Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Bücher

Renowned for its terse declaration of the perfection of wisdom, the Heart Sutra is the most famous of Buddhist scriptures. The author draws on previously unexamined commentaries, preserved only in Tibetan, to investigate the meanings derived from and invested into the sutra during the later period of Indian Buddhism. The Heart Sutra Explained offers new insights on "form is emptiness, emptiness is form," on the mantra "gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha," and on the synthesis of Madhyamika, Yogacara, and tantric thought that characterized the final period of Buddhism in India. It also includes complete translations of two nineteenth century Tibetan commentaries demonstrating the selective appropriation of Indian sources.

More than 120 photographs document the National Air and Space Museum.

The Lotus Sutra is arguably the most famous of all Buddhist scriptures. Composed in India in the first centuries of the Common Era, it is renowned for its inspiring message that all beings are destined for supreme enlightenment. Here, Donald Lopez provides an engaging and accessible biography of this enduring classic

Lopez finds that even as Tibet's romance is invoked by exiled lamas, it ultimately imprisons those who seek the goal of Tibetan independence from Chinese occupation.

This third volume of Princeton Readings in Religions demonstrates that the "three religions" of China--Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (with a fourth, folk religion, sometimes added)--are not mutually exclusive: they overlap and interact with each other in a rich variety of ways. The volume also illustrates some of the many interactions between Han culture and the cultures designated by the current government as "minorities." Selections from minority cultures here, for instance, are the folktale of Ny Dan the Manchu Shamaness and a funeral chant of the Yi nationality collected by local researchers in the early 1980s. Each of the forty unusual selections, from ancient oracle bones to stirring accounts of mystic visions, is preceded by a substantial introduction. As with the other volumes, most of the selections here have never been translated before.Stephen Teiser provides a general introduction in which the major themes and categories of the religions of China are analyzed. The book represents an attempt to move from one conception of the "Chinese spirit" to a picture of many spirits, including a Laozi who acquires magical powers and eventually ascends to heaven in broad daylight; the white-robed Guanyin, one of the most beloved Buddhist deities in China; and the burning-mouth hungry ghost. The book concludes with a section on "earthly conduct."

The acclaimed volumes of Princeton Readings in Religions present the remarkable range of all that is encompassed in the practice of religions, across the centuries and across the world.Religions of Asia in Practice: An Anthology brings together into a single volume the most important and fascinating selections from the volumes on Buddhism, India, China, Tibet, and Japan to give an overview of how religions have been lived by both ordinary and extraordinary people throughout the continent of Asia. These materials--many of which had never before been translated into any Western language--include ritual manuals, hagiographical and autobiographical writings, popular commentaries, instructions to children, poetry, and folktales. Each is preceded by a substantial introduction in which the translator discusses the text's history and influence and guides the reader through points of potential difficulty and particular interest. The volume includes, in addition, clear and compelling introductions to each of the major traditions.Religions of Asia in Practice: An Anthology offers a fascinating look at the spectrum of religious practices in Asia over almost three millennia. As such, it is ideally suited for use as a textbook in courses on world or Eastern religions as well as for the general reader.

Both practitioners and admirers of Buddhism have proclaimed its compatibility with science. This book explores how and why these two seemingly disparate modes of understanding the inner and outer universe have been so persistently linked.

The book chronicles the remarkable evolution of Buddhism over 2,500 years, detailing its spread across the globe. It highlights the transformative impact of cultural exchanges and historical events on the faith, showcasing how Buddhism adapted and thrived in diverse societies. Through the lens of a leading scholar, readers gain insights into the religion's core teachings and its relevance in contemporary times, emphasizing its enduring legacy and the dynamic nature of spiritual traditions.

Given its vast literature and its practice of teaching what is appropriate for a particular disciple, the Buddhist tradition has long had to wrestle with the question of which of his many scriptures represented the Buddha`s highest view. In response to that problem, Buddhist commentators developed sophisticated systems of interpretation, Buddhist hermeneutics. The present volume of essays by leading Western Buddhologists surveys the rich variety of strategies employed by Buddhist thinkers of India, Tibet, China, and Japan to interpret their sacred texts.