Buddhism: sacred texts and revered writings Books

Book SynopsisDhammapada means "the path of dharma," the path of truth, harmony, and righteousness that anyone can follow to reach the highest good. Easwaran's translation of this classic Buddhist text is the best-selling edition in its field, praised by Huston Smith as a "sublime rendering." The introduction gives an overview of the Buddha's teachings that is penetrating and clear - accessible for readers new to Buddhism, but also with fresh insights and practical applications for readers familiar with this text. Chapter introductions place individual verses into the context of the broader Buddhist canon. Easwaran is a master storyteller, and his opening essay includes many stories that make moving, memorable reading, bringing young Siddhartha and his heroic spiritual quest vividly to life. But Easwaran's main qualification for interpreting the Dhammapada, he said, was that he knew from his own experience that these verses could transform our lives. This faithful rendition brings us closer to the compassionate heart of the Buddha.Trade Review“No one in modern times is more qualified – no, make that ‘as qualified’ – to translate the epochal Classics of Indian Spirituality than Eknath Easwaran. And the reason is clear. It is impossible to get to the heart of those classics unless you live them, and he did live them. My admiration of the man and his works is boundless.” – Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions

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Book SynopsisA testimony to the invaluable contributions made by the women who were direct disciples of the Buddha—and a source of inspiration to Buddhist women today.It’s a common perception that the earliest textual records don’t contain many, if any, teachings by the Buddha’s female disciples; yet, this is not the case. In fact, the earliest discourses record a range of teachings from Buddhist women, lay and monastic. Unfortunately their important contributions have so far not received the attention they deserve.  In Daughters of the Buddha, esteemed scholar-monk Bhikkhu Analayo examines the accounts of the first female disciples in the canonical scripture, taking the reader back to the earliest period in the history of Buddhism that can still be accessed today. He dedicates each of the twenty-one chapters in the volume to an individual and remarkable woman, sharing her particular insights and teachings with the reader. Both nuns and laywomen are featured in these pages, and their diversity of voices and richness of thought will serve as instruction and encouragement for modern scholars and practitioners alike.

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Book Synopsis"The Tibetan Book of the Dead" is the most famous Buddhist text in the West, having sold more than a million copies since it was first published in English in 1927. This title tells the story of how a relatively obscure and malleable collection of Buddhist texts of uncertain origin came to be so revered - and so misunderstood - in the West.Trade Review"A scholarly and informative short read, very useful as a reminder that religious books are not necessarily fixed entities."--James F. DeRoche, Library Journal "The focus of Donald Lopez's ingenious, informative, and engagingly written 'biography' is not so much the original Tibetan text but the pioneering edition and translation first issued in 1927 by the American traveler, scholar, and Theosophist W.Y. Evans-Wentz."--Roger Jackson, Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly "The focus of Donald Lopez's ingenious, informative, and engagingly written 'biography' is not so much the original Tibetan text but the pioneering edition and translation first issued in 1927 by the American traveler, scholar, and Theosophist W.Y. Evans-Wentz."--Roger R. Jackson, Buddhadharma "[T]his biography springs to life when Lopez places its subject within the weird tradition of American spiritualism, complete with Madame Blavatsky's acolytes, Ouija boards and memories of exotic past lives."--Miriam Cosic, The Australian "What makes Lopez's biography of Evans-Wentz's book not only amusing (as it unfailingly is) but enlightening is that one suspects he too could have 'chosen any Asian text' that had been ripped from its context and composed a similar story of how meanings, willy-nilly, had attached themselves to it. Having read Lopez's book, we will look afresh at the volumes of unmoored wisdom so many in the West have taken to heart."--David Cozy, Japan Times "The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Biography is an excellent short introduction to Buddhism, and an intriguing analysis of how ancient texts are used (or invented) to give authority to ideologies."--Heather Shaw, Portland Book Review "Concise and written with Lopez's usual clarity, this short book at times reads like an exciting spiritual detective story as the author methodically takes the reader through the improbable developments that led to the creation of what, in some sense, is a Western creation brought forth from Eastern concepts... Although written for a popular audience, this book should be of interest to all scholars interested in the metamorphosis of Buddhism as the dharma has become transplanted in the West."--George Adams, NovaReligio "Lopez is a good scholar with an engaging style ... and a reader new to the Tibetan Book of the Dead will find this book a reliable and often entertaining introduction to the work and to its Tibetan and Western histories."--Geoffrey Samuel, European Legacy "Although the book addresses a broad and general audience, it is still an excellent scholarly study on the translation and transformation of Tibetan texts into a single English book that eventually became a 'timeless world spiritual classic.' The study is firmly set in the complex trajectories of transcultural encounters and should benefit religious studies scholars from different fields of research. For scholars of American religious history, Buddhism in the West, and contemporary religion in the Euro-American context, the book provides an accessible account of the Buddhist and Tibetan background of the text in question; for scholars from Buddhist and Tibetan studies, the book offers a window to modernist adaptations and interpretations of Buddhist texts in 20th-century America. This slim volume will function well in the undergraduate classroom to demonstrate that religious texts are not timeless and fixed entities... Lopez's narrative biography of The Tibetan Book of the Dead will provide a useful and accessible reading assignment for more specialized classes."--Katja Rakow, Religion "This [is a] magnificent little piece of literary iconoclasm."--Michel Clasquin-Johnson, Relegre-Studies in Religion and ReceptionTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1: America 13 Chapter 2: India 30 Chapter 3: T ibet 49 Chapter 4: The World 71 Conclusion 128 Coda 153 Notes 157 Index 171

