What is it like to be a Buddha? Is there only one Buddha or are there many? What can Buddhas do and what do they know? Is there anything they cannot do and cannot know? These and associated questions were much discussed by Buddhist thinkers in India, and a complex and subtle set of doctrinal positions was developed to deal with them. This is the first book in a western language to treat these doctrines about Buddha from a philosophical and thoroughly critical viewpoint. The book shows that Buddhist thinkers were driven, when theorizing about Buddha, by a basic intuition that Buddha must be maximally perfect, and that pursuing the implications of this intuition led them into some conceptual dilemmas that show considerable similarity to some of those treated by western theists. The Indian Buddhist tradition of thought about these matters is presented here as thoroughly systematic, analytical, and doctrinal. The book's analysis is based almost entirely upon original sources in their original languages. All extracts discussed are translated into English and the book is accessible to nonspecialists, while still treating material that has not been much discussed by western scholars.

Two of Dogen's most esteemed translators provide key chapters from his Zen masterpiece, the Shobogenzo, in English with annotations to guide the reader.

An innovative guide to applying the strategies of a bodyguard to create a Buddhist “security plan” for protecting ourselves from suffering • Presents the unique concept of the “bodyguard” and its protection tactics as a metaphor for explaining and implementing Buddhist teachings • Recasts the Four Noble Truths as the Four Noble Tactical Truths, the Eightfold Path as the Eight Tactics Plan, and the notion of Interbeing in the Buddhist world as the Tactics of Interdepending • Offers a new, modern understanding for the new generation of Buddhist practitioners intrigued by a more Western take on Buddhism Drawing from his extensive experience as a professional protection agent, Jeff Eisenberg uses the tactics and strategies that a bodyguard employs in protecting a client from a threat as a blueprint for creating a Buddhist “security plan.” This plan provides the practical tools to protect one’s self from the threat of suffering in our world. Using the metaphor of being the Buddha’s bodyguard to understand the Buddhist teachings, the book details how to protect our inner “Buddha nature” and secure our mental and emotional wellbeing. We all have the chance to train ourselves to be more proactive in our own safety and avoid becoming a victim. And if we are victimized, this training will prepare us to take appropriate actions that will aid in our ability to survive with much less injury and trauma. As the author affirms: “It is vital to realize that a physical altercation is the last thing that happens in a chain of events. And while we must never blame the victim, our safety is our responsibility. Many situations can be avoided, or their severity greatly lessened, if we pay attention during the chain of events that leads up to it and respond appropriately.” While this book is not about personal protection per se, it applies personal protection theory and specific tactics utilized by bodyguards to Buddhist practice, laying out strategies to protect our inner Buddha from attack. Thus the Four Noble Truths are applied to the concept of “threat” in the form of Four Noble Tactical Truths, the Eight Tactics Plan echoes the Eightfold Path, and the Tactics of Interdepending embrace the notion of Interbeing in the Buddhist world. With “paying attention” and mindfulness being key concepts of both a bodyguard’s profession and Buddhist practice, this pioneering book speaks to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Although Christians have well-developed responses to other religions, the counterpart scholarship from Buddhists has thus far lagged behind. Breaking new ground, Buddhist Inclusivism analyzes the currently favored position towards religious others, inclusivism, in Buddhist traditions. Kristin Beise Kiblinger presents examples of inclusivism from a wide range of Buddhist contexts and periods, from Pali texts to the Dalai Lama's recent works. After constructing and defending a preferred, alternative form of Buddhist inclusivism, she evaluates the thought of particular contemporary Buddhists such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Masao Abe in light of her ideal position. This book offers a more systematic treatment of Buddhist inclusivism than has yet been provided either by scholars or by Buddhist leaders.

Before he began training as a psychiatrist, Mark Epstein immersed himself in Buddhism through influential teachers such as Ram Dass, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Korn field. Buddhism's positive outlook and the meditative principle of living in the moment profoundly influenced his study and practice of psychotherapy. Going on Being is an intimate chronicle of Epstein's formative years as well as a practical guide to how a Buddhist understanding of psychological problems can help anyone change for the better. Epstein gives readers a deeply personal look into his life, thoughts, fears, and hopes, while detailing the influences that have shaped his worldview. Inspiring in its honesty and humility, Going on Being is a compassionate, brilliant look at how uniting the worlds of psyche and spirit can lead to a new way of seeing reality.

The two-volume Encyclopedia of Monasticism describes the monastic traditions of both Christianity and Buddhism with more than 600 entries on important monastic figures of all periods and places, surveys of countries and localities, and topical essays covering a wide range of issues (e.g., art, behavior, economics, liturgy, politics, theology, and scholarship). Coverage encompasses not only geography and history worldwide but also the contemporary dilemmas of monastic life. Recent upheavals in certain countries are highlighted (Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, etc.). Topical essays subtitled Christian Perspectives and Buddhist Perspectives explore in imaginative fashion comparisons and contrasts between Christian and Buddhist monasticism. Encyclopedia of Monasticism also includes more than 500 color and black and white illustrations covering all aspects of monastic life, art, and architecture.

This is the first comprehensive resource on the subject of love in the teachings of the world's major religions, cultures, and philosophies. Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions is the first reference work to offer a comprehensive portrait of love in the context of the classic and contemporary literature of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, as well as other cultures and philosophies. Like no volume published to date, it reveals the full richness of religious teachings on love in all its many forms, exploring an extensive range of topics that offer philosophical, psychological, and religious perspectives to guide the quest for the meaning of love. Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions features approximately 300 subject entries, as well as insightful biographic sketches of preeminent thinkers, all written by a multidisciplinary team of some of the foremost scholars on the subject. Entries examine both general and culture-specific interpretations of love: not just the dichotomy of spiritual and physical love, but the full emotional spectrum of love in relationships and practices. Collectively, they encompass love's integral—and sometimes conflicting—role in shaping beliefs and behavior in a vastly diverse world.

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This volume investigates Paul Tillich’s relationship to Asian religions and locates Tillich in a global religious context. It appreciates Tillich’s heritage within the western and eastern religious contexts and explores the possibility of global religious-cultural understanding through the dialogue of Tillich’s thought and East-West religious-cultural matrix.

The definitive presentation of one of the most unique and compelling works of classical Tibetan literature. This book presents an influential and extraordinary teaching of the Kagyü tradition of Tibetan Buddhism known as the Single Intention by the master Drigung Jikten Sumgön (1143–1217), along with its chief commentaries, principally the Light of the Sun by Rikzin Chökyi Drakpa (1595–1659). Early in the history of the Kagyü school, the teachings of Jikten Sumgön were condensed into 150 core formulations called vajra statements. These pithy, revelatory statements comprise the Single Intention (Dgongs gcig), which presents the thought of the Buddha and the nature of the ineffable (brjod du med pa) in concise and direct expression. The Single Intention weaves the thread of ineffable mahamudra through the entire fabric of Buddhism. It presents mahamudra as pervading disciplined conduct, meditative concentration, and discriminative knowledge; ground, path, and result; view, practice, and conduct; and the “three vows” of pratimoksa, of the bodhisattvas, and of mantra. Jikten Sumgön teaches how the fundamental values and insights revealed by the Buddha are woven into reality and therefore accessible to all. Jan-Ulrich Sobisch manages to convey the unity of the Buddha’s message both in its particulars and in its scope. His deep and authoritative skill makes this the definitive presentation of one of the most unique and compelling works of classical Tibetan literature.