Buddhism Books

Book SynopsisIn "What the Buddha Thought", Richard Gombrich argues that the Buddha was one of the most brilliant and original thinkers of all time. Intended to serve as an introduction to the Buddha's thought, and hence even to Buddhism itself, the book also has larger aims: it argues that we can know far more about the Buddha than it is fashionable among scholars to admit, and that his thought has a greater coherence than is usually recognised. It contains much new material. Interpreters both ancient and modern have taken little account of the historical context of the Buddha's teachings; but by relating them to early brahminical texts, and also to ancient Jainism, Gombrich gives a much richer picture of the Buddha's meaning, especially when his satire and irony are appreciated. Incidentally, since many of the Buddha's allusions can only be traced in the Pali versions of surviving texts, the book establishes the importance of the Pali Canon as evidence. The book contains much new material. The author stresses the Buddha's capacity for abstraction: though he made extensive use of metaphor, he did not found his arguments upon it, as earlier thinkers had done. He ethicized and radically reinterpreted older ideas of karma (human action) and rebirth. Similarly, building on older texts, he argued for the fundamental importance of love and compassion, and analysed fire as a process which could stand as a model for every component of conscious experience. Morally, the Buddha's theory of karma provided a principle of individuation and asserted each individual's responsibility for his own destiny. To make the book completely accessible to the general reader, the author provides an introductory section of 'Background Information,' for easy reference.Table of ContentsPrefaceBackground InformationChapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: More about karma, and its social contextChapter 3: The antecedents of the karma doctrine in brahminismChapter 4: Jain antecedentsChapter 5: What did the Buddha mean by no soulA"?Chapter 6: The Buddha's positive values: love and compassionChapter 7: Assessing the evidenceChapter 8: Everything is burning: the centrality of fire in the Buddha's thoughtChapter 9: Causation and non-random processChapter 10: Cognition; language; nirvanaChapter 11: The Buddha's pragmatism and intellectual styleChapter 12: The Buddha as satirist; brahmin terms as social metaphorsChapter 13: Is this book to be believed?Appendix: The Buddha's appropriation of four (or five?) brahminical terms

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Book SynopsisWe’re all living faster, working harder, and often so busy we forget to take a moment to sit back, close our eyes and just, breathe. Yet this hectic lifestyle can get us down, making us lethargic, stressed and burnt out. So how to break the cycle?Inspired by traditional eastern lessons of meditation and mindfulness, neuroscience and insights from literature, Emma Mills offers fresh and simple tools to keep our minds healthy, from that early morning coffee through to the moment you climb into bed, without having to invest in expensive detox courses or far-flung retreats. She guides the reader through a course of a single day, with easy tips, meditations, recipes, literary recommendations and practical takeaways that can be completed in a matter of minutes.So just inhale, exhale, and repeat – and let a sense of calm and focus transform your day.Trade Reviewa life-affirming, powerful read -- Patricia Merrick * The Lady *practical tips and tricks to work into your daily routine, from morning coffee and commuting to bed time * GRAZIA *This is a down-to-earth handbook for anyone who needs a little help finding calm. * Idler *

