Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha

by Burtt, E. A.; Burtt, E. A.

• ISBN13: 9780451627117
• ISBN10: 0451627113
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1955-05-01
• Publisher: SIGNET BOOK

Summary

With its origins in ancient India, Buddhism is a system of thought that has enriched the religious lives of billions -- and in more recent times, swept through the Western world as well. Now anyone who wants to learn more about Buddhism can go directly to the source, with this collection of original documents -- edited, with commentary, by a Cornell University professor of philosophy.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
General Introduction	11	(16)
Book One: The Early Scriptures of Buddhism	27	(1)
Part I. Some Basic Doctrines of the Buddha	27	(23)
The Sermon at Benares	29	(3)
Questions Not Tending to Edification	32	(4)
Truth Is Above Sectarian Dogmatism	36	(3)
How Buddha Met a Schism Among His Disciples	39	(4)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed	43	(3)
Universal Love and Good Will	46	(1)
Buddha's Farewell Address	47	(3)
Part II. Treading the Path to Nirvana	50	(33)
The Way of Truth	51	(22)
Songs of the Wayfarers	73	(10)
Part III. The Spirit of Theravada Buddhism	83	(40)
The Zenaka Story of Buddha's Birth and Early Life	87	(9)
The Fire Sermon	96	(2)
On Health of Mind	98	(2)
What Is Gained by Abandoning the World and Becoming a Monk?	100	(8)
The Duties of the Theravada Layman	108	(3)
What Is Nirvana? (Theravada View)	111	(4)
The Nirvana of the Buddha	115	(3)
Crossing the Ford	118	(2)
Is the Buddha Equally Compassionate Toward All?	120	(2)
Is Adopting the Way of the Monk a Selfish Act?	122	(1)
Book Two: Buddhist Thought Thought Later Centuries	123	(1)
Part IV. The Mahayana Religious Ideal	123	(43)
Hymn to the Buddha of Infinite Compassion and Wisdom	128	(2)
The Bodhisattva's Vow of Universal Redemption	130	(4)
The Path of Light and Love	134	(7)
Famous Mahayana Parables	141	(16)
The Eternal Buddha of Countless Worlds	157	(4)
What Is Nirvana? (Mahayana View)	161	(5)
Part V. Some Mahayana Philosophies	166	(38)
Nagarjuna's Analysis of Causality and Nirvana	170	(5)
Vasubandhu's Argument for Subjective Idealism	175	(6)
Ultimate Reality Is Absolute Mind	181	(13)
Ultimate Reality Transcends What Can Be Expressed in Words	194	(10)
Part VI. Devotional and Intuitional Buddhism in China and Japan	204	(36)
The Pure Land of Amitabha	207	(4)
The White Lotus Ode	211	(2)
Honen's Letter and Poems	213	(5)
Shinran's Songs to Amida	218	(5)
The Bodhisattva Who Saves Even from the Depths of Hell	223	(3)
Tao Sheng on Nirvana and the Buddha's Way	226	(1)
Seng Ts'an's Poem on Trust in the Heart	227	(3)
Shen Hui's Sermon on Sudden Awakening	230	(7)
A Zen ``Koan,''	237	(1)
The Mahayana Layman's Ideal	237	(3)
Epilogue: Buddha's Pity	240	(2)
Bibliography	242	(2)
Glossary	244