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The androgynous, asexual Buddha of contemporary popular imagination stands in stark contrast to the muscular, virile, and sensual figure presented in Indian Buddhist texts. In early Buddhist literature and art, the Buddha’s perfect physique and sexual prowess are important components of his legend as the world’s “ultimate man.” He is both the scholarly, religiously inclined brahman and the warrior ruler who excels in martial arts, athletic ...
The Commentary on Just the Maitreya Chapter from the Samdhinirmocana-sutra, attributed to the Indian Buddhist master Jnanagarbha, is an important work of early Indian Buddhist philosophy. As the title indicates, it focuses on the eighth chapter of the sutra. "The Question of Maitreya," one of the seminal scriptural sources for Indian Buddhist meditation theory. It provides learned commentaries on the doctrines of "calming" (samatha) and ...
Hermeneutics & Tradition in the Samdhinirmocana-sutra deals with the complex interrelationship between theories of scriptural interpretation and Buddhist notions of tradition and authority with respect to the Samdhinirmocana-sutra, the maiin scriptural source of the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism. The Yogacara school is one of the two main philosophical schools of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Samdhinirmocana-sutra figures prominently in the philosophical ...
From bodhi to the true meaning of Zen, the rich diversity of the Buddhist tradition is captured succinctly within this concise yet comprehensive new encyclopedia. Covering the teaching of the early masters to the growth of the tradition in the West, over 900 entries supply information on the key doctrines, practices and figures that constitute this historic movement. Throughout, John Powers balances concision with scholarship, explaining complex ideas in a manner ...