their earliest origins to their present forms. Each chapter focuses on a single tradition, examines its central ideas, and places it in the social and historical context from which the religion emerged. Through words and pictures that vividly capture the variety and intensity of the Asian world, The Sacred East offers a vibrant collage of the spiritual traditions of the Orient.

Table of Contents

Introduction	6	(8)
C. Scott Littleton
HINDUISM
Mary McGee
Introduction	14	(4)
The Self and the Absolute	18	(2)
Sacred Texts	20	(2)
The Ramayana	22	(1)
The Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita	23	(1)
Cycles of Time and Creation	24	(2)
Dharma and Karma	26	(1)
The Four Stages of Life	27	(2)
The Four Aims of Life	29	(1)
Paths to Salvation	30	(2)
Manifestations of the Divine	32	(2)
Vishnu and his Avatars	34	(2)
Krishna	36	(1)
Rama and Sita	37	(1)
Shiva	38	(3)
Ganesha	41	(1)
The Goddess	42	(2)
Temples and Shrines	44	(2)
Pilgrimage and Religious Devotion	46	(4)
Festivals and Holy Days	50	(2)
Saints and Sages	52	(2)
BUDDHISM
Ornan Rotem
Introduction	54	(4)
The Buddha's Previous Lives and his Final Birth	58	(2)
Princely Life and the Great Renunciation	60	(3)
Enlightenment: the Struggle and its Reward	63	(3)
The Buddha's Teachings	66	(2)
The Buddhist World: "All is Duhkha"	68	(4)
Rebirth and Karma	72	(2)
The Four Noble Truths	74	(2)
The Path Leading to the Cessation of Duhkha	76	(2)
Different Visions of the Path	78	(2)
The Buddhist Community	80	(2)
Canons and Sutras	82	(2)
Arhats, Bodhisattvas and other Great Teachers	84	(2)
Zen and Japanese Buddhism	86	(4)
Buddhism in Tibet	90	(2)
CONFUCIANISM
John Chinnery
Introduction	92	(4)
Confucius, the Great Master	96	(3)
The Sages of Antiquity	99	(1)
Heaven and the Spirits	100	(2)
The Qualities of a Gentleman	102	(4)
Confucian Ritual	106	(2)
Mencius and Xun Zi	108	(2)
The State Cult	110	(2)
Neo-Confucianism	112	(2)
Confucianism Today	114	(2)
TAOISM
John Chinnery
Introduction	116	(4)
Lao Zi and the Tao Te Jing	120	(1)
The Way and its Power	121	(2)
Zhuang Zi and Lie Zi	123	(3)
The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove	126	(1)
Alchemy and the Pursuit of Immortality	127	(5)
The Five Bushels of Rice Society	132	(2)
Buddhism and Taoism	134	(2)
Priesthood and Ritual	136	(2)
The Taoist Pantheon	138	(2)
The Immortals	140	(3)
Taoist Sects	143	(1)
SHINTO
C. Scott Littleton
Introduction	144	(4)
The Principal Kami	148	(3)
Shrines and Sacred Places	151	(6)
Ritual and Ceremony	157	(2)
A Neighbourhood Matsuri	159	(1)
Shinto and Buddhism: 1500 Years of Coexistence	160	(2)
Glossary	162	(4)
Further Reading	166	(2)
Index	168	(8)
Picture Credits	176