Trang chủ

Thông tin tra cứu

THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE

ITS PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORY

By

F. HAROLD SMITH, M.A, D.D

Professor of comparative religion and

Philosophy of religion in the University of Manchester

And Fellow of King’s college, London.

1951

HUTCHINSON’S UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Hutchinsonhouse, London

CONTENTS

Preface

                                    Section I

                        EARLY SOURCES

ChapterI.        Gotama’s Heritage

II.                 The Pali Records

Section II

                        THE TRADITON

III.               The Enlightenment

IV.              The Jewels, Buddha and Dharma

V.                The Third Jewel, Sangha

Section III

                        INTERPRETATION

VI.         The Gotama of History

VII.         Asoka

Section IV

                        EARLY DIFFERENCES

            VIII     Councils and Schools

            IX        The Lesser Vehicle

            X         Widening Horizons

            XI        Nalanda University

                                    Section V

                        WORLD RELIGION

Chapter XII.    The Bodhisattva

              XIII   The Chinese Contribution

              XIV   The Chinese Interpretation

              XV    Sung and After

              XVI   The Japanese Naturalization

             XVII   Japan’s Interpretation

                                    Section VI

                        CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

            XVIII  East and West

                        Index

PREFACE

The followers of Buddha, if we include those who are at the same time adherents of Confucianism, Taoism or Shinto, exceed those of any other faith, with the possible exception of Christianity. Like Christianity and Islam the religion of Buddha also claims to be a universal faith. Buddhism, therefore, is one of the world religions that specially calls for a hearing. Though possessing the status of a religion it is, at heart, a philosophy, and it is impossible to do it justice without a certain amount of philosophical terminology, but no term is used without its significance being stated. Misunderstanding of the East often occurs on account of its theory of knowledge differing from ours in the West, and some endeavor is made, in the course of this exposition, to explain that difference.

This study of Buddhism deals with the early tradition, followed by a brief consideration of its historicity, and the form the religion takes in Ceylon, Burma and Thailand. Then the main line of development, in India, China and Japan comes under survey. Limits of space prevent any reference to Tibetan and other lesser branches of the faith, but this account attempts to focus essential Buddhism in both its chief schools, the Lesser and Greater Vehicle, together with an estimate of the influence of philosophy on sect and of both on the practical affairs of history.

Some Pali and Sanskrit terms, for the Lesser and Greater Vehicle respectively, can hardly be avoided, but they have been used as sparingly as possible. N.B. th and ph are two sounds as in ant-hill and up-hill. Sanscrit e as in they; Pali the same, unless it is short, e.g, metta with e as in letter.

                                                                                F. HAROLD SMITH

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Trang kế
 Trang cuối