Nāgārjuna in context : Mahāyāna Buddhism and early Indian culture

Joseph Walser provides the first examination of Nagarjuna's life and writings in the context of the religious and monastic debates of the second century CE. Walser explores how Nagarjuna secured the canonical authority of Mahayana teachings and considers his use of rhetoric to ensure the transmission of his writings by Buddhist monks. Drawing on close textual analysis of Nagarjuna's writings and other Buddhist and non-Buddhist sources, Walser offers an original contribution to the understanding of Nagarjuna and the early history of Buddhism. Joseph Walser provides the first examination of Nagarjuna's life and writings in the context of the religious and monastic debates of the second century CE. Walser explores how Nagarjuna secured the canonical authority of Mahayana teachings and considers his use of rhetoric to ensure the transmission of his writings by Buddhist monks. Drawing on close textual analysis of Nagarjuna's writings and other Buddhist and non-Buddhist sources, Walser offers an original contribution to the understanding of Nagarjuna and the early history of Buddhism. Joseph Walser provides the first examination of Nagarjuna's life and writings in the context of the religious and monastic debates of the second century CE. Walser explores how Nagarjuna secured the canonical authority of Mahayana teachings and considers his use of rhetoric to ensure the transmission of his writings by Buddhist monks. Drawing on close textual analysis of Nagarjuna's writings and other Buddhist and non-Buddhist sources, Walser offers an original contribution to the understanding of Nagarjuna and the early history of Buddhism. Read more... Abstract: Nagarjuna is the most influential thinker in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. This book provides an examination of Nagarjuna's life and writings within the social, religious, and institutional contexts of the early history of Buddhism. It locates Nagarjuna's writings at a critical juncture in the development and spread of Mahayana Buddhism. Read more... Nagarjuna, one of Indias greatest philosophers, was the most influential of all thinkers in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, the form now dominant in Tibet, Vietnam, China, Korea, and Japan. While his philosophy has been the subject of numerous studies and translations, Joseph Walser provides the first examination of Nagarjunas life and writings in the context of the religious and monastic debates of the second century ce. Walser explores how Nagarjuna secured the canonical authority of Mahayana teachings and considers his use of rhetoric to ensure the transmission of his writings by Buddhist monks. Drawing on close textual analysis of Nagarjunas writings and other Buddhist and non-Buddhist sources, as well as on art historical and epigraphic evidence, Walser offers a creative and original contribution to the understanding of Nagarjuna and the contentious early history of Buddhism. "Nagarjuna, one of India's greatest philosophers, is the most influential thinker in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. While his philosophy has been the subject of numerous studies and translations, Joseph Walser provides the first examination of Nagarjuna's life and writings within the social, religious, and institutional contexts of the early history of Buddhism." "In addition to his analysis of Nagarjuna's writings, Walser explores a range of Buddhist and non-Buddhist sources, as well as art historical and epigraphic evidence to offer a creative and original contribution to the understanding of Nagarjuna and the early history of Buddhism."--Jacket Content: Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Locating Maháyána 2. Locating Nágárjuna 3. Maháyána and the Constraints of Monastic Law 4. Maháyána Sñtras as Monastic Property 5. On the Parasitic Strategies of Maháyána 6. Abhidharma and Sectarian Identity 7. Nágárjuna and the Abhidharma Conclusion: Toward the Outline of a Career Appendix: The Authorship of the Ratnávalô Notes Bibliography Index. Joseph Walser is associate professor and department chair of comparative religion at Tufts University. HIS003000,History/Asia/General,REL000000,Religion/General To PRESENT Nagarjuna's role in the development and spread of Mahayana, we must first explore the contours of Mahayana in India around the time that he lived.