Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Click to enlarge

Request Exam Copy

Print Price: $109.99

Format:
Paperback
464 pp.
6.5" x 9.25"

ISBN-13:
9780199861873

Copyright Year:
2014

Imprint: OUP US

Buddhism

Introducing the Buddhist Experience, Third Edition

Donald W. Mitchell and Sarah H. Jacoby

Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience, Third Edition, focuses on the depth of Buddhist experiences as expressed in the teachings and practices of its religious and philosophical traditions. Taking a more global and inclusive approach than any other introductory text, the book spans more than 2,500 years, offering chapters on Buddhism's origins in India; Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism; Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan; and the globalization of Buddhism with a focus on the United States.

The volume is enhanced by substantial selections of primary text material, numerous boxed personal narratives by respected Buddhists and scholars, maps and photos, and six essays on cultural experiences of Buddhism around the world today.

Readership : Suitable for undergraduate courses in Introduction to Buddhism; Asian Religions; World Religions.

Boxes, Figures, Maps
Preface
Pronunciation Guide
Introduction
1. The Life of Gautama Buddha
The Early Life of Siddhartha Gautama
- Birth
- Youth
- The Four Sights
The Great Renunciation
- Spiritual Teachers
- Asceticism
The Awakening of the Buddha
- Enlightenment
- Nirvana
The Mission of the Buddha
- The Three Refuges
- Important Conversions
- Monasticism
- Social Concern
- Women's Ordination
- The Rebellion of Devadatta
The Last Days of Gautama Buddha
2. The Teachings of the Buddha
The Three Characteristics
- Impermanence
- Dissatisfactoriness
- No-Self
The Five Aggregates
Dependent Arising
Karma and Rebirth
- Buddhist Cosmology
- The Wheel of Life
The Four Noble Truths
- The Middle Way
- The First Noble Truth: Life Is Duhkha
- The Second Noble Truth: The Cause of Duhkha
- The Third Noble Truth: The Cessation of Duhkha
- The Fourth Noble Truth: The Eightfold Path to the Cessation of Duhkha
- Awakening
The Eightfold Path
- Right Understanding
- Right Thought
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Concentration
Nirvana
3. Early Buddhism and the Way of the Elders
The First Council: Three Baskets
- The Sutra Pitaka
- The Vinaya Pitaka
- The Abhidharma Pitaka
Second and Third Councils: Many Paths
King Asoka
The Way of the Elders
- Cultivating Morality
- Purification and Wholesomeness
- Releasement for Nirvana
- Four Lower and Higher Meditations
- Supernormal Abilities
- Tranquility Meditation
- Insight Meditation
- Wisdom
- Five Purifications
- The Four Paths
Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
- Sri Lanka
- Southeast Asia
Theravada Monastic and Lay Experience
The Cultural Experience of Thai Buddhism Today, Mano Mettanando Laohavanich
From Childhood to Adulthood
Marriages and Funerals
Popular Buddhist Practices
Contributions of Thailand to Buddhist Culture
4. The Great Vehicle
The Mahayana Sutras
- Discovering the Perfection of Wisdom
- A Layperson's Sutra
- Exploring Consciousness
- The Lotus
- The Land of Bliss
The Great Journey of the Bodhisattva
- The Six Perfections
- The Ten Stages
- A Joyous Choice
- Purity, Luminosity, and Radience
- Meditation and Wisdom
- Beyond Arhatship to Buddhahood
- The Dharma Cloud
The Three Bodies of the Buddha
- Celestial Buddhas
- Celestial Bodhisattvas
5. The Development of Buddhist Thought in India
The Abhidharma Philosophies
The Mahayana Philosophies
- The Middle Way
- The Womb of the Buddha
- Foundations of Consciousness
Theories of Knowledge
6. The Tibetan Experiences of Buddhism
The Early Dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet
The Later Dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet
Tantra and Vajray?na Buddhism
- Preliminary Practices
Major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
- The "Scripture and Precept" School: Kadam
- The "Gray Earth" School: Sakya
- The "Oral Transmission" School: Kagyu
- The "Virtuous Ones" School: Geluk
The Dalai Lama
Tibet in the Past Century
New Tibetan Buddhist Movements
The Cultural Experience of Tibetan Buddhism Today, Geshe Damdul Namgyal
