China has a long and complex history of interactions with the world around it. One of the most successful imports-arguably the most successful before modern times and the impact of the West-is Buddhism, which, since the first centuries of the Common Era, has spread into almost every aspect of Chinese life, thought and practice. Erik Zurcher was one of the most important scholars to study the history of Buddhism in China, and the ways in which Buddhism in China gradually became Chinese Buddhism. More than half a century after the publication of Zurcher's landmark The Buddhist Conquest of China, we now have a collection of essays from the top contemporary specialists exploring aspects of the legacy of Zurcher's investigations, bringing forward new evidence, new ideas and reconsiderations of old theories to present an up-to-date and exciting expansion and revision of what was arguably the single most influential contribution to date on the history of Chinese Buddhism. Contributors are Tim Barrett, Stephen R. Bokenkamp, Funayama Toru, Barend ter Haar, Liu Shufen, Minku Kim, Jan Nattier, Antonello Palumbo, and Nicolas Standaert.

This book introduces the reader to different cases of cultural intersections between Tibet and China in the field of Buddhism. The ten chapters provide a series of insights into Sino-Tibetan exchanges within religious practices and doctrines, material culture and iconography. Spanning from pre-modern encounters in Central Asia to contemporary forms of Sino-Tibetan hybridity in Chinese-speaking environments, Sino-Tibetan Buddhism Across the Ages produces further evidence that, beginning with the very introduction of Buddhism into Tibet, there were constant and fruitful contacts and blending between the Buddhist traditions developing in China and those of Tibet. Contributors are Urs App, Ester Bianchi, Isabelle Charleux, Martino Dibeltulo Concu, Alison Denton Jones, Weirong Shen, Penghao Sun, Wei Wu, Fan Zhang, and Linghui Zhang.

Each one of us is responsible for all of humankind, and for the environment in which we live. . . . We must seek to lessen the suffering of others. Rather than working solely to acquire wealth, we need to do something meaningful, something seriously directed toward the welfare of humanity as a whole. To do this, you need to recognize that the whole world is part of you. --from "How to Be Compassionate"
The surest path to true happiness lies in being intimately concerned with the welfare of others. Or, as His Holiness the Dalai Lama would say, in "compassion."
In "How to Be Compassionate, "His Holiness reveals basic mistakes of attitude that lead us to inner turmoil, and how we can correct them to achieve a better tomorrow. He demonstrates precisely how opening our hearts and minds to other people is the best way to overcome the misguided ideas that are at the root of all our problems. He shows us how compassion can be a continuous wellspring of happiness in our own lives and how our newfound happiness can extend outward from us in ever wider and wider circles.
As we become more compassionate human beings, our friends, family, neighbors, loved ones--and even our enemies--will find themselves less frequently in the thrall of destructive emotions like anger, jealousy, and fear, prompting them to become more warmhearted, kind, and harmonious forces within their own circles. With simple language and startling clarity, His Holiness makes evident as never before that the path to global harmony begins in the hearts of individual women and men. Enlivened by personal anecdotes and intimate accounts of the Dalai Lama's experiences as a student, thinker, political leader, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, "How to Be Compassionate "gives seekers of all faiths the keys to overcoming anger, hatred, and selfishness-- the primary obstacles to happiness--and to becoming agents of positive transformation in our communities and the world at large.

Here is a lucid, accessible, and inspiring guide to the six perfections--Buddhist teachings about six dimensions of human character that require "perfecting": generosity, morality, tolerance, energy, meditation, and wisdom. Drawing on the Diamond Sutra, the Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom, and other essential Mahayana texts, Dale Wright shows how these teachings were understood and practiced in classical Mahayana Buddhism and how they can be adapted to contemporary life in a global society. What would the perfection of generosity look like today, for example? What would it mean to give with neither ulterior motives nor naivete? Devoting a separate chapter to each of the six perfections, Wright combines sophisticated analysis with real-life applications. Buddhists have always stressed self-cultivation, the uniquely human freedom that opens the possibility of shaping the kind of life we will live and the kind of person we will become. For those interested in ideals of human character and practices of self-cultivation, The Six Perfections offers invaluable guidance."