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Book SynopsisDiscover the original teachings of the Buddha in this thorough translation of some of the oldest Buddhist texts in the world. Like the River Ganges flowing down from the Himalayas, the entire Buddhist tradition flows down to us from the teachings and deeds of the historical Buddha, who lived and taught in India during the fifth century B.C.E. To ensure that his legacy would survive the ravages of time, his direct disciples compiled records of the Buddha''s teachings soon after his passing. In the Theravada Buddhist tradition, which prevails in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, these records are regarded as the definitive "word of the Buddha." Preserved in Pali, an ancient Indian language closely related to the language that the Buddha spoke, this full compilation of texts is known as the Pali Canon. At the heart of the Buddha''s teaching were the suttas (Sanskrit sutras), his discourses and dialogues. If we want to find out what the Buddha himself actually said, these are the most ancient sources available to us. The suttas were compiled into collections called "Nikayas," of which there are four, each organized according to a different principle. The Digha Nikaya consists of longer discourses; the Majjhima Nikaya of middle-length discourses; the Samyutta Nikaya of thematically connected discourses; and the Anguttara Nikaya of numerically patterned discourses. The Numerical Discourses contains a full translation of the Anguttara Nikaya. The Anguttara arranges the Buddha''s discourses in accordance with a numerical scheme intended to promote retention and easy comprehension. In an age when writing was still in its infancy, this proved to be the most effective way to ensure that the disciples could grasp and replicate the structure of a teaching. Here’s what makes the Numerical Discourses special: Insightful commentary from eminent scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi Its comprehensive translation of the Anguttara Nikaya, part of the Pali Canon Teachings specifically for lay people and families Themes including family life, right livelihood, friendship, and meditation techniques laid out in a carefully organized thematic guide In 2013, Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi was awarded the 2013 Khyentse Foundation Prize for Outstanding Translation. Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation and compilation also includes a useful thematic guide to the Anguttara Nikaya, so that readers can browse the volume by topic. Find the teachings to further your practice and bring clarity to your life today by diving into this rich treasure of the Buddhist literary tradition. With this volume, readers can learn about the life of the Buddha, instructions for maintaining a harmonious household, monastic practice and lifestyle, meditation practice, and the Sangha (Buddhist community).

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Book SynopsisEaswaran’s best-selling translation of this classic Buddhist text The Dhammapada is reliable, readable, and profound.Dhammapada means "the path of dharma," the path of harmony and righteousness that anyone can follow to reach the highest good. The Dhammapada is a collection of verses, gathered probably from direct disciples who wanted to preserve what they had heard from the Buddha himself.Easwaran's comprehensive introduction to the Dhammapada gives an overview of the Buddha's teachings that is penetrating, and clear – accessible for readers new to Buddhism, but also with fresh insights and practical applications for readers familiar with this text. His translation is based on the original Pali. Chapter introductions, notes and a Sanskrit glossary place individual verses into the context of the broader Buddhist canon.Easwaran is a master storyteller, and the introduction includes many stories that make moving, memorable reading, bringing young Siddhartha and his heroic spiritual quest vividly to life. This faithful interpretation brings us closer to the compassionate heart of the Buddha.---Trade Review“No one in modern times is more qualified – no, make that ‘as qualified’ – to translate the epochal Classics of Indian Spirituality than Eknath Easwaran. And the reason is clear. It is impossible to get to the heart of those classics unless you live them, and he did live them. My admiration of the man and his works is boundless.” – Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions

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Book SynopsisEnduring and accessible advice for living with wisdom and compassion?and meeting the end of life with courage and peace Through countless editions and across centuries, The Tibetan Book of the Dead has drawn readers intrigued by the Tibetan Buddhist view of the end of life. In a world that often ignores death or hides it from view, Tibetan Buddhists acknowledge it as the last of a countless series of endings in this lifetime. And after each ending comes a new beginning. The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Beginners draws on this timeless wisdom to help readers today live with more joy and approach the end with more ease. Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, born and raised in Tibet and now teaching in the United States and internationally, partners with student and meditation teacher Mordy Levine to share teachings inspired by The Tibetan Book of the Dead. They make clear that "how we live is how we will die." The book explores karma, impermanence, the bardos (or the "in-between"), and what happens next, sharing accessible practices to cultivate wisdom and compassion along the way. With empathy and warmth, Lama Lhanang and Levine offer support for readers grappling with their own mortality and those caring for loved ones transitioning from this lifetime. The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Beginners helps readers cultivate courage and embrace the unknown?not just in the final days, but every day.

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Book SynopsisAs mindfulness is increasingly being embraced in the contemporary world as a practice that brings peace and self-awareness, Bhikkhu Analayo casts fresh light on its earliest sources in the Buddhist tradition.Trade Review"In this new book, Analayo builds on his earlier ground-breaking work, Satipaṭṭhana: The Direct Path to Realization. Here, he enlarges our perspective on this seminal teaching by exploring the practices of mindfulness as presented in both the Pali and Chinese versions of this important discourse. The brilliance of his scholarly research, combined with the depth of his meditative understanding, provides an invaluable guide to the liberating practices of the Buddha's teaching." Joseph Goldstein, author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening and One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism "Analayo's work is a brilliant treasury of impeccable scholarship and practice, offering a wise, open-minded and deep understanding of the Buddha's original teachings. His approach makes an inspiring contribution to the modern Dharma world." Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart, founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center "Analayo has offered us a work of great scholarship and wisdom that will be of immense benefit to anyone who wants to seriously study or to establish a practice of mindfulness." Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness, co-founder, Insight Meditation Society, Barre, MA

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Book SynopsisThe authors of The Dhammapada are unknown.

