Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

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 karma and its result are discussed in non-technical language, along with the Buddha's message on social wellbeing.The author goes on to chronicle his own involvement as an observer-participant in "the Theravada world," where he was born and raised. His is a rare first-hand account of living Theravada Buddhism not only in its traditional habitats, but also in the world at large at the dawn of the twenty-first century. He concludes with a discussion on what is happening to Theravada today across the globe, covering issues such as diaspora Buddhism, women's Buddhism, and engaged Buddhism. The book's accessible language and clear explication of Theravada doctrine and texts make this an ideal introduction for the student and general reader.

Theravāda Buddhism.

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Among one of the older subfields in Buddhist Studies, the study of Theravda Buddhism is undergoing a revival by contemporary scholars who are revising long-held conventional views of the tradition while undertaking new approaches and engaging new subject matter. The term Theravda has been refined, and research has expanded beyond the analysis of canonical texts to examine contemporary cultural forms, social movements linked with meditation practices, material culture, and vernacular language texts. The Routledge Handbook of Theravda Buddhism illustrates the growth and new directions of scholarship in the study of Theravda Buddhism and is structured in four parts:Ideas/IdealsPractices/PersonsTexts/TeachingsImages/ImaginationsOwing largely to the continued vitality of Theravda Buddhist communities in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, as well as in diaspora communities across the globe, traditions associated with what is commonly (and fairly recently) called Theravda attract considerable attention from scholars and practitioners around the world. An in-depth guide to the distinctive features of Theravda, the Handbook will be an invaluable resource for providing structure and guidance for scholars and students of Asian Religion, Buddhism and, in particular, Theravda Buddhism.The introduction and chapter 20 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Theravāda Buddhism.

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Buddhism and state --- Theravāda Buddhism --- Political aspects --- Theravāda Buddhism

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

"In this wide-ranging and field-changing work Steven Collins argues that the study of Theravada Buddhism needs to separated from the rather dated and stagnant field of textual history and approached both "civilizationally" and as a "practice of the self." By civilizationally, he means that instead of seeing Buddhism as a set of "original" teachings of the so-called historical Buddha from the 5th century BC to the present, it should rather be viewed as an effort by many teachers and visionaries over time to make sense of what it means to lead a worthy life. The purveyors of Buddhist philosophy did not consider themselves to be preservers of an archaic body of rules and ethical guidelines; they were designing a dynamic way of living and confronting human problems in a timeless way. Using approaches to the very idea of the self promoted by Foucault and Hadot, he compares Theravada Buddhist ways of understanding and "practicing" the self to modernist and postmodernist ideas about "philosophy as a way of life." Rather than applying positivist and historicist approaches, Buddhism should be assessed philosophically, literarily, and ethically, using its own vocabulary and rhetorical tools. Treated in this manner, Buddhist notions of the self can be applied to contemporary ideas of self-care and the promotion of human flourishing. The book covers topics such as spiritual practice, ultimate versus provisional truth, systematic versus narrative thinking, meditation versus virtue, and history versus philosophy. It is a bold and complex way of understanding the impact that Buddhist ways of knowing can have in the world today, bringing them into conversation with modern psychology, literary studies, ethics, gender and sexuality studies, and philosophy"--

Buddhist philosophy. --- Theravāda Buddhism. --- Anātman. --- Self (Philosophy)

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This book discusses how three Old Testament wisdom texts can be interpreted in light of, and as a response to Thai Buddhist interpretations. Its central aim is to explore a new method in Buddhist-Christian dialogue that has three steps. First, Buddhists are asked to reflect on biblical texts, second, the texts are analyzed by placing Christian and Buddhist perspectives side by side, and finally points of convergence and difference are established in order to provide a platform for further dialogue. The study succeeds in demonstrating that the method explored is a fruitful approach to interreligious dialogue which takes interpretations of biblical texts by the religious ‘other’ seriously, and manages to both affirm commonalities and face religious difference.

Christianity and other religions --- Theravāda Buddhism --- Wisdom literature --- Relations --- Theravāda Buddhism. --- Christianity. --- Criticism, interpretation, etc. --- Bible. --- Buddhist interpretations.