Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices)

Originating in India, Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia, becoming the prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet and East Asia. Over the last twenty-five years Western interest in Mahayana has increased considerably, reflected both in the quantity of scholarly material produced and in the attraction of Westerners towards Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. Paul Williams’ __Mahayana Buddhism__ is widely regarded as the standard introduction to the field, used internationally for teaching and research and has been translated into several European and Asian languages. This new edition has been fully revised throughout in the light of the wealth of new studies and focuses on the religion’s diversity and richness. It includes much more material on China and Japan, with appropriate reference to Nepal, and for students who wish to carry their study further there is a much-expanded bibliography and extensive footnotes and cross-referencing. Everyone studying this important tradition will find Williams’ book the ideal companion to their studies. As a reference book, which guides readers through the labyrinth of the enormous Buddhist textual tradition, this work is unsurpassed. Williams (Univ. of Bristol, UK) integrates the latest textual discoveries into discussions of various doctrinal issues and carefully weighs the various positions of contemporary scholars. Nevertheless, at times the organizational scheme of the book seems opaque at best and can be misleading. For example, the author considers the bodhisattva early on in the chapter on the Perfection of Wisdom tradition. Curiously, a later chapter on the Lotus Sutra fails to notice the importance of the bodhisattva in that text. Later a separate chapter, titled "The Path of the Bodhisattva," is in fact a history of the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet and a description of certain doctrinal controversies that occurred there, namely the development of the bodhisattva stages. Moreover, the print is so small that some will find reading it to be a considerable chore (notes and main text are the same size). Still, with 39 percent of the book devoted to endnotes and bibliography, this work will be very valuable to more advanced students of Buddhism. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty. Reviewed by A.L. Miller

Originating in India, Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia, becoming the prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet and East Asia. Over the last twenty-five years Western interest in Mahayana has increased considerably, reflected both in the quantity of scholarly material produced and in the attraction of Westerners towards Tibetan Buddhism and Zen.

Paul Williams’ Mahayana Buddhism is widely regarded as the standard introduction to the field, used internationally for teaching and research and has been translated into several European and Asian languages. Everyone studying this important tradition will find Williams’ book the ideal companion to their studies.

Paul Williams is Professor of Indian and Tibetan Philosophy and Co-director of the Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol. The author of six books and an editor of a further eight, he is a former President of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies. Among his other books for Routledge is Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition (2000).

Originating in India, Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia, becoming the prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet and East Asia. Over the last twenty-five years Western interest in Mahayana has increased considerably, reflected both in the quantity of scholarly material produced and in the attraction of Westerners towards Tibetan Buddhism and Zen.

Paul Williams' Mahayana Buddhism is widely regarded as the standard introduction to the field, used internationally for teaching and research and has been translated into several European and Asian languages. Everyone studying this important tradition will find Williams' book the ideal companion to their studies.

Paul Williams is Professor of Indian and Tibetan Philosophy and Co-director of the Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol. The author of six books and an editor of a further eight, he is a former President of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies. Among his other books for Routledge is Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition (2000).

Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 8 Preface and acknowledgements......Page 11 1 Introduction......Page 14 2 The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) Sutras......Page 58 3 Madhyamika......Page 76 4 Yogacara......Page 97 5 The Tathagatagarbha......Page 116 6 Huayan – the Flower Garland tradition......Page 142 7 The Saddharmapundarika (Lotus) Sutra and its influences......Page 162 8 On the bodies of the Buddha......Page 185 9 The path of the Bodhisattva......Page 200 10 Trust, self-abandonment and devotion: the cults of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas......Page 222 Notes......Page 280 References......Page 402 Index of names......Page 435 Index of subjects......Page 443 There is a Tibetan saying that just as every valley has its own language so every teacher has his own doctrine.