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Book SynopsisThe Dhammapada - the Path of Truth - is a beautiful anthology of proverbs and aphorisms, which are considered to be as close to the Buddha's own words as we can ever reach. The work outlines the Buddha's Four Noble Truths: that life is full of suffering, which all of us must accept; that the removal of desire removes suffering; and finally that deliverance might be obtained by following the Noble Eightfold Path. 'If man's faith is unsteady,if he does not know the true law, if his peace of mind is troubled, his knowledge will never be perfect'

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Book SynopsisRatnaguna presents a commentary on the three Pure Land Sutras - the Shorter and Longer Sukhavati-vyuha Sutras and the Amitayur-Dhyana Sutra. Looking at them as a practising Buddhist inspired by the Sutras, he shows how they describe Sukhavati and Amitabha/Amitayus, Sukhavati's relationship with faith and practice, explain how they came about (a 'mythical history'), and tell us how we can be reborn there. The Sutras all discuss the aspiration to be reborn in Sukhavati but can also be understood metaphorically - rebirth taking place in this very life, and Sukhavati being a description of the Enlightened Mind. The Sutras put forward a path of faith and grace, as well as effort and practice. Using a practical and imaginative approach, Ratnaguna explores the main themes from the texts, including the '3-fold Goodness' or '3 acts of merit' necessary to be reborn into Sukhavati, and the 13 meditations given by the Buddha. This book will appeal to both practising Buddhists and anyone interested in Buddhism from a practical point of view.Includes translations of the three Pure Land sutras by Sraddhapa.

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Book SynopsisThis book serves as an accessible and reliable survey for students wishing to gain familiarity with the basic ideas of Buddhist philosophical and religious thought, and with some of the recent research in the field. It guides readers towards a richer understanding of the central concepts of classical Indian Buddhist thought, from the time of Buddha to the latest scholarly perspectives and controversies. Abstract and complex ideas are made understandable by the authors' clear and engaging style. The second edition has been fully revised in light of new scholarship, in particular on MahÄyÄna Buddhism and Tantric Buddhism, an often neglected and inadequately understood topic. As well as a detailed bibliography this authoritative resource now includes recommended further reading, study questions, a pronunciation guide and extensive glossary of terms, all aimed at helping students to develop their knowledge and appreciation of Buddhist thought.Trade Review"I know of no more lucid expositor of Indian or Buddhist philosophy ... Though there is no shortage of introductions to Buddhism on the market, I found this one compelling reading ... I shall recommend this lively and authoritative volume to all my students."– Richard Gombrich, University of Oxford, UKPraise for the first edition:'I know of no more lucid expositor of Indian or Buddhist philosophy ... Though there is no shortage of introductions to Buddhism on the market, I found this one compelling reading ... I shall recommend this lively and authoritative volume to all my students.' - Richard Gombrich, Balliol College, Oxford'I would thoroughly recommend this book as an introduction for anyone trying to understand the rich variety of Buddhist thought on the fundamental question of existence.' - Denise Cush, Bath Spa University College'Although aimed at students, the book is ideal for the general reader.' - Network'The strength of the book is the clarity of its presentation and the quality and breadth of the scholarship behind it ... It will be stimulating reading to anyone a little bewildered by the wealth and variety of Buddhist texts and practices ... It deserves to enter many a reading list.' - Reviews in Religion and TheologyTable of Contents1. The Doctrinal Position of the Buddha in Context 2. Mainstream Buddhism: The Basic Thought of the Buddha 3. The Nature and Origins of Mahayana Buddhism 4. Some Schools of Mainstream Buddhist Thought 5. Mahayana Philosophy 6. The Buddha in Mahayana Buddhist 7. Mantranaya/ Vajrayana – Tantric Buddhism in India

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Book SynopsisFollowing in Your Footsteps: The Lotus-Born Guru in India presents the incredible feats of Guru Padmasambhava in the Indian subcontinent. This tantric embodiment of awakening spent hundreds of years training with the greatest masters of India, practicing in charnel grounds, protecting the Dharma, and spreading these marvelous teachings far and wide. The Lotus-Born Guru in India explores the sacred sites where Guru Padmasambhava's activities unfolded. Closely following Orgyen Lingpa's Pema Kathang: The Chronicles of Padmaone of the single most important treasure biographies of Guru Padmasambhavathese narratives are interwoven with rare accounts and visions from realized Tibetan masters such as Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo, Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa and Jamyang Khyentsé Chökyi Lodrö.The Lotus-Born Guru in India offers a translation of Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo's summary prayer of the Pema Kathang, along with teachings by the contemporary Tibetan masters Neten Chokling Rinpoché and Phakchok Rinpoché. You will also find a collection of essential supplications and prayersin both English and Tibetanand beautifully rendered paintings to guide and inspire your journey into this miraculous world.The Lotus-Born Guru in India is the second of a three-part series tracing the arc of Guru Padmasambhava's journey across the ages and landscapes of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Lhasey Lotsawa has collected some of the most treasured stories from these sacred places, and presents it here as an authentic source of wisdom and inspiration. These books are essential companions for anyone who wishes to truly follow in the footsteps of the Lotus-Born Guru.

