In Buddhism in Five Minutes, academic specialists offer answers to 75 questions about Buddhism that people curious about Buddhism might ask. The questions cover the Buddha, what the Buddha taught, Buddhist monasticism and the role of lay people, the historical development of Buddhism, Buddhist art, Buddhist ethics, Buddhist responses to other religions, and Buddhist thought on contemporary issues. They include: Who is the fat Buddha figure? Can we know what the historical Buddha taught? What is Nirvāṇa? Why do Buddhists meditate? Does Buddhism support gender equality? What is Zen Buddhism? Are Buddhists pacifist? What do Buddhists think about those who are LGBTQI? Are alcohol and drugs ever acceptable to Buddhists? How do Buddhists view Artificial Intelligence? Taken together the questions cover most aspects of Buddhist belief and practice in the contemporary world.
The collection is sponsored by the UK Association for Buddhist Studies but contributors are drawn from Asia, North America and Latin America, as well as Europe. The questions are answered in accessible, non-specialist language without too many footnotes. Each should take not much more than five minutes to read.
Because each chapter can be read in about five minutes, the books offer ideal supplementary resources in classrooms or an engaging read for those curious about the world around them.
目次
Preface Preface xiii Introduction 1 Buddhism as a Religion 1. Is Buddhism a Religion? 6 2. What is the Role and Focus of Faith in Buddhism? 10 3. What is the Role of Ritual in Buddhism? 14 4. Are Relics Important to Buddhists? 19 5. What are the Holy Texts of Buddhism? 24 6. What is the Place of Images in Buddhism? 29 7. What is the Role of Narrative in Buddhism? 35 8. Is Buddhism Atheistic, Non-theistic or Theistic? 40 The Buddha 9. What do we Know about the Historical Buddha? 46 10. How is the Nature of Buddhahood to be Understood? 50 11. How does one “Read” a Buddha-image? 55 12. Who is the Fat Buddha Figure? 60 13. What is a Bodhisattva? 63 14. How do Buddhists Show their Devotion to the Buddha? 68 What the Buddha Taught (1) 15. Can we Know what the Historical Buddha Taught? 76 16. What Part does Belief in Rebirth Play in Buddhism? 81 17. Does Buddhism See the Mind as Separate from the Body? 86 18. Do Buddhists See All that Happens to One as Due to Karma? 91 19. What is Seen as Reborn, According to Buddhism? 96 20. To what Extent does Buddhism “Deny the Self”? The Non-Self Teaching 99 21. What are the “Four Noble Truths” About? 104 22. What is Non-attachment in Buddhism? 108 23. What is Nirvana? 112 24. What is it to be “Enlightened” or “Awakened”? 116 25. What Kinds of “Saints” does Buddhism have? 120 What the Buddha Taught (2) Meditation 26. Why do Buddhists Meditate? 126 27. What is “Mindfulness” in Buddhism, and does it Differ from Modern Secular “Mindfulness”? 130 28. What Kinds of Meditation are there in Buddhism? 136 29. What is the Role of Chanting in Buddhism? 141 Monasticism and Lay People in Buddhism 30. What is the Role of Monasticism in Buddhism? 148 31. How does One become Ordained? 153 32. What Rules do Monastics Follow? 157 33. What is the Position of Nuns in Buddhism? 163 34. What is the Role of Lay Buddhists? 168 35. Does Buddhism Support Gender Equality? 172 36. What is the Role of Preaching in Buddhism? 176 Development of Buddhism: Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism 37. How did Buddhism Relate to the Brahmanism of the Buddha’s Day, and Later Hinduism? 182 38. What Splits were there in Buddhism in the Early Centuries? 188 39. What are the Main Contemporary Divisions in Buddhism: Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna? 193 40. What is the ‘Hīnayāna’? 199 41. What is Zen Buddhism? 202 42. What is Pure Land Buddhism? 207 43. What is the Role of the Dalai Lama? 212 44. What is the Bodhisattva Vow? 217 45. What is Buddha-Nature? 220 46. What are the Meanings of “Emptiness” in Mahāyāna Buddhism? 223 47. Is Tantric Buddhism Just about Sex? 228 48. Why are There so Many Different Celestial Beings in Tibetan Buddhism? 232 Buddhist Art and Material Culture 49. What are the Main Buildings and Symbols of Buddhism? 238 50. Why do Buddhists Make Art? 248 51. What is a Mandala? 254 52. How is Buddhism Influencing Contemporary Art? 259 Buddhism and Other Religions 53. How has Buddhism been Influenced by Other Religious Traditions? 266 54. How do Buddhists View Other Religious Traditions and What Kind of Interreligious Encounters are Buddhists Involved in Now? 272 Buddhism and Ethics 55. What Vows do Buddhists Take? 280 56. Are Buddhists Pacifists? 284 57. Are Buddhists Vegetarian? 289 58. Does Buddhism have Rules for Marriage and Family Life? 293 59. How do Buddhist View Suicide and Self-immolation? 297 60. What is Engaged Buddhism? 302 61. What is the Relationship between Buddhism and Politics? 307 62. How Important is Compassion in Buddhism? 313 63. Is Non-attachment Compatible with Compassion? 318 Buddhism and Contemporary Issues 64. What do Buddhists Think about Sex? 322 65. What do Buddhists Think about Those who are LGBTQI? 327
