AN INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM published in July 1987 is the English version of Bukkyō Nyūmon by Dr. TAKASAKI Jikido, one of the Japan’s leading scholars of Indian philosophy, esp. Mahāyāna Buddhism.
摘要
There is no dearth of books in Western languages dealing with Buddhism in all its manifold aspects and directed at both the general reader and the specialist. Since Buddhism boasts of a history of two and a half millennia, which has in turn given birth to a vast body of literature, many schools of thought, and diverse developments in doctrine and methods of practice, it is only natural that the upsurge in research on Buddhism throughout the world in recent years should have resulted in such a flood of published material on the subject. But in spite of, or perhaps rather because of, this very wealth of literature, it is becoming increasingly difficult both for the person approaching the subject for the first time and for the more advanced student interested in a particular facet of Buddhism to gain a balanced understanding of the basic principles of Buddhism. It was in consideration of such circumstances that it was decided to publish this English version of An Introduction to Buddhism by one of Japan’s leading scholars of Buddhism. The author, Takasaki Jikido, Litt. D., is a specialist in Indian Buddhism, in particular the philosophy of Mahāyāna Buddhism. At the same time, as a Japanese, he is well versed in the Buddhist traditions of China, Korea, and Japan, and this erudition, coupled with his ability to utilize not only sanskrit but also Pāli, Tibetan, and Chinese original texts, has enabled him to elucidate from an impartial standpoint the essence of Buddhist thought lying at the basis of all its multifarious developments. In doing so, he has succeeded in presenting an ordered and comprehensive exposition of the key terms of Buddhist thought in which not only are basic concepts dealt with individually but it is also demonstrated how these basic concepts interrelate to constitute the single integrated whole which is Buddhism. The outline of Buddhist history, based on the results of recent research and ranging from India to Japan, further allows the reader to place the doctrinal developments within a historical perspective. There are also detailed indexes to meet the needs of both the general and the advanced reader.
目次
[Table of Contents]
Introduction: What is Buddhism ? Chapter Ⅰ. The Life of Śākyamuni Chapter Ⅱ. The True Nature of the Buddha Chapter Ⅲ. Dharma: The Buddhist Conception of Truth Chapter Ⅳ. Sarva-dharmāh : The Constituent Elements of Existence Chapter Ⅴ. Transmigration, Karma, and Mental Defilements Chapter Ⅵ. The Path to Enlightenment Chapter Ⅶ. Mind: The Agency of Practice Chapter Ⅷ. The Ideal Practitioner Chapter Ⅸ. The Precepts and the Organization of the Community Chapter Ⅹ. The History of Buddhism 1) Buddhism in India and the Surrounding Lands 2) Chinese Buddhism 3) Korean Buddhism 4) Japanese Buddhism Sources / Select Bibliography English, Sanskrit, Pāli, and Chinese Indexes The Author; the Translator