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Book SynopsisThis new translation of one of the most important texts of Mahayana Buddhism makes a clear case for why we should strive energetically to achieve the unsurpassable state of enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, and having formed that intention, how we should practice the bodhisattva path. The Buddhist masterpiece Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras, often referred to by its Sanskrit title, Mahayanasutrala?kara, is part of a collection known as the Five Maitreya Teachings, a set of philosophical works that have become classics of the Indian Buddhist tradition. Maitreya, the Buddha?s regent, is held to have entrusted these profound and vast instructions to the master Asa?ga in the heavenly realm of Tu?ita. The Ornament provides a comprehensive description of the bodhisattva?s view, meditation, and enlightened activities. Bodhisattvas are beings who, out of vast love for all sentient beings, have dedicated themselves to the task of becoming fully awakened buddhas, capable of helping all beings in innumerable and vast ways to become enlightened themselves. To fully awaken requires practicing great generosity, patience, energy, discipline, concentration, and wisdom, and Maitreya?s text explains what these enlightened qualities are and how to develop them. This volume includes commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham, whose discussions illuminate the subtleties of the root text and provide valuable insight into how to practice the way of the bodhisattva. Drawing on the Indian masters Vasubandhu and, in particular, Sthiramati, Mipham explains the Ornament with eloquence and brilliant clarity. This commentary is among his most treasured works.

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Book SynopsisThe Dhammapada, the Pali version of one of the most popular texts of the Buddhist canon, ranks among the classics of the world''s great religious literature. Like all religious texts in Pali, the Dhammapada belongs to the Therevâda school of the Buddhist tradition, adherents of which are now found primarily in Kampuchea, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Dhammapada, or ''sayings of the dhamma'', is taken to be a collection of the utterances of the Buddha himself. Taken together, the verses form a key body of teaching within Buddhism, a guiding voice along the struggle-laden path towards true enlightenment, or Nirvana. However, the appeal of these epithets of wisdom extends beyond its religious heritage to a general and universal spirituality. This edition provides an introduction and notes which examine the impact that the text has had within the Buddhist heritage through the centuries. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of lTrade ReviewFar surpasses any previous translation of the Dhammapada in terms of its scope and contextual accuracy. Carter and Palihawadana have not only proivde a fresh English translation of the Pali but a transliteration of the Dhammapada (which makes it eminently useful for students of Pali) and, most impressively, a translation of the exhaustive and extremely commentarial Pali Dhammapadatthakatha....This, then, is a work of wide scholarly magnitude and great philological erudition. * Religious Studies Review *

