Contents:
Part I - The Background and Context of the Ãlaya-vijñana
1. The Early Buddhist Background
2. The Three Marks of Existence
3. The Formula of Dependent Arising
4. Causation and continuity without a self
5. Viññana in the Formula of Dependent Arising
6. Viññana as Consciousness
7. Karmic Formations and Craving increase Viññana and Perpetuate Samsara
8. Consciousness and the Potential for Karmic Fruition
9. Viññana as Cognitive Awareness
10. Cognitive Processes and the Production of Karma
11. The Underlying Tendencies (anusaya)
12. The Underlying Tendency "I am" and Conceptual Proliferation
13. The Debate over Latent and Manifest
14. Reciprocal Causality Between the Two Aspects of Viññana
Part II - The Abhidharma Context
15. The Abhidharma Project and its Problematic
16. Background of the Abhidharma
17. The Aim and Methods of Abhidharma: Dharma as Irreducible Unit of Experience
18. The Basic Problematic: Two Levels of Discourse Two Dimensions of Mind
19. Analysis of Mind and its Mental Factors
20. The Initial Formulation of the Problematic in its Synchronic Dimension: The Accumulation of Karmic Potential, the Presence of the Underlying Tendencies and their Gradual Purification in the Kathavatthu
21. The Problematic in its Diachronic Dimension: Immediate Succession vs the Continuity of Karmic Potential
22. The Persistence of Traditonal Continuities: Karma and Klesa in the AbhiDharma-Kosa
23. AbhiDharmic Responses to the Problematic
24. The Sarvastivadin Theory of Possession
25. The Sautrantika Theory of Seeds in the Mental Stream
26. Questions Raised by Consciousness, Seeds and the Mental Stream
27. The Theravadin Theory of Life Constituent Mind
28. Conclusion
Part III - The Alaya-vijñana in the Yogacara Tradition, The Alaya-vijñana in the Early Tradition
29. The Origins of the Alaya-vijñana
30. The New Model of Mind in the Samdhinirmocana Sutra
31. The Alaya-Vijñana as Mental Stream
32. The Alaya Treatise of the Yogacarabhumi
33. The Proof Portion
34. The Alaya Treatise, Pravrtti Portion: Analysing the Alaya-Vijñana in Avhidharmic Terms
35. Its subliminal objective supports and cognitive processes
36. Its mutual and simulataneous relationship with manifest cognitive awareness
37. Manifest Cognitive Processes Produce Karma and Increase the Alaya-vijñana
38. Its Simultaneous Arising with Afflictive Mentation
39. The Alaya treatise, Nivrtti Portion: Equating the Alaya-Vijñana with Samsaric Continuity
40. Conclusion
Part IV - The Alaya-Vijñana in the Mahayana-samgraha I : Bringing It All Back Home
41. Appropriating the Traditional Buddhist Framework
42. Synonyms of the Alaya-vijñana in the Disciple's Vehicle
43. The Two Vijnanas and the Two Dependent Arisings
44. Seeding the Alaya-vijñana: The Karmic Process as Simultaneous Intrapsychic Causality
45. Resolving the Abhidharmic problematic
46. Karma, Rebirth and the Alaya-vijñana
47. The continuity of the Afflictions
48. Afflicitve Mentation in the Mahayana-samgraha
49. The Path of Purification:Mundane and SupraMundane
50. Beyond Abhidharma: Adventitious Defilements, Pure Seeds and Luminous Minds
Part V - The Alaya-vijñana in the Mahayana-samgraha II: Looking Beyond
51. The Predispositions of Speech, Self View and the Life Constituents
52. Common Experience, Common Embodiment: Language, the Alaya-vijñana and the Arising of the World

Wellsprings of the Great Perfection presents the primary sources explaining how the Dzogchen teachings came into this world, who received them and through whom they passed. It is an impressive collection of original translations from a vast number of classical Tibetan documents, including songs of realization by the early masters of the lineage.
" The Dzogchen teachings of the Greatest Secret, also known as the Great Perfection, are the words of the compassionate Buddha, and among the causal and resultant vehicles, they are of the type that employ the fruition as the path, Wellsprings of the Great Perfection describes the origin, and gives both short and detailed historical accounts and teachings.
"I see a profound importance in studying, reflecting upon and practicing the authentic statements and explanations of the Dzogchen lineage masters- especially for people who aspire to realize the Great Perfection- the Through cut of primordial purity, the view of Trekcho. I therefore request readers to keep these scriptures in the center of their hearts."
- Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, author of Present Fresh Wakefulness
"The ultimate origin and absolute teachings of Dzogchen inscribed in this most sacred text and whispered by the greatest adepts of its lineage are finally available in this volume. Every serious student Dzogchen must study and enshrine it in their heart."
- Tulku Thondup, author of The Healing Power of Mind

The first complete translation into English of this Tibetan text, together with the informative commentary by the 8th century master Buddhaguhya. This text is of seminal importance for the history of Buddhist Tantra, especially as very little has been published concerning the origins of Tantra in India.

Why did people in North India from the 5th century BC choose to leave the world and join the sect of the Buddha? This is the first book to apply the insights of social psychology in order to understand the religious motivation of the people who constituted the early Buddhist community. It also addresses the more general and theoretically controversial question of how world religions come into being, by focusing on the conversion process of the individual believer.

Why did people in North India from the 5th century BC choose to leave the world and join the sect of the Buddha? This is the first book to apply the insights of social psychology in order to understand the religious motivation of the people who constituted the early Buddhist community. It also addresses the more general and theoretically controversial question of how world religions come into being, by focusing on the conversion process of the individual believer.

A richly complex study of the Yogacara tradition of Buddhism, divided into five parts: the first on Buddhism and phenomenology, the second on the four basic models of Indian Buddhist thought, the third on karma, meditation and epistemology, the fourth on the Trimsika and its translations, and finally the fifth on the Ch'eng Wei-shih Lun and Yogacara in China.

The pioneering analysis of synchronicity was given by Jung, yet despite the concept's momentous significance in Jung's work, and despite the widespread dissemination of the term 'synchronicity' even within pop culture, synchronicity is often badly misconstrued and remains "perhaps the least understood of Jung's theories". Synchronicity, Science, and Soul-Making has already been hailed as the most important analysis of synchronicity since Jung himself.

Visual metaphors in a number of Mahayana sutras construct a discourse in which visual perception serves as a model for knowledge and enlightenment. In the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) and other Mahayana literature, immediate access to reality is symbolized by vision and set in opposition to language and conceptual thinking, which are construed as obscuring reality. In addition to its philosophical manifestations, the tension between vision and language also functioned as a strategy of legitimation in the struggle of the early heterodox Mahayana movement for authority and legitimacy. This emphasis on vision also served as a resource for the abundant mythical imagery in Mahayana sutras, imagery that is ritualized in Vajrayana visualization practices. McMahan brings a wide range of literature to bear on this issue, Including a rare analysis of the lavish imagery of the Gandavyuha Sutra in its Indian context. He concludes with a discussion of Indian approaches to visuality in the light of some recent discussions of "ocularcentrism" in the west, inviting scholars to expand the current discussion of vision and its roles in constructing epistemic systems and cultural practices beyond its exclusively European and American focus.

At a time when the popularity of Buddhism is at a peak in the west, both inside and outside the university setting, scholars and students alike are searching for guidance: How should Buddhism, a religion which is ultimately 'foreign' to western experience, be taught? How should one teach central Buddhist doctrines and ideas? Should one teach Buddhist practise; if so how? Until now, those interested in these and other related matters have been left with little guidance. Despite the wealth of scholarly publications on Buddhist traditions and the plethora of books about meditation and enlightenment, a serious lacuna exists in the sphere of teaching Buddhism.
This book fills this lacuna, by providing a series of thematically arranged articles written by contemporary scholars of Buddhism throughout North America. Some of the major themes covered are the history of teaching Buddhism in Europe and North America (Reynolds, Prebish), the problem of representations of Buddhism in undergraduate teaching (Lewis), the problem of crossing cultural and historical divides (Jenkins), the place of the body and mind in the Buddhist classroom (Waterhouse), alternative pedagogical methods in teaching Buddhism (Wotypka, Jarow, Hori, Grimes) and the use of the Internet as a resource, and metaphor for teaching Buddhism (Fenn, Grieder).

Demonstrates that Buddhists appropriated the practice, vocabulary, and ideology of sacrifice from Vedic religion, and discusses the relationship of this sacrificial discourse to ideas of karma in the Pali canon and in early Buddhism.

Written as a companion to Eliot's 3-volume Hinduism and Buddhism this text begins with an overview of Buddhism as practiced in India and China before presenting an in depth account of the history of Buddhism in Japan. It follows the development of the Buddhist movement in Japan from its official introduction in AD 552, through the Nara, Heian and Tokugawa periods, detailing the rises of the various Buddhist sects in Japan, including Nichiren and Zen. Thoroughly researched and well-written, it was the last work published by Eliot, one of the great scholars of Eastern religion and philosophy at the time.

A thoughtful, down-to-earth look at helpful ways to lessen human suffering.

This book takes you on a lively, sometimes light-hearted, journey through nine Buddhist practices that can bring "blessed relief" to a wide range of human suffering and teaches you skills to reduce suffering in the long term for yourself and others.The practices help you: Loosen the grip of sufferingEngage and question limiting views, thoughts and opinionsDeconstruct ten common assumptionsBe present in each momentSurvive emotional stormsDevelop peaceful communication skillsDeepen communication with your partnerAppreciate mortality and the preciousness of lifeCultivate compassion

As you read the chapters and engage in each practice, you will work with your own stories of suffering stories in which you have felt abandoned, deprived, subjugated, defective, excluded or vulnerable and you will learn how to release yourself from suffering by investigating it with curiosity and kindness."

Vajra Speech, by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, renowned for his
extra-ordinary experience and realization, is a wide ranging
collection of pith instructions for the Dzogchen yogi. This Tibetan
master's advice reduces negative emotions and naturally
enables loving kindness, compassion and wisdom to flourish.
"A swan can separate water and milk when drinking. The
yogi should be like the swan in sepa rating the milk of original
wakefulness from the water of ignorance."
--Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
"Compared to many years studying books and going through
analytical meditation, we found it more beneficial to ask questions
of Tulku Urgyen and listen to his answers."
--Orgyen Topgyal Rinpoche

Two of DŌ gen's most esteemed translators provide key chapters form his Zen masterpiece, the Shō bō genzō , in English with annotations to guide the reader.

This is a subset of F. Max Mullers great collection The Sacred Books of the East which includes translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions which have exercised a profound influence on the civilizations of the continent of Asia. The works have been translated by leading authorities in their field.

This is a subset of the Sacred Books of the East Series which includes translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions which have exercised a profound influence on the civilizations of the continent of Asia. The works have been translated by leading authorities in their field.

This is a subset of F. Max Mullers great collection The Sacred Books of the East which includes translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions which have exercised a profound influence on the civilizations of the continent of Asia. The works have been translated by leading authorities in their field.

This is a subset of the Sacred Books of the East Series which includes translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions which have exercised a profound influence on the civilizations of the continent of Asia. The works have been translated by leading authorities in their field.

This is a subset of F. Max Mullers great collection The Sacred Books of the East which includes translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions which have exercised a profound influence on the civilizations of the continent of Asia. The works have been translated by leading authorities in their field.

Becoming a Buddhist monk in Thailand has for a long time provided the opportunity for access to a good education and to social advancement, both to bright, poor rural youths and to members of the urban elite whose youth often become monks for a few months as a rite of passage into adulthood. Moreover, although women are not allowed to become fully fledged monks, recent developments have encouraged a special status akin to nuns for many devout Thai Buddhist women. All this has resulted in large numbers of well-educated, well-motivated Buddhist religious people, keen both to engage in religious contemplation and also determined to contribute to this-worldly social, economic, educational and medical development goals. This book, by a leading authority on the subject, considers the role of Thai Buddhist religious people in development within Thailand. It discusses how Thai Buddhism has evolved philosophically and in its organisation to allow this, examines various examples of Buddhist people's engagement in development projects, and assesses how the situation is likely to unfold going forward. In addition, the book considers the relationship between science and religion in Thai Buddhism and also some aspects of the parallel situation in Sri Lanka.

This is a semiotic study of a corpus of texts that Kumârajîva (344-413 CE), Paramârtha (499~569 CE) and Xuanzang (599~664 CE) transmitted from India to China, featuring a critical reading of the Dazhidu Lun (T1509, Mahâ-Prajñâpâramitâ-upadeúa-Úâstra), San Wuxing Lun (T1617, Try-asvabhâva-prakara.na), and Guangbai Lun (T1571, Catu.húataka-úâstra-kârika). Focusing its attention on the Mahâyâna Buddhist notion of samatâ, it identifies a Buddhist semiotics which anticipates Derrida's invocation of the notion of the Same in his deconstruction of binary oppositions.

The study of the Chinese Buddhist Canon-the basic literature of Buddhism-does not have an eminent place in study either in China or in the Western World. For the contributors to this volume, their chapters are the result of decades of dedication to academic research, and they reveal many facets of the Buddhist Canon that were previously unstudied. This book originated in the first and second International Conferences on Chinese Buddhist Canon, and focuses on the communication of the Chinese Buddhist Canon through the medium of print. It enhances our knowledge of how the canon was collated, proofread and printed. This book was originally published as a special issue of Studies in Chinese Religions.

How did ancient Buddhists read and interpret the Buddha's words? In Voice of the Buddha, Maria Heim reads the early Buddhist scriptures with Buddhaghosa, the principal commentator, editor, and translator of the Theravada intellectual tradition. Buddhaghosa considers the Buddha to be omniscient and his words "oceanic." Every word, passage, bookindeed, the corpus as a wholeis taken to be "endless and immeasurable." Commentarial practice thus requires disciplined methods of expansion, drawing out the endless possibilities for meaning and application. Heim considers Buddhagohsa's theories of scripture and follows his practices of exegesis to yield fresh insight into all three collections of the early Pali texts: Vinaya, the Suttas, and the Abhidhamma.