"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
The introductory material includes a pronunciation guide, a list of Buddhist scriptures from its various branches, a chronology of Buddhist history, and a map. The pronunciation guide clarifies the differences between Sanskrit and Pali, Chinese, Tibetan, and Japanese languages and their transliteration into English. The list of Buddhist scriptures is divided into the canons of the various cultures and branches of Buddhism. The five-page chronology covers the growth of Buddhism by century from 6 B.C. to the twentieth century. The author's introduction opens with a biography of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, then expounds upon the information in the chronology and the scripture lists.
The dictionary itself has approximately 700 entries, each at least a paragraph in length; some take a whole page. Cross-references are noted parenthetically at the end of an entry in capital letters. Entries include westerners significant in Buddhism, such as Edward Conze and Caroline Rhys-Davids, as well as such Eastern Buddhists as the Dalai Lama and Nichiren; definitions of Buddhist terms and ideas: and important historical events such as the various councils and eras (e.g., T'ang Dynasty).
The bibliography contains almost 1,000 entries. These are arranged by subject: Historical Development; Texts in Translation; Religious Thought; Practices; Soteriology; Biography and Mythology; Sacred Places; The Social Order; and The Arts. Each category is subdivided by geographic area or idea. The vast majority are English titles; a few are in European languages.
Prebish is a respected scholar of Buddhism and the history of early India. He has given us a remarkable reference tool that will be useful to both the religious and historical researcher and should be in most public and academic libraries.
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. ISBN:9788170304180 N.A. Seller Inventory # 1968752
Book Description Condition: New. pp. xxxiii + 387 1st Indian Edition. Seller Inventory # 2639318
Book Description Condition: New. pp. xxxiii + 387. Seller Inventory # 7808585
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. 1st Edition. Contents: Preface. The Buddhist scriptures. Chronology of Buddhist history. 1. Introduction. 2. Texts in translation and textual studies. 3. Religious thought. 4. Practices, rituals, and popular beliefs. 5. Soteriology: methods and goals. 6. Biography, ideal types, and mythology. 7. Sacred places. 8. The social order. 9. The arts. "With a history spanning more' than two and a half millennia and over 300 million adherents worldwide, Buddhism is one of humankind's most interesting and populous religions. While a historical dictionary of Buddhism must consider the various periods, events, individuals, circumstances, texts, and concepts from which the history of Buddhism takes its shape, it must also consider the sacred sites in Buddhist geography, the festivals, rites, and rituals that configure Buddhist religious practice, the manifestation of Buddhist religiosity as witnessed in biography, art, and mythology, and the soteriological methods employed by Buddhists throughout their history. "This book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding Buddhism as a historically compelling religion. Because the study of Buddhism is a difficult task, including so many varied cultures, this volume seeks to assist the reader by providing a carefully designed pronunciation guide to Buddhist canonical languages, an overview of the Buddhist scriptures preserved in Pali, Chinese, and Tibetan, a chronology of Buddhist history and an extensive introduction to the history, doctrine, and community life of the religion. With an extremely comprehensive, topically organized bibliography, perhaps the most extensive of any book on Buddhism that not solely a bibliography." (jacket). Seller Inventory # 9935