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Book SynopsisThe Linjilu (Record of Linji or LJL) is one of the foundational texts of Chan/Zen Buddhist literature, and an accomplished work of baihua (vernacular) literature. Its indelibly memorable title character, the Master Linji--infamous for the shout, the whack of the rattan stick, and the declaration that sutras are toilet paper--is himself an embodiment of the very teachings he propounds to his students: he is a true person, free of dithering; he exhibits the non-verbal, unconstrained spontaneity of the buddha-nature; he is always active, never passive; and he is aware that nothing is lacking at all, at any time, in his round of daily activities. This bracing new translation transmits the LJL''s living expression of Zen''s personal realization of the meaning beyond words, as interpreted by ten commentaries produced by Japanese Zen monks, over a span of over four centuries, ranging from the late 1300s, when Five-Mountains Zen flourished in Kyoto and Kamakura, through the early 1700s, an ageTrade ReviewJeffrey Broughton's Record of Linji is a magnificent work of scholarship. It translates what the author rightly calls 'the most prominent work in all of Chan literature,' and goes far beyond all previous translations in making this seminal text understandable by embedding the ten most important Zen commentaries into the original text. This rich textual tradition is made readily available to readers of Broughton's translation and the result is an opportunity to enter into Chan and Zen discourse that has been previously unavailable to western readers. * Dale Wright, David B. and Mary H. Gamble Professor in Religion, Occidental College *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Abbreviations ; Introduction ; Translation of the Linjilu ; Part I: Dharma-Hall Convocations ; Part II: Sangha Instruction ; Part III: Calibrating and Adjudicating ; Part IV: Record of the Karman of the Master's Career ; Part V: Stupa Record of Chan Master Linji Huizhao ; Yuanjue Zongyan's Xuanhe 2 (1120) Linjilu Edition (LJL) ; Appendix 1: Pre-Song Linji and Puhua Sayings and Episodes Preserved in the Collection of the Patriarchal Hall (Zutangji) ; Appendix 2: Pre-Song Linji Sayings Preserved in the Mind-Mirror Record (Zongjinglu) ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewRichard S. Cohen provides an elegant and accessible translation of a heretofore unavailable Indian Buddhist Mahayana sutra, along with a highly engaging interpretive essay that illuminates how the sutra functions as 'scripture' and raises issues that extend far beyond Indian Buddhism itself. His book fills an important lacuna in the resources available for teaching Buddhism and makes a significant contribution to the cross-cultural study of sacred texts. -- Reiko Ohnuma, Dartmouth College Cohen has combined a fascinating Buddhist text-a veritable manifesto on the ritual powers of mantra, inscribed word, and sculpted image-with an incisive and lucid essay on the meaning of 'scripture' in religion. In its focus on gestures, practices, and their glorious exemplars in heaven, The Splendid Vision certainly rounds out the popular image of Buddhist texts and will make essential reading for courses on Buddhism, Asian religions, and scripture in world religions. -- David Frankfurter, William Goodwin Aurelio Chair of the Appreciation of Scripture, Boston UniversityTable of ContentsPreface Introduction to the TranslationTranslationInterpretive Essay Glossary Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis impeccably edited volume offers an ideal introduction to the most important of the early Chinese Chan texts and features contributions by leading scholars covering such topics as the biography of Huineng, meditation, sudden enlightenment, transmission, the precepts, and human nature. All of the chapters are extremely useful for understanding the role the Platform Sutra has played in the broader context of Chinese Buddhist religious thought and practice. -- Steven Heine, Florida International University The Platform Sutra is a (if not the) seminal scripture of Chan/Zen/Seon Buddhism. Its influence in East Asia is enormous and its impact extends far beyond China, Japan, and Korea. Readings of the Platform Sutra is a judicious and generous presentation of the best scholarship on this unique and vital text. It is certain to prove a reliable guide for anyone with a serious interest in the history, meaning, and practice of early Zen. -- Victor Mair Reading through these essays, one gains both a sense of how Bodhidharma's lineage took root in East Asia as well as the dynamics at play between the early Chinese Buddhist masters. Buddhadharma [Readings of the Platform Sutra] offers much of value to Buddhist Studies scholars, undergraduate students, and general readers interested in Chan/Zen Buddhism. -- Stuart H. Young Religious Studies Review this volume delivers highly readable essays particularly suited for undergraduate courses. -- Natasha Heller Journal of the American Oriental SocietyTable of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction: The Platform S?tra, Buddhism, and Chinese Religion 2. The Figure of Huineng 3. The History and Practice of Early Chan 4. The Sudden Teaching 5. Transmitting Notions of Transmission 6. Ordination and Precepts in the Platform S?tra 7. The Platform S?tra and Chinese Thought Character Glossary Bibliography Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis impeccably edited volume offers an ideal introduction to the most important of the early Chinese Chan texts and features contributions by leading scholars covering such topics as the biography of Huineng, meditation, sudden enlightenment, transmission, the precepts, and human nature. All of the chapters are extremely useful for understanding the role the Platform Sutra has played in the broader context of Chinese Buddhist religious thought and practice. -- Steven Heine, Florida International University The Platform Sutra is a (if not the) seminal scripture of Chan/Zen/Seon Buddhism. Its influence in East Asia is enormous and its impact extends far beyond China, Japan, and Korea. Readings of the Platform Sutra is a judicious and generous presentation of the best scholarship on this unique and vital text. It is certain to prove a reliable guide for anyone with a serious interest in the history, meaning, and practice of early Zen. -- Victor Mair Reading through these essays, one gains both a sense of how Bodhidharma's lineage took root in East Asia as well as the dynamics at play between the early Chinese Buddhist masters. Buddhadharma [Readings of the Platform Sutra] offers much of value to Buddhist Studies scholars, undergraduate students, and general readers interested in Chan/Zen Buddhism. -- Stuart H. Young Religious Studies Review this volume delivers highly readable essays particularly suited for undergraduate courses. -- Natasha Heller Journal of the American Oriental SocietyTable of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction: The Platform S?tra, Buddhism, and Chinese Religion 2. The Figure of Huineng 3. The History and Practice of Early Chan 4. The Sudden Teaching 5. Transmitting Notions of Transmission 6. Ordination and Precepts in the Platform S?tra 7. The Platform S?tra and Chinese Thought Character Glossary Bibliography Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisAnthropologists, textual scholars in religious and Buddhist studies, and art historians engage in sophisticated readings of the text and its ethics of giving, understanding of attachment and nonattachment, depiction of the trickster, and unique performative qualitiesTrade ReviewReadings of the Vessantara Jataka will undoubtedly become a classic in the study of Buddhist biographical literature and its cultural contexts. The collection brings together excellent essays that show us how a central Buddhist narrative can resonate profoundly across a spectrum of dramatic, ethical, and cultural modalities. -- Juliane Schober, Arizona State University This volume, taken as a whole, starts with some basic questions: what accounts for the tremendous popularity of the Vessantara Jataka in the Buddhist world? How and why did it become a tale better known even than the life story of the Buddha? In addressing these issues, the individual contributors go on to reveal and analyze the multiple (and often ambivalent) ways in which the story has been open to interpretation and to enactment in ritual, art, and society in both classic and modern times. Readings of the Vessantara Jataka is a pathbreaking work that will long endure as a go-to reference for anyone interested in this most significant and popular of Buddhist stories. -- John S. Strong, Bates College The central figure in the Buddhism of Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and even parts of Nepal is, as this book demonstrates, Prince Vessantara as much as it is the Buddha himself. This book is highly recommended not only for scholars interested in Buddhism as it is practiced but also for courses on Buddhism and society, religious studies, and anthropology and religion. -- Charles Keyes, University of WashingtonTable of ContentsPreface Introduction, Dramatis Personae, and Chapters in the Vessantara Jataka, by Steven Collins 1. Readers in the Maze: Modern Debates About the Vessantara Story in Thailand, by Louis Gabaude 2. Emotions and Narrative: Excessive Giving and Ethical Ambivalence in the Lao Vessantara Jataka, by Patrice Ladwig 3. Blissfully Buddhist and Betrothed: Marriage in the Vessantara Jataka and Other South and Southeast Asian Buddhist Narratives, by Justin McDaniel 4. Jajaka as Trickster: The Comedic Monks of Northern Thailand, by Katherine Bowie 5. Narration in the Vessantara Painted Scrolls of Northeast Thailand and Laos, by Leedom Lefferts and Sandra Cate 6. A Man for All Seasons: Three Vessantaras in Premodern Myanmar, by Lilian Handlin 7. Vessantara Opts Out: Newar Versions of the Tale of the Generous Prince, by Christoph Emmrich Index