’n Stil gemoed verskyn oorspronklik in 1993 in Engels onder die titel Tranquil Mind. Die eerste Afrikaanse uitgawe verskyn in 1997, en die tyd is dus ryp vir ’n heruitgawe. ’n Stil gemoed is ’n eenvoudige inleiding tot die Boeddhisme en meditasie. Die Boeddhisme is wesenlik ’n aantal metodes om met die verstand en gemoed om te gaan. As ons hierdie metodes verstaan en op ons lewens toepas, sal hulle ons inherente vermoe om innerlike vrede, erbarming en wysheid te ervaar laat ontplooi deur die potensiaal van ons gees te ontwikkel. Mediteerders in die Weste ervaar unieke probleme as gevolg van hul kulturele, sosiale en sielkundige agtergrond. Aan die hand van sy uitgebreide akademiese en praktiese ervaring stel die skrywer van hierdie inleiding die onderwerp bekend op ’n manier wat met die invloede rekening hou.

Visions of the Buddha offers a ground-breaking approach to the nature of the early discourses of the Buddha, the most foundational scriptures of Buddhist religion. Although the early discourses are commonly considered to be attempts to preserve the Buddha's teachings, Shulman demonstrates that these texts are full of creativity, and that their main aim is to beautify the image of the wonderous Buddha. While the texts surely care for the early teachings and for the Buddha's philosophy or his guidelines for meditation, and while at times they may relate real historical events, they are no less interested in telling good stories, in re-working folkloric materials, and in the visionary contemplation of the Buddha in order to sense his unique presence. The texts can thus be, at times, a type of meditation. Eviatar Shulman frames the early discourses as literary masterpieces that helped Buddhism achieve the wonderful success it has obtained. Much of the discourses' masterful storytelling was achieved through a technique of composition defined here as the play of formulas. In the oral literature of early Buddhism, texts were composed of formulas, which are repeated within and between texts. Shulman argues that the formulas are the real texts of Buddhism, and are primary to full discourses. Shaping texts through the play of formulas balances conservative and innovative tendencies within the tradition, making room for creativity within accepted forms and patterns. The texts we find today are thus versions-remnants-chosen by history of a much more vibrant and dynamic creative process.

Chan Buddhism in Dunhuang and Beyond: A Study of Manuscripts, Texts, and Contexts in Memory of John R. McRae is dedicated to the memory of the eminent Chan scholar John McRae and investigates the spread of early Chan in a historical, multi-lingual, and interreligious context. Combining the expertise of scholars of Chinese, Tibetan, Uighur, and Tangut Buddhism, the edited volume is based on a thorough study of manuscripts from Dunhuang, Turfan, and Karakhoto, tracing the particular features of Chan in the Northwestern and Northern regions of late medieval China.

Buddhist Philosophy of Consciousness brings Buddhist voices to the study of consciousness. This book explores a variety of different Buddhist approaches to consciousness that developed out of the Buddhist theory of non-self. Topics taken up in these investigations include: how we are able to cognize our own cognitions; whether all conscious states involve conceptualization; whether distinct forms of cognition can operate simultaneously in a single mental stream; whether non-existent entities can serve as intentional objects; and does consciousness have an intrinsic nature, or can it only be characterized functionally? These questions have all featured in recent debates in consciousness studies. The answers that Buddhist philosophers developed to such questions are worth examining just because they may represent novel approaches to questions about consciousness.

Lanna Buddhism is a variant of Theravada Buddhism that evolved between the 13th and 16th centuries in northern Thailand and spread to neighbouring areas of the Upper Mekong region. A salient feature is the belief in charismatic monks, some of whom are renowned for their asceticism, supernatural powers and strivings to recreate a utopian 'Buddha-land'. Issues highlighted in the book are the relationship of these charismatic monks to the state and state-controlled monkhood (sangha), the tendency for religious construction to spill over into economic development activities, and the diversity of lowland and highland devotional communities from Thailand and Myanmar.The book also explores contemporary influences on this religious tradition: the continuing marginalization of highland minorities and consequent devotion to messianic leaders, the incorporation for Lanna holy men into a national constellation of popular charismatic monks, the commercialization of Buddhism, and the patronage of wealthy urban elites.Charismatic Monks of Lanna Buddhism will appeal to scholars within the fields of Buddhist studies, Thai studies and the anthropology of religion as well as to those with an interest in the study of contemporary religious change in Thailand.