The Origin of the Buddha Image /
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The image of Buddha in Gandhara style depicted in the padmasana pose, is one of the most popular images of the world. This image is connected with the symbol of Buddhism apart from the Ashoka Chakra. Throughout ancient India, Buddha's image gained popularity in the formation of Mahayana Buddhism. The major question that comes forth is how this art came into being during ancient times. This small volume on Buddhist art by Coomaraswamy challenges the notion that Buddha's image did not emerge from the Indo-Greek and other non-Indian art styles like Kushana or Bactrian. He asserts that Buddha's icon and its representation in various forms, found in monuments, sculptures, and other archaeological structures, was prevalent in the pre-existing Indian art forms. The book discusses the symbolisms, necessity of Buddha's image, and anthropomorphic iconography in the creation of Buddha's icons available in early India, and talks about the differences in Indian and historicity of Gandhara and Mathura art. The author writes further that Gandhara art is Indic, and not European. This book is highly recommended for scholars and researchers interested in Buddhist art.
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1 online resource (48 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004752405
Buddha and Christ, Nativity Stories and Indian Traditions.
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The infancy narratives of the gospels of Matthew and Luke appear as a magnificent mosaic of allusions not only to the Hebrew Bible but also to Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions. Professor Thundy argues that many details of the infancy gospels as well as the rest of the gospels can be clarified by the Buddhist and Hindu scriptures. In this sense, the gospels are Eastern religious texts. Buddha and Christ covers the following topics in order: methodology of study, priority of Indian texts vis-à-vis Christian gospels, parallels of the birth narratives of Buddha and Jesus, uniqueness of Indian parallels, the Gnostic context of the Christian gospels, and contacts between India and the West in antiquity. Multicultural studies such as this encourage ecumenism and mutual understanding in East-West dialogues as well as reinforcing the view that the gospels should be taken seriously as Eastern religious texts.
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1 online resource. :
9789004378827
Yoga and Yantra : Their Interrelation and Their Significance for Indean Archeology /
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The author asks to what extent a knowledge of the concepts of yoga may prepare the way to a better understanding of Indian archaeology. The yoga at the basis of this study is that which forms the core of the Tantras . In the first chapter the author surveys the system of Tantrik yoga. He then continues with a discussion of the various forms of yantras , that is all the means employed by yogis in their meditational exercises as aids to the concentration of thought. The author provides in-depth studies of ritual objects of the Lamaistic cult in Tibet and Nepal, the sacred cemeteries of Nepal, and pantheons in Java and Bali. See Less
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Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004647138
When West Met East : Gandharan Art Revisited /
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When West Met East: Gandhāran Art Revisited is based on hitherto unpublished or partly published sculptures and artefacts from Gandhāra and Greater Gandhāra dispersed in public and private collections across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Its subject is a form of figurative sculpture that emerged in the Gandhāran region between the second and fifth centuries ce and reflects regional cross-cultural elements arising from its direct relationship with Buddhism and to some extent Hinduism, as both flourished in India at the time of the Ku]sā]n Empire. The author's 'Introduction' presents the historical foundation of the innovative artistic expressions that characterize the singularity of Gandhāran art. The first chapter covers the cross-fertilized nature of the art and examines how Western artistic inspirations were transformed into new forms of art to narrate stories of Indian origin. The second chapter argues that Gandhāran artists followed the chronological sequence established in the Sanskrit Lalitavistara, or pre-existing texts which may have inspired this sacred book, when depicting the scenes of the life of the Blessed One starting with the descent of the future Buddha from Tu]sita Heaven up to the first sermon in the deer park. Singling out one particular episode in the Buddha's life, the descent from the Trāyastri`mśa Heaven to Sā`mkāśya, the third chapter focuses on the literary sources that inspired Gandhāran artists. The fourth chapter addresses the question of the first depictions of the Bodhisattvas Maitreya and Avalokiteśvara in Gandhāran art. And, finally, the fifth chapter looks at the symbolism behind the presence of Hindu gods in Gandhāran art.
