What do Buddhist monks learn about Buddhism? Which part of their enormous canonical and non-canonical literature do they choose to focus on as the required curriculum in their training, and what do they elect to leave out? The cultural depository of Buddhism includes some four thousand canonical texts, hundreds of other historical works, modern textbooks, oral traditions, and more recently, an increasingly growing body of online material. The sheer diversity of this mass of information makes the pedagogical choices of monastics worthy of close study. Monastic Education in Korea is essentially a biography of the Korean Buddhist monastic curriculum over the past five centuries. Based on extensive ethnographic work and archival research in Korean monasteries, it illustrates how a particular premodern syllabus was reimagined in the twentieth century to become the sole national Korean monastic pedagogical program—only to be criticized and completely restructured in recent years. Through a detailed analysis of these modifications, the work demonstrates how Korean Buddhist reformers today tend to imitate the educational practices and canonize the textual totems of the contemporary international discipline of Buddhist studies, and how, by doing so, they ultimately transform the local Korean tradition from a particular brand of Chinese-centered scholastic Chan into the inclusive, pluralistic, Indian-focused Buddhism common in English-language introductions to the religion. The book further examines the proliferation of diverse graduate schools for the sangha, as well as the creation of a novel examination system for all monastics. It reveals some of the realities of operating large monastic organizations in contemporary Asia and portrays a living, vibrant Buddhist community that is constantly negotiating with modern values and reformulating its core orthodoxies.

Buddhism in Buryatia ALEXANDRE ANDREYEV & IRINA GARRI This book provides a succinct historical account of the flourishing of Buddhism in Buryatia, exploring its roots in the introduction of the Gelug order and the establishment of the first monastery in its heartland. Throughout its prime, numerous prominent Buddhist figures, including Agvan Dorzhiev, had significant dharmic connections with Tibet and Mongolia, spreading Buddhism far and wide across the region. Despite facing several political turmoils, war crises, harsh persecutions, and destruction, the people of Buryatia continued to revere Buddhism, successfully reviving it from the ashes and ruins. The era of World War II marked a monstrous period, yet remarkably, after 1980 and into the new millennium, a new and inspiring revival of Buddhism emerged, which continues to be enjoyed by people today. Embrace this book and immerse yourself in the captivating world of Buddhism in Buryatia, witnessing its enduring journey of resilience and devotion.

Online version of the 2-volume Encyclopedia of Buddhism, published by Macmillan.

With respect to the countries of the world, this work addresses two basic questions: "How does religion affect politics in this country?" and "How does politics affect religion in this country?" Although there are many books on the topics of religion and politics, reference works that consider the two together are few, with those that do exist primarily addressing theory rather than trends. The present work does the latter, contextualizing them within regional and national boundaries. In so doing, it recognizes the power of political and religious ideas and movements on individuals, communities, and nations, making the work a valuable resource for several disciplines, among them political science, international relations, religion, and sociology. The work focuses on the interplay of religion and politics in countries around the world with an emphasis on the post-2000s. It is organized by global geographic regions including Africa, Central and South America, and the Middle East and presents countries alphabetically within those sections. Each region has a brief overview of the political-religious dynamics of the area so readers can compare and contrast the dynamics between and among countries in a region. The work also includes an introduction, sidebars, and a bibliography.

Atlas of Korean history unveils Korean history by presenting text and related maps on each topic across facing pages for reading convenience. Readers are quickly involved in the atlas interactive literature consisting of concise information and maps that complement.