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Cover

Buddhism

Introducing the Buddhist Experience

Third Edition

Donald W. Mitchell and Sarah H. Jacoby

Publication Date - 30 October 2013

ISBN: 9780199861873

464 pages
Paperback
6-1/2 x 9-1/4 inches

In Stock

A sympathetic, accurate account that encompasses Buddhist traditions from around the globe

Description

Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience, Third Edition, focuses on the depth of Buddhist experiences as expressed in the teachings and practices of its religious and philosophical traditions. Taking a more global and inclusive approach than any other introductory text, the book spans more than 2,500 years, offering chapters on Buddhism's origins in India; Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism; Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan; and the globalization of Buddhism with a focus on the United States. The volume is enhanced by substantial selections of primary text material, numerous boxed personal narratives by respected Buddhists and scholars, maps and photos, and six essays on cultural experiences of Buddhism around the world today.

New to this Edition

  • A reframing of Buddhism as a globalized set of traditions embodying a multitude of cultural forms, informed by insights from new coauthor Sarah H. Jacoby
  • A revised final chapter, "The Globalization of Buddhism," with new material on Buddhism in Africa, Latin America, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
  • Coverage of second- and third-generation Buddhist youth and the Internet's role in the globalization of Buddhism
  • A rewritten and more robust chapter on "The Tibetan Experiences of Buddhism" that reflects Jacoby's specialization
  • New materials on contemporary, socially engaged Buddhist movements in Asia and their new global presence
  • Updates to all chapters featuring the most recent scholarship, more student-friendly subtitles, and new photographs and maps

About the Author(s)

Donald W. Mitchell is Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University. He is the author of The Gethsemani Encounter: A Dialogue on the Spiritual Life by Buddhist and Christian Monastics (1997).

Sarah H. Jacoby is Assistant Professor of Religion at Northwestern University. She is the coeditor of Buddhism Beyond the Monastery: Tantric Practices and their Performers in Tibet and the Himalayas (2009).

Previous Publication Date(s)

October 2013
October 2007
November 2001

Reviews

"Buddhism is a ten! It covers the entire Buddhist tradition with accuracy and from a sympathetic point of view."--Christopher Key Chapple, Loyola Marymount University

"The best single-volume introduction to Buddhism. It is clear, expansive, and accessible."--Daniel S. Breyer, Illinois State University

"I especially like the boxes with notes from practitioners, which make clear that Buddhism is very much a living religion."--Laurie Hovell McMillin, Oberlin College

Table of Contents

    Boxes, Figures, and Maps
    Preface
    Pronunciation Guide
    Introduction
    1. THE LIFE OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA
    The Early Life of Siddhartha Gautama
    Birth
    Youth
    The Four Sights
    The Great Renunciation
    Spiritual Teachers
    Asceticism
    The Awakening of the Buddha
    Enlightenment
    Nirvana
    The Mission of the Buddha
    The Three Refuges
    Important Conversions
    Monasticism
    Social Concern
    Women's Ordination
    The Rebellion of Devadatta
    The Last Days of Gautama Buddha
    2. THE TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA
    The Three Characteristics
    Impermanence
    Dissatisfactoriness
    No-Self
    The Five Aggregates
    Dependent Arising
    Karma and Rebirth
    Buddhist Cosmology
    The Wheel of Life
    The Four Noble Truths
    The Middle Way
    The First Noble Truth: Life Is Duhkha
    The Second Noble Truth: The Cause of Duhkha
    The Third Noble Truth: The Cessation of Duhkha
    The Fourth Noble Truth: The Eightfold Path to the Cessation of Duhkha
    Awakening
    The Eightfold Path
    Right Understanding
    Right Thought
    Right Speech
    Right Action
    Right Livelihood
    Right Effort
    Right Mindfulness
    Right Concentration
    Nirvana
    3. EARLY BUDDHISM AND THE WAY OF THE ELDERS
    The First Council: Three Baskets
    The Sutra Pitaka
    The Vinaya Pitaka
    The Abhidharma Pitaka
    Second and Third Councils: Many Paths
    King Asoka
    The Way of the Elders
    Cultivating Morality
    Purification and Wholesomeness
    Releasement for Nirvana
    Four Lower and Higher Meditations
    Supernormal Abilities
    Tranquility Meditation
    Insight Meditation
    Wisdom
    Five Purifications
    The Four Paths
    Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
    Sri Lanka
    Southeast Asia
    Theravada Monastic and Lay Experience
    The Cultural Experience of Thai Buddhism Today, Mano Mettanando Laohavanich
    From Childhood to Adulthood
    Marriages and Funerals
    Popular Buddhist Practices
    Contributions of Thailand to Buddhist Culture
    4. THE GREAT VEHICLE
    The Mahayana Sutras
    Discovering the Perfection of Wisdom
    A Layperson's Sutra
    Exploring Consciousness
    The Lotus
    The Land of Bliss
    The Great Journey of the Bodhisattva
    The Six Perfections
    The Ten Stages
    A Joyous Choice
    Purity, Luminosity, and Radience
    Meditation and Wisdom
    Beyond Arhatship to Buddhahood
    The Dharma Cloud
    The Three Bodies of the Buddha
    Celestial Buddhas
    Celestial Bodhisattvas
    5. THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHIST THOUGHT IN INDIA
    The Abhidharma Philosophies
    The Mahayana Philosophies
    The Middle Way
    The Womb of the Buddha
    Foundations of Consciousness
    Theories of Knowledge
    6. THE TIBETAN EXPERIENCES OF BUDDHISM
    The Early Dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet
    The Later Dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet
    Tantra and Vajray?na Buddhism
    Preliminary Practices
    Major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
    The "Scripture and Precept" School: Kadam
    The "Gray Earth" School: Sakya
    The "Oral Transmission" School: Kagyu
    The "Virtuous Ones" School: Geluk
    The Dalai Lama
    Tibet in the Past Century
    New Tibetan Buddhist Movements
    The Cultural Experience of Tibetan Buddhism Today, Geshe Damdul Namgyal
    Daily Rituals
    Circumambulation
    Prayer Wheels
    Prayer Flags
    The Ransom of Animals
    Purifications
    Auspicious Days
    Pilgrimage
    Wandering Storytellers
    The Deeper Life
    7. THE CHINESE EXPERIENCES OF BUDDHISM
    Translation and Inculturation
    New Translations and Scholarship
    Persecution and Reform
    The Foundation of the Chinese Experiences of Buddhism
    The Abhidhauma Schools
    The Mahayana Schools
    Defining the Chinese Experiences of Buddhism
    The Heavenly Terrace School
    The Flower-Garland School
    The Pure Land School
    Persecution and Decline
    New Chinese Buddhist Movements
    The Cultural Experience of Chinese Buddhism Today, Dedong Wei
    Temple Rituals
    Buddhist Festivals
    Popular Buddhist Practices
    Recent Developments in Popular Chinese Buddhism
    Buddhism's Influence on Chinese Culture Today
    8. THE KOREAN EXPERIENCES OF BUDDHISM
    The Advent of Buddhism during the Three Kingdoms Period
    Buddhism during the Unified Silla Dynasty: Innovation and Scholarship
    Uisang
    Wonhyo
    The Five Buddhist Schools
    Buddhism during the Koryo Dynasty: Searching for Unity
    Uich'on
    Chinul
    The Korean Tripitaka
    Repression during the Choson Dynasty
    The Japanese Occupation and Recent Developments
    The Cultural Experience of Korean Buddhism Today, Jongmyung Kim
    Temple Rituals
    Prayer and Pilgrimage
    The Templestay Program
    Buddhist Cultural Heritage in Korea
    The Future of Popular Buddhism in Korean Culture
    9. THE JAPANESE EXPERIENCES OF BUDDHISM
    Prince Shotoku
    The Nara Period (710-784): The Six Schools
    The Kusha School
    The Jojitsu School
    The Ritsu School
    The Sanron School
    The Hosso School
    The Kegon School
    The Heian Period (794-1185): The Tendai and Shingon Schools
    Tendai Buddhism
    The Shingon School
    The Kamakura Period (1185-1333): Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren
    Pure Land Buddhism
    Zen Buddhism
    Nichiren Buddhism
    The Muromachi Period (1338-1573): Zen and Japanese Culture
    The Tokugawa Period (1603-1868): Struggle and Reform
    The Meiji Period (1868-1912) and Recent Developments
    New Japanese Buddhist Cultural Movements
    The Cultural Experience of Japanese Buddhism Today, Tomonobu Shinozaki
    Buddhist Veneration of Ancestors
    O-bon Festival
    Popular Buddhist Practices and Holidays
    The Bodhisattva Figure and Buddhist Practice Today
    10. THE GLOBALIZATION OF BUDDHISM
    Early European Encounters and Scholarship
    Buddhism in the United States
    Chinese Buddhism
    Japanese Buddhism
    Tibetan Buddhism
    Theravada Buddhism
    Korean Buddhism
    Vietnamese Buddhism
    Buddhism in Europe
    Buddhists in Canada
    Buddhism in Australia and New Zealand
    Buddhism in Brazil
    Buddhism in Africa
    Issues Facing Global Buddhisms
    Ethnicity, Identity and Practice
    Women, Ordination and Gender
    Buddhist Ecumenism
    Interreligious Dialogue
    Social Engagement
    Ecology and Science
    Youth and the Internet
    The Future of Global Buddhism
    The Cultural Experience of Buddhism in America Today
    Glossary of Technical Terms
    Index

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