Survey of Buddhism

An indispensable study of the whole field of Buddhist thought and practice, placing its development in a historical context. Now in its ninth edition. "The best survey of Buddhism"- Dr Edward Conze

About the Author

xiii

Preface to the Sixth Edition

xv

Introduction

The Importance of Buddhism

3

(3)

The Unity of Buddhism

6

(3)

The Buddha

9

(2)

The Dharma

11

(3)

The Sangha

14

(2)

The Oral Tradition

16

(1)

The Canonical Literature

17

(5)

Phases of Development

22

(3)

The Spiritual Life

25

(3)

Nirvana

28

(1)

Art

29

(1)

Social and Political Ideals

30

(5)

The Buddha and Buddhism

The Approach to Buddhism

35

(7)

The Study of the Dharma: Methods and Materials

42

(9)

History Versus Tradition

The Universal Context of Buddhism

51

(7)

History Versus Tradition

The Cosmological Perspective

58

(6)

The Lineage of the Enlightened One

64

(6)

Gautama the Buddha: His Greatness and Role

70

(7)

The Historical Uniqueness of the Dharma

77

(8)

Ineffable Nirvana

85

(8)

The Charge of Nihilism

93

(9)

The Positive Aspects of Nirvana

102

(8)

The Essence of Enlightenment

110

(10)

The True Nature of All Dharmas

120

(8)

Conditioned Co-Production: the Twelve Links

128

(9)

Samsara and Nirvana

137

(7)

The Four Aryan Truths

144

(17)

The Threefold Way - The Middle Path - Morality

161

(14)

Meditation

175

(19)

Wisdom and the Arhant Ideal

194

(15)

The Foundations of Buddhism: Early Schools

209

(12)

Hinayana and Mahayana

Is Buddhism one or Many?

221

(11)

The Transcendental Unity of Buddhism: the Dharma as Means

232

(9)

The Three Vehicles

241

(8)

Factors in the Emergence of the Mahayana

249

(20)

What is Mahayana Buddhism?

269

(13)

The Trikaya Doctrine

282

(15)

The Two Truths: The Egolessness of all Dharmas

297

(8)

The Mahayana Sangha

305

(8)

The Mahayana Schools

The Complexity of the Mahayana

313

(2)

The Five Spiritual Faculties

315

(16)

The Schematization of the Schools

331

(5)

The Scriptures of Perfect Wisdom

336

(10)

The New Wisdom School

346

(14)

The Scriptures of Devotional Buddhism

360

(14)

The Pure Land School

374

(13)

The Scriptures of Buddhist Idealism

387

(11)

The Yogacara School

398

(14)

Transition to the Tantra

412

(5)

Tantric Texts, Teachers, and Schools

417

(10)

Some Special Features of the Tantra

427

(5)

Integral Buddhism

432

(5)

The Bodhisattva Ideal

The Unifying Factor

437

(6)

The Bodhisattva Versus the Arhant

443

(5)

The Path of the Bodhisattva: Preliminary Devotional Practices

448

(12)

The Thought of Enlightenment

460

(6)

The Six Perfections

466

(24)

The Ten Perfections and the Ten Stages

490

(11)

Select Bibliography

501

(12)

Index

513

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Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials