In this clearly written and accessible book, Stephen J. Laumakis explains the origin and development of Buddhist ideas and concepts, focusing on the philosophical ideas and arguments presented and defended by selected thinkers and sutras from various traditions. Starting with a sketch of the Buddha and the Dharma and highlighting the origins of Buddhism in India, he then considers specific details of the Dharma with special attention to Buddhist ontology and epistemology. He examines the development of Buddhism in China, Japan, and Tibet, and concludes with the ideas of the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. Each chapter includes explanations of key terms and teachings, excerpts from primary source materials, and presentations of relevant arguments. This second edition is revised and updated throughout and includes two new chapters, on Buddhist ethics and Buddhist meditation. It will be an invaluable guide for all who are interested in this rich and vibrant philosophy.

In this clearly written and accessible book, Stephen J. Laumakis explains the origin and development of Buddhist ideas and concepts, focusing on the philosophical ideas and arguments presented and defended by selected thinkers and sutras from various traditions. Starting with a sketch of the Buddha and the Dharma and highlighting the origins of Buddhism in India, he then considers specific details of the Dharma with special attention to Buddhist ontology and epistemology. He examines the development of Buddhism in China, Japan, and Tibet, and concludes with the ideas of the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. Each chapter includes explanations of key terms and teachings, excerpts from primary source materials, and presentations of relevant arguments. This second edition is revised and updated throughout and includes two new chapters, on Buddhist ethics and Buddhist meditation. It will be an invaluable guide for all who are interested in this rich and vibrant philosophy.

Certain questions have recurred throughout the history of philosophy. They are the big questions-about happiness and the good life, the limits of knowledge, the ultimate structure of reality, the nature of consciousness, the relation between causality and free will, the pervasiveness of suffering, and the conditions for a just and flourishing society-that thinkers in different cultures across the ages have formulated in their own terms in an attempt to make sense of their lives and the world around them. The essays in this book turn to the major figures and texts of the Buddhist tradition in order to expand and enrich our thinking on these enduring questions. Examining them from a comparative and cross-cultural perspective demonstrates the value of alternative ways of addressing philosophical problems, showing how different approaches can produce new and unexpected kinds of questions and answers. Engaging with the Buddhist tradition, this book shows, helps return philosophy to its practical as well as theoretical aim: not only understanding the world but also knowing how to live in it. Featuring striking and generative comparisons of Buddhist and Western thought, Philosophy's Big Questions challenges our thinking in fundamental ways and offers readers new conceptual tools, methods, and insights for the pursuit of a good and happy life.

Certain questions have recurred throughout the history of philosophy. They are the big questions-about happiness and the good life, the limits of knowledge, the ultimate structure of reality, the nature of consciousness, the relation between causality and free will, the pervasiveness of suffering, and the conditions for a just and flourishing society-that thinkers in different cultures across the ages have formulated in their own terms in an attempt to make sense of their lives and the world around them. The essays in this book turn to the major figures and texts of the Buddhist tradition in order to expand and enrich our thinking on these enduring questions. Examining them from a comparative and cross-cultural perspective demonstrates the value of alternative ways of addressing philosophical problems, showing how different approaches can produce new and unexpected kinds of questions and answers. Engaging with the Buddhist tradition, this book shows, helps return philosophy to its practical as well as theoretical aim: not only understanding the world but also knowing how to live in it. Featuring striking and generative comparisons of Buddhist and Western thought, Philosophy's Big Questions challenges our thinking in fundamental ways and offers readers new conceptual tools, methods, and insights for the pursuit of a good and happy life.