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Book SynopsisŚāntideva’s eighth-century work the Guide to Bodhisattva Practice (Bodhicaryāvatāra) is one of the crucial texts of the Buddhist ethical and philosophical tradition. This book serves as a companion to this Indian Buddhist classic, illuminating the Guide’s many philosophical, literary, ritual, and ethical dimensions.Trade ReviewHighly recommended. * Choice *This is an exceptional collection which not only provides a useful teaching tool for the classroom, but also makes significant conceptual advances to our understanding of the Guide. I warmly recommend it for any serious student of Śāntideva’s thought. -- Stephen Harris * Journal of Buddhist Ethics *[A] rich volume. -- Amy Paris Langenberg * Reading Religion *For more than a thousand years Śāntideva's Guide to Bodhisattva Practice has been a profound source of inspiration for Tibetan Buddhists. It was one of the six basic texts of Atiśa’s Kadam tradition. When teaching it to me, Khunu Lama Rinpoché told me that no other book explains the awakening mind of bodhicitta, the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, as effectively as this. Śāntideva describes how a self-centered attitude gives rise to disturbing emotions like anger and fear, but also how they can be countered by altruism and warm-heartedness. He shows how we can tackle our mental afflictions and achieve peace of mind, something that can be of benefit to everyone. The Guide is a book I read, I teach, and keep with me. The readings presented in this volume make clear how much of Śāntideva's advice can be of interest and benefit to readers today. -- His Holiness the Dalai LamaThis volume offers its readers valuable insights into the multifaceted literary gem that is the Guide by bringing to bear the expertise of some of the most prominent scholars in Buddhist Studies. Overall, the results serve as an excellent introduction to the multidimensional textual history of the Guide, argue convincingly for the continued importance of the text in the world today, and demonstrate the value of higher literary criticism for Buddhist Studies. * Religions of South Asia *This book is an inspirational introduction to be read along with the text itself. * Religious Studies Review *Anyone familiar with Western ethical thinking, but not with the Indian Buddhist tradition or with Śāntideva’s remarkable text, will have much to learn from the connections made in this volume between these distinct ways of thinking about ethics. -- Peter Singer, author of The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living EthicallyŚāntideva's Guide is a poem, a liturgy, a meditation manual, a phenomenology of mind, a moral psychology, an explication of the distinctive Buddhist virtues, and an invitation to the Mahāyāna way of life. Gold and Duckworth’s volume is a set of essays by brilliant contemporary philosophers and religious studies scholars that provides deep and sensitive readings of this great text. Śāntideva comes alive for the twenty-first century in these pages. -- Owen Flanagan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy, Duke UniversityŚāntideva's Guide to Bodhisattva Practice has inspired Buddhist scholars and practitioners for more than a millennium. Dozens of commentaries have been written—and continue to be written—on this great work. In the last two decades European and American scholars have seriously engaged Śāntideva's work and its commentaries from many different perspectives, exploring its philological, ethical, metaphysical, and ritual dimensions, and analyzing the role it has played in Buddhist self-cultivation. This marvelous collection of essays, written by the very best Śāntideva scholars in the world, provides readers with a much-needed overview of state-of-the-art scholarship on the Guide. Sophisticated yet concise and accessible, this book is an indispensable resource for those of us who have pondered—or lost ourselves in—Śāntideva's beautiful poem. -- José Ignacio Cabezón, Dalai Lama Professor of Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies, University of California, Santa BarbaraThe essays contain the richness of classical Buddhist writing and showcase the latest trends in Buddhist studies. This is an excellent volume, and a rare one at that. -- Jacob P. Dalton, author of The Gathering of Intentions: A History of a Tibetan TantraTable of ContentsA Note to the ReaderAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. Participatory Authorship and Communal Interpretation: The Bodhicaryāvatāra as a “World Classic,” by Jonathan C. Gold1. Śāntideva: The Author and His Project, by Paul Harrison2. Reason and Knowledge on the Path: A Protreptic Reading of the Guide, by Amber Carpenter3. On Learning to Overhear the “Vanishing Poet,” by Sonam Kachru4. An Intoxication of Mouse Venom: Reading the Guide, Chapter 9, by Matthew T. Kapstein5. Seeing from All Sides, by Janet Gyatso6. Bodies and Embodiment in the Bodhicaryāvatāra, by Reiko Ohnuma7. Ritual Structure and Material Culture in the Guide to Bodhisattva Practice, by Eric Huntington8. Bodhicaryāvatāra and Tibetan Mind Training (Lojong), by Thupten Jinpa9. Taming Śāntideva: Tsongkhapa’s Use of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, by Roger Jackson10. The Middle Way of the Bodhisattva, by Douglas S. Duckworth11. Seeing Sentient Beings: Śāntideva’s Moral Phenomenology, by Jay L. Garfield12. Śāntideva’s Ethics of Impartial Compassion, by Charles Goodman13. Śāntideva and the Moral Psychology of Fear, by Bronwyn Finnigan14. Innate Human Connectivity and Śāntideva’s Cultivation of Compassion, by John DunneAppendix 1: A Guide to Guide Translations: Advice for Students and InstructorsAppendix 2: Index of Guide Verses CitedBibliographyContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisŚāntideva’s eighth-century work the Guide to Bodhisattva Practice (Bodhicaryāvatāra) is one of the crucial texts of the Buddhist ethical and philosophical tradition. This book serves as a companion to this Indian Buddhist classic, illuminating the Guide’s many philosophical, literary, ritual, and ethical dimensions.Trade ReviewHighly recommended. * Choice *This is an exceptional collection which not only provides a useful teaching tool for the classroom, but also makes significant conceptual advances to our understanding of the Guide. I warmly recommend it for any serious student of Śāntideva’s thought. -- Stephen Harris * Journal of Buddhist Ethics *[A] rich volume. -- Amy Paris Langenberg * Reading Religion *For more than a thousand years Śāntideva's Guide to Bodhisattva Practice has been a profound source of inspiration for Tibetan Buddhists. It was one of the six basic texts of Atiśa’s Kadam tradition. When teaching it to me, Khunu Lama Rinpoché told me that no other book explains the