Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Buddhism - Theravada

In Mudras of the Buddha (His Life and Works), Dhiravamsa introduces some 66 traditional images of the Buddha in various postures (or mudras) and explains the historical contexts that each of these represents.

The mudras span the time of the life of Siddhartha from when he went forth from his mundane existence to become a recluse (samana) in search of a solution to the problem of humanity's suffering, with his earlier experiences in various meditative traditions, to his discovery of a middle path that became the core of his teachings (his dharma). Further mudras illustrate...

If Buddhism denies a permanent self, how does it perceive identity? According to Buddhist texts, the entire universe, including the individual, is made up of different phenomena, which Buddhism classifies into different categories: what we conventionally call a "person" can be understood in terms of five aggregates, the sum of which must not be taken for a permanent entity, since beings are nothing but an amalgam of ever-changing phenomena. Although the aggregates are only a "convenient fiction," the Buddha nevertheless made frequent use of the aggregate scheme when asked to...

This book brings to life the age-old religious tradition of Theravada (literally, "view of the elders") Buddhism as it is found in ancient texts and understood and practiced today in South and Southeast Asia. Following a brief introduction to the life of the historical Buddha and the beginning of his mission, the book examines the Triple Gem (the Buddha, his teachings, and the community of monastic followers) and the basic teachings of the Buddha in the earliest available Pali sources. Basic Buddhist concepts such as dependent co-origination, the four noble truths, the three trainings, and...

For centuries, Burmese have looked to the authority of their religious tradition, Theravada Buddhism, to negotiate social and political hierarchies. Modern Buddhist Conjunctures in Myanmar examines those moments in the modern history of this Southeast Asian country when religion, culture, and politics converge to chart new directions. Arguing against Max Weber's characterization of Buddhism as other-worldly and divorced from politics, this study shows that Buddhist practice necessitates public validation within an economy of merit in which moral action earns future rewards. The...

Written by the leading authority on Theravada Buddhism, this up-dated edition takes into account recent research to include the controversies over the date of the Buddha and current social and political developments in Sri Lanka. Gombrich explores the legacy of the Buddha's predecessors and the social and religious contexts against which Buddhism has developed and changed throughout history, demonstrating above all, how it has always influenced and been influenced by its social surroundings in a way which continues to this day.

In contrast to many studies that assimilate Buddhist moral thinking to Western theories of ethics, the book attends to distinctively Buddhist ways of systematizing...

Reading the Mahavamsa advocates a new, literary approach to this text by revealing its...