A history of Indian Buddhism : from Śākyamuni to early Mahāyāna

This comprehensive and detailed survey of the first six centuries of Indian Buddhism sums up the results of a lifetime of research and reflection by one of Japan's most renowned scholars of Buddhism. Relying on Pali and Sanskrit sources and on inscriptions from archaeological sites and Chinese translations of Indian texts, Hirakawa balances his review of early Buddhist doctrinal development with extensive discussion of historical background and the evolution of Buddhist institutions. The inclusion of Japanese and Western language bibliographies together with an extensive bibliographic essay by the translator should make this volume especially useful as an introduction to a large corpus of Japanese scholarship on Buddhism which is still not widely known in the West. Contents Translator's Preface Author's Preface Abbreviations Introduction Part One: Early Buddhism Chapter 1. Indian Religion at the Time of the Buddha Chapter 2. The Life of the Buddha Chapter 3. Early Buddhist Doctrine Chapter 4. The Organization of the Order Chapter 5. The Establishment of the Early Buddhist Canon Chapter 6. The Development of the Buddhist Order Chapter 7. The Buddhism of King Aśoka Part Two: Nikāya Buddhism Chapter 8. The Development of Nikāya Buddhism Chapter 9. Abhidharma Literature Chapter 10. The Organization of the Dharmas in the Abhidharma Chapter 11. Buddhist Cosmology and the Theory of Karma Chapter 12. Karma and Avijñapti-rūpa Chapter 13. The Elimination of Defilements and the Path to Enlightenment Part Three: Early Mahāyāna Buddhism Chapter 14. The Evolution of the Order after Aśoka Chapter 15. Mahāyāna Texts Composed during the Kusāna Dynasty Chapter 16. The Origins of Mahāyāna Chapter 17. The Contents of Early Mahāyāna Scriptures Chapter 18. Theory and Practice in Early Mahāyāna Buddhism Notes Bibliographical Essay Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y This detailed study of the first six centuries of Indian Buddhism sums up the results of a lifetime of research and reflection by the author, balancing a review of early Buddhist doctrinal development with discussion of historical background and evolution of Buddhist institutions. Hirakawa Akira ; Translated And Edited By Paul Groner. Translation Of: Indo Bukkyō Shi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 345-384) And Index.