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Book Synopsis'The natural sympathy and understanding of people everywhere must be the soil in which the new humanism can thrive.' For Daisaku Ikeda, whose words these are, education has long been one of the fundamental priorities of his work and teaching. And his emphasis on the intellectual legacy bequeathed to humanity by the great teachers of civilization is in this volume encapsulated by the notion of a 'new humanism': a significant residue of wisdom that in the right circumstances may be passed on to future generations, expanding horizons, making connnctions between different cultures and encouraging fresh insights and new discoveries across the globe. These circumstances are perhaps most fully realised in the context of universities. And in promoting his core values of education and peace, the author has delivered speeches and lectures at more than twenty-five academies, colleges and research institutes worldwide. This stimulating collection, which includes the author's most recent lectures, ranges widely across topics as diverse as art, religion, culture and time, and draws creatively on the sages of ancient India, China and Japan as well as on visionary thinkers from every nation, including Tolstoy, Victor Hugo and Gandhi.Table of ContentsPreface Editors’ Note PART I: ART, LITERATURE, AND EDUCATION Creative Life (Institut de France, 1989) The Kemalist Revolution: A Model (Ankara University, 1992) A Matter of the Heart (Peking University, 1990) Beyond the Profit Motive (University of the Philippines, 1991) The Flight of Creativity (University of Bologna, 1994) The Magnificent Cosmos (Moscow State University, 1994) Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship (Columbia University, 1996) Building a Great Spiritual Bridge to the New Century (University of Havana, 1996) PART II: DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE A New Road to East-West Cultural Exchange (Moscow State University, 1975) The Mexican Poetic Spirit (University of Guadalajara, 1981) A Harmonious Blend of Cultures (Saint Kliment Ohridsky University of Sofia, 1981) Crossroads of Civilization (University of Bucharest, 1983) A New Global Awareness (University of Macau, 1991) The Making of History (Fudan University, 1984) Surmounting Darkness and the Faustian Agony (Ateneo de Santander, 1995) PART III: RELIGION AND OUR TIME A Godless Civilization (Peking University, 1980) The Enduring Self (University of California at Los Angeles, 1974) Gandhism and the Modern World (National Museum of India, 1992) An Ethos of Symbiosis (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 1992) Mahayana Buddhism and Twenty-first Century Civilization (Harvard University, 1993) Homage to the Sagarmatha of Humanism (Tribhuvan University, 1995) PART IV: THE IMPERATIVE OF PEACE Radicalism Reconsidered (Claremont McKenna College, 1993) An Infinite Horizon (Shenzhen University, 1994) A Garden of Imagination (Brazilian Academy of Letters, 1993) Globalism and Nationalism (University of Buenos Aires, 1990) The Age of Soft Power (Harvard University, 1991) Peace and Human Security (East-West Center in Hawaii, 1995) Makiguchi’s Lifelong Pursuit of Justice and Humane Values (Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1996) Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisChina now attracts global attention in direct proportion to its increasing economic and geopolitical power. But for millennia, the philosophy which has shaped the soul of China is not modern Communism, or even new forms of capitalism, but rather Confucianism. And one of the most striking phenomena relating to China's ascendancy on the world stage is a burgeoning interest, throughout Asia and beyond, in the humanistic culture and values that underlie Chinese politics and finance: particularly the thought of Confucius passed on in the Analects. In this stimulating conversation, two leading thinkers from the Confucian and Buddhist traditions discuss the timely relevance of a rejuvenated Confucian ethics to some of the most urgent issues in the modern world: Sino/Japanese/US relations; the transformation of society through education and dialogue; and the role of world religions in promoting human flourishing. Exploring correspondences between the Confucian and Buddhist world-views, the interlocutors commit themselves to a view of spirituality and religion that, without blurring cultural difference, is focused above all on the 'universal heart': on harmony between people and nature that leads to peace and to a hopeful future for all humanity.Table of ContentsChapter One: The Starting Point for Peace Chapter Two: Life-changing Encounters with Mentors Chapter Three: Learning and the Youth Chapter Four: Leaning as a Way of Life Chapter Five: Dialogue of Civilizations Chapter Six: Dialogues for Change Chapter Seven: The Social Role of Religion Chapter Eight: Buddhism and Confucianism for a Better World Chapter Nine: A Century of Great Harmony Chapter Ten: Globalization of Peace Culture Chapter Eleven: Confucian Humanism and Buddhist Humanism Chapter Twelve: Analects and a Dialogical Community Chapter Thirteen: New Horizons in Humanism Chapter Fourteen: The Unity of Heaven and Humanity vs. the Oneness of the Self and the Universe Chapter Fifteen: Buddhist and Confucian Wisdom-A Full Flowering of Humanity Chapter Sixteen: Sino-American Relations Chapter Seventeen: Toward a Dialogical Civilization Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFrom the teachings of the early masters to the growth of the tradition in the West, this authoritative new reference tool contains over 900 entries supplying information on all the key doctrines, practices, and figures central to Buddhism.Trade Review"extremely useful resource for the study of Buddhism" * Living Traditions *"well presented, easy to use and authoritative." * Living Traditions *"is very useful for pinpointing specific kinds of information" * H-Net *

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive study draws exhaustively on a wide range of sources both primary and secondary, and in particular the Pali texts, to offer an authoritative study of the "thirty-seven conditions that contribute to awakening". This classic set of Buddhist teachings is examined both collectively and individually, thus revealing how early Buddhist thinkers understood the process of spiritual practice by which ordinary consciousness is transformed in the mystic mind. Sensitive, conscientious, and featuring full notes and extensive bibliography, this text will be appreciated by scholars and students alike.Trade Review"It should be read by everyone concerned with Buddhist thought, in whatever school or period." * Journal of the American Oriental Society *"Certain to become the definitive work on the subject." * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society *"A very thorough study of the Abhidhamma texts, the complicated knots of which he unravels with great skill… An important contribution to the study of the Buddhist path to awakening." J. W. de Jong * Indo-Iranian Journal *Table of ContentsList of Tables Preface Preface to the Second Edition Introduction PART ONE - THE SEVEN SETS INDIVIDUALLY I. The Establishing of Mindfulness 2. The Right Endeavours 3. The Bases of Success 4. The Faculties and Powers 5. Factors of Awakening 6. The Noble Eightfold Path PART TWO - THE SEVEN SETS COLLECTIVELY 7. The Seven Sets in the Nikayas 8. The Seven Sets Expanded 9. Dhammas that Contribute to Awakening 10. The Seven Sets in the Abhidhamma Conclusion Appendix Glossary Abbreviations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn his tv programmes William Woollard has established a firm reputation for his ability to take difficult and often obscure bits of science and make them immediately interesting and accessible to the average listener. In this book he does very much the same thing for Buddhism and what it has to offer in a modern context. His theme is really happiness. So he takes us on a journey to unravel what it is that makes us feel good about ourselves and our lives and our relationships. On the way he reveals the fascinating conjunction that has now emerged between the classical teachings of Buddhism, and the latest findings from today's sociologists, and psychologists and neuroscientists, about who we are, and what really makes us happy.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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