The Buddhist Forum Volume VI

CONTENTS The online pagination 2012 corresponds to the hard copy pagination 1992 Abbreviations............................................................................vii List of Illustrations.....................................................................ix Introduction...............................................................................xi T.H. Barrett Devil’s Valley to Omega Point: Reflections on the Emergence of a Theme from the Nō..............................1 T.H. Barrett Buddhism, Taoism and the Rise of the City Gods................13 L.S. Cousins The ‘Five Points’ and the Origins of the Buddhist Schools...27 P.T. Denwood Some Formative Inf1uences in Mahāyāna Buddhist Art…...61 G. Dorje The rNying-ma Interpretation of Commitment and Vow…..71 Ch.E. Freeman Saṃvṛti, Vyavahāra and Paramārtha inthe Akṣamatinirdeśa and its Commentary by Vasubandhu….................................97 D.N. Gellner Monk, Househo1der and Priest: What the Three Yānas Mean to Newar Buddhists...................................................115 C. Hallisey Councils as Ideas and Events in the Theravāda…………....133 S. Hookham The Practical Implications of the Doctrine of Buddha-nature……................................................................149 R. Mayer Observations on the Tibetan Phur-ba and the Indian Kīla ........................................................................163 K.R. Norman Theravāda Buddhism and Brahmanical Hinduism: Brahmanical Terms in a Buddhist Guise……………..............193 References...............................................................................201

Journal of Buddhist Philosophy, Vol. 4, 2022

TOC and editorial of Vol. 4 of the Journal of Buddhist Philosophy.

2000

Concordia University

Office hours: Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m by appointment Course Description This course surveys Buddhism from its early history to contemporary practice. It introduces students to the various forms of Buddhism such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. The spread of Buddhism outside of India during the early medieval period will be discussed through the examination of subsequent developments of Buddhist experiences in Tibet, China, Vietnam, and Japan. We will begin the course with a brief discussion of how Buddhism has been studied and reconstructed in the West. We will then examine some of the fundamental Buddhist doctrines that are shared in common by all Buddhists. In addition, other areas of interest such as Buddhist architecture and art will be explored, as well as how Buddhist ideals and beliefs are expressed through worship, pilgrimage, and meditation. In short, the goal of this course is to familiarize students with the history of the development of various schools of Buddhism in India and other countries, and how Buddhist doctrines, social regulations, and objects of religious art are understood, represented and practiced in contemporary times. Course Readings 1.An anthology (coursepack) of articles and book chapters has been prepared for this course. It can be purchased at the Concordia University Book Store. 2. Additional handout materials will be posted on Moodle. Assignments and Evaluation Assignments of various types will be given for assessment so that each student will have a chance to use their own strong skills to shine. Essay assignments will help students foster their abilities to think, read and write critically.

As an incredibly diverse religious system, Buddhism is constantly changing. The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism offers a comprehensive collection of work by leading scholars in the field that tracks these changes up to the present day. Taken together, the book provides a blueprint to understanding Buddhism's past and uses it to explore the ways in which Buddhism has transformed in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The volume contains 41 essays, divided into two sections. The essays in the first section examine the historical development of Buddhist traditions throughout the world. These chapters cover familiar settings like India, Japan, and Tibet as well as the less well-known countries of Vietnam, Bhutan, and the regions of Latin America, Africa, and Oceania. Focusing on changes within countries and transnationally, this section also contains chapters that focus explicitly on globalization, such as Buddhist international organizations and diasporic communities. The second section tracks the relationship between Buddhist traditions and particular themes. These chapters review Buddhist interactions with contemporary topics such as violence and peacebuilding, and ecology, as well as Buddhist influences in areas such as medicine and science. Offering coverage that is both expansive and detailed, The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism delves into some of the most debated and contested areas within Buddhist Studies today.

This book introduces Buddhism by describing its approach to spiritual development and those who undertake the Buddhist path. It aims to make Buddhism more easily understood by those who might be unfamiliar with its objectives – and this task is made easier by the pragmatic ways in which Buddhism meets our enduring urge for happiness. Among the various spiritual traditions that have been developed over the past three thousand years to relieve humans of their suffering and distress, Buddhism is perhaps the most methodical, practical and comprehensive. As a function of its essential tolerance and loving kindness, the Buddhist tradition is expressed in a variety of forms that recognise different individual needs, and diverse cultural environments throughout the world. Our appreciation of this tradition, as it expands in the West, will increase as we understand some of its insights and key principles of spiritual development.

2000

2012