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1 online resource (452 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004752153
Archaeology of Buddhism : Recent Discoveries in South Asia /
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The archaeology of Buddhism involves the recovery and scientific investigation of the material remains of past cultures that can illuminate the periods, events and other descriptions mentioned in the religious texts. The geographical distribution of the adherents of Buddhism spread rapidly after the mahaparinirvana of the Lord Buddha - 'the Enlightened One'. India was the fulcrum of Buddhism in the ancient world, but today, the whole of South Asia - covering Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - is replete with innumerable material remains of the past which can be associated with the Lord Buddha and Buddhism. Many of these sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage properties. This book contains 40 contributions by 55 leading archaeologists, historians and other experts in the field of South Asian art and archaeology. These contributions range from the country reports on recent discoveries of Buddhist sites and remains in South Asia, to in-depth studies in Buddhist archaeology, art and architecture of this region. Other topics included in this volume discuss the cultural geography of the Buddhist archaeological sites, their digital mapping using advanced ICT tools, the archaeology of the Buddhist monasteries as well as their relationship with contemporary society. These essays read together present a narrative that transcends borders and defies time. It is hoped that this volume will underscore the imperative need for institutionalizing the archaeology of Buddhism as a specialized branch of the study of our shared heritage, and will promote a better appreciation of the archaeological heritage of Buddhism that binds the SAARC nations with a common historical and cultural thread. SAARC Cultural Centre and Sri Lanka
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1 online resource (612 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004754027
Nalanda Mahavihara : A Critical Analysis of the Archaeology of an Indian Buddhist Site /
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From the 1860s, substantial ruins in the Indian state of Bihar identified as Nālandā Māhavihāra, were of scholarly interest because the monastery was mentioned in the travel accounts of seventh century Chinese monks. From 1916 until 1938, the Archaeological Survey of India systematically excavated, documented, illustrated, and gave continuity to the site. However, ASI 'historic' procedures were severely criticized in the 1940s. The ASI was reorganized and reoriented to 'modern scientific' methods. No new excavation took place at the site until 1973. Between 1973 and 1983, the Sarai Mound was exposed, but whereas in the earlier ASI accounts, photographs, diagrams, and considerable supportive material were part of the report, the 'modern scientific' approach did not include this information. Nor was there any effort to correlate this find with earlier archaeology. This critical analysis is concerned with the consequences of such a radical change in the way archaeology was conducted in India. It attempts to look at the history of the archaeology in the relevant historical and intellectual context in order to show that valuable lessons were lost through failure to update and evaluate previous reports in the years following the shift in orientation. The work looks more closely at the Chinese texts with reference to what they say about other Buddhist sites. And it attempts to bridge the gap between the two archaeological approaches by placing the site (and by extension, other Indian sites) in a different perspective, thereby opening doors to a variety of related disciplines and studies.
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1 online resource (292 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004752948
Buddhism and transgression : the appropriation of Buddhism in the contemporary West /
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If Buddhism is to remain relevant to the contemporary era, through providing effective solutions to the proliferating and protean discursive problems encountered by its present-day practitioners, it cannot continue to ignore the role of discourse in the formation of subjectivity. In the interest of problematizing such 'ignorance,' this book explores the potential interface between Foucaultian discourse analysis and the development of an indigenous rationale for the practice of contemporary Western Buddhism, along with the growing significance of such a rationale for 'traditional' Buddhism in an era dominated by disciplinary/bio-power. Through doing so, this book radically re-conceptualizes the role of Buddhism in the world today by linking Buddhist practice with acts of discursive transgression.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [179]-183) and index. :
9789047441106 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Old Literary Tibetan : A Comperehensive Text Grammar Based on the Old Tibetan Annals /
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Old Literary Tibetan: A Comprehensive Grammatical Description Based on the "Old Tibetan Annals" is a pioneering work in the field of Tibetan written languages, offering unprecedented insights into the earliest documented Tibetic language and one of the earliest written Trans-Himalayan languages. Opening the gate to the oldest preserved Tibetan literature, the book is of great value not only for Tibetologists, but also for linguists thanks to its immense contributions to Trans-Himalayan lingusitics. Bialek's landmark description of Old Literary Tibetan will be highly valuable in future descriptive and analytical work of other Trans-Himalayan languages, the study of which will undoubtedly substantially benefit from the publication of the grammar.