awakening mind of bodhicitta, the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, as effectively as this. Śāntideva describes how a self-centered attitude gives rise to disturbing emotions like anger and fear, but also how they can be countered by altruism and warm-heartedness. He shows how we can tackle our mental afflictions and achieve peace of mind, something that can be of benefit to everyone. The Guide is a book I read, I teach, and keep with me. The readings presented in this volume make clear how much of Śāntideva's advice can be of interest and benefit to readers today. -- His Holiness the Dalai LamaThis volume offers its readers valuable insights into the multifaceted literary gem that is the Guide by bringing to bear the expertise of some of the most prominent scholars in Buddhist Studies. Overall, the results serve as an excellent introduction to the multidimensional textual history of the Guide, argue convincingly for the continued importance of the text in the world today, and demonstrate the value of higher literary criticism for Buddhist Studies. * Religions of South Asia *This book is an inspirational introduction to be read along with the text itself. * Religious Studies Review *Anyone familiar with Western ethical thinking, but not with the Indian Buddhist tradition or with Śāntideva’s remarkable text, will have much to learn from the connections made in this volume between these distinct ways of thinking about ethics. -- Peter Singer, author of The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living EthicallyŚāntideva's Guide is a poem, a liturgy, a meditation manual, a phenomenology of mind, a moral psychology, an explication of the distinctive Buddhist virtues, and an invitation to the Mahāyāna way of life. Gold and Duckworth’s volume is a set of essays by brilliant contemporary philosophers and religious studies scholars that provides deep and sensitive readings of this great text. Śāntideva comes alive for the twenty-first century in these pages. -- Owen Flanagan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy, Duke UniversityŚāntideva's Guide to Bodhisattva Practice has inspired Buddhist scholars and practitioners for more than a millennium. Dozens of commentaries have been written—and continue to be written—on this great work. In the last two decades European and American scholars have seriously engaged Śāntideva's work and its commentaries from many different perspectives, exploring its philological, ethical, metaphysical, and ritual dimensions, and analyzing the role it has played in Buddhist self-cultivation. This marvelous collection of essays, written by the very best Śāntideva scholars in the world, provides readers with a much-needed overview of state-of-the-art scholarship on the Guide. Sophisticated yet concise and accessible, this book is an indispensable resource for those of us who have pondered—or lost ourselves in—Śāntideva's beautiful poem. -- José Ignacio Cabezón, Dalai Lama Professor of Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies, University of California, Santa BarbaraThe essays contain the richness of classical Buddhist writing and showcase the latest trends in Buddhist studies. This is an excellent volume, and a rare one at that. -- Jacob P. Dalton, author of The Gathering of Intentions: A History of a Tibetan TantraTable of ContentsA Note to the ReaderAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. Participatory Authorship and Communal Interpretation: The Bodhicaryāvatāra as a “World Classic,” by Jonathan C. Gold1. Śāntideva: The Author and His Project, by Paul Harrison2. Reason and Knowledge on the Path: A Protreptic Reading of the Guide, by Amber Carpenter3. On Learning to Overhear the “Vanishing Poet,” by Sonam Kachru4. An Intoxication of Mouse Venom: Reading the Guide, Chapter 9, by Matthew T. Kapstein5. Seeing from All Sides, by Janet Gyatso6. Bodies and Embodiment in the Bodhicaryāvatāra, by Reiko Ohnuma7. Ritual Structure and Material Culture in the Guide to Bodhisattva Practice, by Eric Huntington8. Bodhicaryāvatāra and Tibetan Mind Training (Lojong), by Thupten Jinpa9. Taming Śāntideva: Tsongkhapa’s Use of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, by Roger Jackson10. The Middle Way of the Bodhisattva, by Douglas S. Duckworth11. Seeing Sentient Beings: Śāntideva’s Moral Phenomenology, by Jay L. Garfield12. Śāntideva’s Ethics of Impartial Compassion, by Charles Goodman13. Śāntideva and the Moral Psychology of Fear, by Bronwyn Finnigan14. Innate Human Connectivity and Śāntideva’s Cultivation of Compassion, by John DunneAppendix 1: A Guide to Guide Translations: Advice for Students and InstructorsAppendix 2: Index of Guide Verses CitedBibliographyContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisUtpaladeva on the Power of Action provides the first critical edition, annotated translation, and study of one of the chapters of the Recognition of the Lord, a landmark in the history of nondual Saivism by the Utpaladeva, that were recently recovered from marginal annotations in manuscripts of other commentaries on Utpaladeva's treatise.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Lopez Jr. and Stone’s detailed analysis makes for a welcome, admirable addition to the large repertoire of more general Lotus Sutra studies." * Publishers Weekly *"The Lotus Sūtra . . . is given a near perfect summary when the authors write that it is a 'sūtra that never ends, an assembly that never disperses, and a mission that is ongoing'."---Nilanjan Bhowmick, Los Angeles Review of Books"While scholarly in nature, this work’s engaging, thoughtful manner serves its subject well. Essential for readers with academic-level interest in Buddhist studies." * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Zimmer moves among [the myths of India] unhurriedly, with a respect that amounts to devotion. Gradually his comments bring to light the universal meanings beneath the archaic exterior."--New York TimesTable of ContentsList of Plates ix I Eternity and time 1 The Parade of Ants 3 2 The Wheel of Rebirth 11 3 The Wisdom of Life 19 II The Mythology of Vishnu 1 Vishnu Maya 23 2 The Waters of Existence 27 3 The Waters of Non-Existance 35 4 Maya in Indian Art 53 III The Guardians of Life 1 The Serpent, Supporter of Vishnu and the Buddha 59 2 Divinities and their Vehicles 69 3 The Serpent and the Bird 72 4 Vishnu as Conqueror of the Serpent 77 5 The Lotus 90 6 The Elephant 102 7 The Sacred Rivers 109 IV The Cosmic Delight of Shiva 1 The "Fundamental Form" and the "Playful Manifestations" 123 2 The Phenomenon of Expanding Form 130 3 Shiva-Shakti 137 4 The Great Lord 148 5 The Dance of Shiva 151 6 The Face of Glory 175 7 The Destroyer of the Three Towns 185 V The Goddess 1 The Origin of The Goddess 189 2. The Island of Jewels 197 VI Conclusion 217 Index 223 Plates 249

