Historical Dictionary of Buddhism Book

Contents: Preface. The Buddhist scriptures. Chronology of Buddhist history. 1. Introduction. 2. Texts in translation and textual studies. 3. Religious thought. 4. Practices, rituals, and popular beliefs. 5. Soteriology: methods and goals. 6. Biography, ideal types, and mythology. 7. Sacred places. 8. The social order. 9. The arts.

"With a history spanning more' than two and a half millennia and over 300 million adherents worldwide, Buddhism is one of humankind's most interesting and populous religions. While a historical dictionary of Buddhism must consider the various periods, events, individuals, circumstances, texts, and concepts from which the history of Buddhism takes its shape, it must also consider the sacred sites in Buddhist geography, the festivals, rites, and rituals that configure Buddhist religious practice, the manifestation of Buddhist religiosity as witnessed in biography, art, and mythology, and the soteriological methods employed by Buddhists throughout their history.

"This book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding Buddhism as a historically compelling religion. Because the study of Buddhism is a difficult task, including so many varied cultures, this volume seeks to assist the reader by providing a carefully designed pronunciation guide to Buddhist canonical languages, an overview of the Buddhist scriptures preserved in Pali, Chinese, and Tibetan, a chronology of Buddhist history and an extensive introduction to the history, doctrine, and community life of the religion. With an extremely comprehensive, topically organized bibliography, perhaps the most extensive of any book on Buddhism that not solely a bibliography." (jacket)