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1 online resource (900 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004745926
A time of change : questioning the "collapse" of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka /
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This work reassesses the apparent collapse of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, through explicit reference to the archaeological record. The study of Anuradhapura's terminal period has long been dominated by an over-reliance upon textual sources, resulting in the establishment of a monocausal and politically charged narrative that depicts a violent eleventh century invasion by the South Indian Chola Empire as the primary cause of Anuradhapura's collapse, bringing to an end over a millennium of rule from Sri Lanka's first capital. Such is the dominance of this narrative that few alternative explanations for the abandonment of Anuradhapura have ever been posited, with just two alternative models ever described; epidemic malaria, and an imperial economic model.
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Previously issued in print: 2017. :
1 online resource : illustrations (black and white, and colour). :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references. :
9781784916336 (ebook) :
Early Buddhist transmission and trade networks mobility and exchange within and beyond the northwestern borderlands of South Asia /
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This exploration of early paths for Buddhist transmission within and beyond South Asia retraces the footsteps of monks, merchants, and other agents of cross-cultural exchange. A reassessment of literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources reveals hisorical contexts for the growth of the Buddhist saṅgha from approximately the 5th century BCE to the end of the first millennium CE. Patterns of dynamic Buddhist mobility were closely linked to transregional trade networks extending to the northwestern borderlands and joined to Central Asian silk routes by capillary routes through transit zones in the upper Indus and Tarim Basin. By examining material conditions for Buddhist establishments at nodes along these routes, this book challenges models of gradual diffusion and develops alternative explanations for successful Buddhist movement.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004194588 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Hindu-Buddhist Architecture in Southeast Asia /
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Hinduism and Buddhism have in Southeast Asia prompted impressive architecture, including Angkor Vat and the Borubodur, with a lasting influence on the architecture of the area. This book is the first stylistic history of Hindu-Buddhist architecture in the area from the beginning until today. The contrasts and similarities described between the religious structures of the different countries shed light on the religious history of the area.
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1 online resource (437 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004644960
Understanding young Buddhists : living out ethical journeys /
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There is currently an acute lack of scholarly engagement with Buddhism and youth. Based on ground-breaking empirical research, Understanding Young Buddhists: Living out Ethical Journeys explores the stories of young Buddhists, through a rich analysis of their lived experiences. Page and Yip explore their journeying into Buddhism, their Buddhist belief and practice, their management of sexuality, and their social positioning in relation to family and kin, friendship networks, youth culture, and occupational aspirations. Using lived religion as a theoretical lens, and bringing into dialogue research on Buddhism and youth, Understanding Young Buddhists convincingly demonstrates the resourcefulness and creativity of young Buddhists in developing ethics for life, as they negotiate the diverse challenges and opportunities in their journeys of life.
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1 online resource (194 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004339262 :
1573-4293 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Gandhāran art in its Buddhist context : papers from the Fifth International Workshop of the Gandhāra Connections Project, University of Oxford, 21st-23rd March, 2022 /
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This edited volume considers Gandharan art in relation to its religious contexts and meanings within ancient Buddhism. Addressing the responses of patrons and worshippers at the monasteries and shrines of Gandhara, papers seek to understand more about why Gandharan art was made and what its iconographical repertoire meant to ancient viewers.
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Also issued in print: 2023. :
1 online resource (viii, 87 pages) : illustrations (black and white, and colour), maps (black and white, and colour) :
Specialized. :
Includes bibliographical references. :
9781803274744 (PDF ebook) : :
Open access.
Interpreting Proverbs 11:18-31, Psalm 73, and Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 in light of, and as a response to, Thai Buddhist interpretations : a contribution to Christian-Buddhist dialogue /
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This book discusses how three Old Testament wisdom texts can be interpreted in light of, and as a response to Thai Buddhist interpretations. Its central aim is to explore a new method in Buddhist-Christian dialogue that has three steps. First, Buddhists are asked to reflect on biblical texts, second, the texts are analyzed by placing Christian and Buddhist perspectives side by side, and finally points of convergence and difference are established in order to provide a platform for further dialogue. The study succeeds in demonstrating that the method explored is a fruitful approach to interreligious dialogue which takes interpretations of biblical texts by the religious 'other' seriously, and manages to both affirm commonalities and face religious difference.
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1 online resource (vii, 345 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004227125 :
1876-1518 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.