Daily Rituals
Circumambulation
Prayer Wheels
Prayer Flags
The Ransom of Animals
Purifications
Auspicious Days
Pilgrimage
Wandering Storytellers
The Deeper Life
7. The Chinese Experiences of Buddhism
Translation and Inculturation
New Translations and Scholarship
Persecution and Reform
The Foundation of the Chinese Experiences of Buddhism
- The Abhidhauma Schools
- The Mahayana Schools
Defining the Chinese Experiences of Buddhism
- The Heavenly Terrace School
- The Flower-Garland School
- The Pure Land School
Persecution and Decline
New Chinese Buddhist Movements
The Cultural Experience of Chinese Buddhism Today, Dedong Wei
Temple Rituals
Buddhist Festivals
Popular Buddhist Practices
Recent Developments in Popular Chinese Buddhism
Buddhism's Influence on Chinese Culture Today
8+. The Korean Experiences of Buddhism
The Advent of Buddhism during the Three Kingdoms Period
Buddhism during the Unified Silla Dynasty: Innovation and Scholarship
- Uisang
- Wonhyo
- The Five Buddhist Schools
Buddhism during the Koryo Dynasty: Searching for Unity
- Uich'on
- Chinul
- The Korean Tripitaka
Repression during the Choson Dynasty
The Japanese Occupation and Recent Developments
The Cultural Experience of Korean Buddhism Today, Jongmyung Kim
Temple Rituals
Prayer and Pilgrimage
The Templestay Program
Buddhist Cultural Heritage in Korea
The Future of Popular Buddhism in Korean Culture
9. The Japanese Experiences of Buddhism
Prince Shotoku
The Nara Period (710-784): The Six Schools
- The Kusha School
- The Jojitsu School
- The Ritsu School
- The Sanron School
- The Hosso School
- The Kegon School
The Heian Period (794-1185): The Tendai and Shingon Schools
- Tendai Buddhism
- The Shingon School
The Kamakura Period (1185-1333): Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren
- Pure Land Buddhism
- Zen Buddhism
- Nichiren Buddhism
The Muromachi Period (1338-1573): Zen and Japanese Culture
The Tokugawa Period (1603-1868): Struggle and Reform
The Meiji Period (1868-1912) and Recent Developments
New Japanese Buddhist Cultural Movements
The Cultural Experience of Japanese Buddhism Today, Tomonobu Shinozaki
Buddhist Veneration of Ancestors
O-bon Festival
Popular Buddhist Practices and Holidays
The Bodhisattva Figure and Buddhist Practice Today
10. The Globalization of Buddhism
Early European Encounters and Scholarship
Buddhism in the United States
- Chinese Buddhism
- Japanese Buddhism
- Tibetan Buddhism
- Theravada Buddhism
- Korean Buddhism
- Vietnamese Buddhism
Buddhism in Europe
Buddhists in Canada
Buddhism in Australia and New Zealand
Buddhism in Brazil
Buddhism in Africa
Issues Facing Global Buddhisms
- Ethnicity, Identity and Practice
- Women, Ordination and Gender
- Buddhist Ecumenism
- Interreligious Dialogue
- Social Engagement
- Ecology and Science
- Youth and the Internet
The Future of Global Buddhism
The Cultural Experience of Buddhism in America Today
Glossary of Technical Terms
Index

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

Donald W. Mitchell is Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University. He is the author of The Gethsemani Encounter: A Dialogue on the Spiritual Life by Buddhist and Christian Monastics (1997). Sarah H. Jacoby is Assistant Professor of Religion at Northwestern University. She is the coeditor of Buddhism Beyond the Monastery: Tantric Practices and their Performers in Tibet and the Himalayas (2009).

Making Sense - Margot Northey and Joan McKibbin

Special Features
New to this Edition

A reframing of Buddhism as a globalized set of traditions embodying a multitude of cultural forms, informed by insights from new coauthor Sarah H. Jacoby
A revised final chapter, "The Globalization of Buddhism," with new material on Buddhism in Africa, Latin America, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
Coverage of second- and third-generation Buddhist youth and the Internet's role in the globalization of Buddhism
A rewritten and more robust chapter on "The Tibetan Experiences of Buddhism" that reflects Jacoby's specialization
New materials on contemporary, socially engaged Buddhist movements in Asia and their new global presence
Updates to all chapters featuring the most recent scholarship, more student-friendly subtitles, and new photographs and maps