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Lopez Jr. and Stone’s detailed analysis makes for a welcome, admirable addition to the large repertoire of more general Lotus Sutra studies." * Publishers Weekly *"The Lotus Sūtra . . . is given a near perfect summary when the authors write that it is a 'sūtra that never ends, an assembly that never disperses, and a mission that is ongoing'."---Nilanjan Bhowmick, Los Angeles Review of Books"While scholarly in nature, this work’s engaging, thoughtful manner serves its subject well. Essential for readers with academic-level interest in Buddhist studies." * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisThis anthology of Buddhist texts in translation provides a framework that will transform contemporary scholarship on Pure Land Buddhism and instigate its recognition as an essential field of Buddhist studies. Traditional and contemporary primary sources are organised by genre rather than chronologically, geographically, or by religious lineage.

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Book SynopsisOffers a methodical examination of Indian teaching about the tathgatagarbha (otherwise the presence of one's ""Buddha-nature"") and the extent to which different Buddhist texts and authors articulated this in terms of the self.

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Book SynopsisThe first book of this two-volume set consists largely of an annotated translation of the Record of the Transmission of Illumination (Denkroku) by Zen Master Keizan Jkin (1264-1325), presented together with the original Japanese text on which the English translation is based.

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Book SynopsisA collection of key texts from practising Buddhism women, showing their vital contributions to the development of Buddhist thought.

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Book SynopsisThis is not a standard translation of Mulamadhyamakakarika. Translator Nishijima Roshi believes that the original translation from Chinese into Sanskrit by the Ven. Kumarajiva (circa 400 C.E.) was faulty and that Kumarajiva''s interpretation has influenced every other translation since. Avoiding reference to any other translations or commentaries, Nishijima Roshi has translated the entire text anew. This edition is, therefore, like no other. An expert in the philosophical works of Dogen Zenji (1200-1254 CE), Nishijima says in his introduction, My own thoughts regarding Buddhism rely solely upon what Master Dogen wrote about the philosophy. So when reading the Mulamadhyamakakarika it is impossible for me not to be influenced by Master Dogen’s Buddhist ideas. Thus this book is heavily and unabashedly influenced by the work of Master Dogen. Working with Brad Warner, Nishijima has produced a highly readable and eminently practical translation and commentary intende

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Book SynopsisThis clearly written text explores the breadth of Buddhist philosophy and its historical unfolding. It considers the basic teachings of the Buddha, and the value of meditation for improving and shaping one's life. This Second Edition includes new chapters on Buddhist ethics and meditative practices for living a flourishing life.Table of ContentsPart I. A Sketch of the Buddha and the Dhamma: 1. The life of Siddhattha Gotama; 2. The contexts for the emergence of Buddhism; 3. The basic teachings of the Buddha; 4. One Buddhism or many Buddhisms?; Part II. Details of the Dhamma; 5. Kamma, Samsara, and rebirth; 6. Interdependent arising; 7. Impermanence, no-enduring-self, and emptiness; 8. Moksa and Nibbana; Part III. Development of the Dhamma/Dharma: 9. Bodhidharma's and Huineng's Buddhisms; 10. Pure Land Buddhism ; 11. Tibetan Buddhism; 12. Two forms of contemporary Buddhism; Part IV. Applications and Assessment of the Dhamma/Dharma: 13. Applied Buddhist Ethics or Engaged Buddhism; 14. Buddhist Epistemology and Buddhist Meditation.

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