Bernard Faure

Unmasking Buddhism

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Can we talk of Buddhism as a unified religion or are there many Buddhisms? Is Buddhism a religion of tolerance and pacifism as many people think? Is Buddhism a religion without god(s)? Or is it more of a philosophy than a religion? Renowned Buddhist scholar Bernard Faure answers these and other questions about the basic history, beliefs and nature of Buddhism in easy-to-understand language. It is an ideal introduction for anyone who has unanswered questions about one of the world's largest and most popular religions.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
• Seitenzahl: 176
• Erscheinungstermin: 9. März 2009
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 196mm x 144mm x 22mm
• Gewicht: 290g
• ISBN-13: 9781405180658
• ISBN-10: 140518065X
• Artikelnr.: 26377267

Autorenporträt

Bernard Faure is Kao Professor in Japanese Religion at Columbia University. He has published a number of books in French and English, including: The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A Cultural Critique of Chan/Zen Buddhism (1991); Chan Insights and Oversights: An Epistemological Critique of the Chan Tradition (1993); Visions of Power: Imagining Medieval Japanese Buddhism (1996); The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality (1998); The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender (2003); and Double Exposure (2004). He is presently working on a book on Japanese Gods and Demons.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction.

Part I Buddhism in History:.

"Buddhism is both one and many".

"The Buddha is only a man who achievedAwakening".

"Buddhism is an Indian religion".

"Buddhism is the cult of nothingness".

"Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion".

"All Buddhists are seeking to achieveAwakening".

"Buddhism teaches the impermanence of allthings".

"The belief in karma leads to fatalism".

"Buddhism denies the existence of a self".

"Buddhism teaches reincarnation".

Part II Buddhism and Local Cultures:.

"Buddhism is an atheistic religion".

"Buddhism is above all a spirituality".

"The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader ofBuddhism".

"To be Buddhist is to be Zen".

Part III Buddhism and Society:.

"Buddhism is a tolerant religion".

"Buddhism teaches compassion".

"Buddhism is a peaceful religion".

"Buddhism affirms that we are all equal".

"Buddhism is compatible with science".

"Buddhism is a kind of therapy".

"Buddhism advocates a strict vegetarianism".

"Buddhism is a universalist teaching".

"Buddhism is a religion of monks".

"Conclusion: Buddhism or Neo-Buddhism?".

Glossary.

A Short Bibliography.

Index

Rezensionen

"An ideal introduction to the tradition that debunks many of theOrientialist stereotypes by relentlessly highlighting thecomplexity and diversity of Buddhism in its localized andritualized forms. It serves as an excellent way for readers tounderstand the work of one of the leading and groundbreakingscholars of Buddhist studies of this generation."
-Steven Heine, Florida International University

"Many people know something about Buddhism, but, for interestinghistorical reasons, much of what they know is wrong. InUnmasking Buddhism, Bernard Faure offers a clear catalogueof these misconceptions and then compassionately dispels thedarkness of ignorance."
-Donald S. Lopez, University of Michigan