Buddhism, a world religion dating back over 2000 years, once dominated great tracts of Asia and still commands the loyalty of millions. Thanks to the lavish and devoted patronage, it came to possess a wealth of temples and monasteries, and art traditions as varied, as they can be sublime. Its concern with universal salvation also ensured a long development of doctrines and philosophy, creating a vast literature in many languages. The more one investigates the history, civilisation and the culture of Buddhism, more one is struck by the colossal and enduring character of Buddhist traditions. The social, religious and cultural development of Buddhism has accumulated a wealth of spiritual and literary material. ‘The enormous volume of literature on the heritage and culture of the Buddhists has not only created a demand for general work of reference, but has also made known the necessity for a Buddhist Encyclopaedia of a more special character. To bind the wealth of material between the covers of a book has indeed been a daunting task. It is against this back ground of challenge that this Encyclopaedia of Buddhism has been prepared, because it is not possible otherwise to have at our command the vast resources of learning and teachings that have accumulated over centuries. The present work is an attempt to meet the universally growing demand for a comprehensive Buddhist Encyclopaedia. "This is a far-reaching claim to make, but a mere glance at the contents will reveal its scope and the names of those whose writings have been included in the Encyclopaedia will establish its authenticity. The Encyclopaedia contains articles on all significant topics related to Buddhism and its manifested schools and thoughts. It also aims, further, at containing articles on Buddhists beliefs or customs, and on every ethical movement, every philosophical idea, and every moral practice. All the persons and places as are famous in the history of Buddhist religion have been included. The Encyclopaedia therefore embraces the whole range of theology and philosophy; together will the relevant portions of Anthropology, Mythology, Folklore, Psychology, Education, Economics, Sciences and Sociology. "In order to avoid over-lapping, and yet to have every topics treated with sufficient fullness, the method has occasionally been adopted of describing a subject comprehensively in one general article, and then taking one or more particular topics embraced by the general article and dealing with them separately and more fully. The entries are placed in an alphabetical order and cross-referencing is provided for fuller utilization of the matter and also for a better understanding of the subject at hand. Each entry is created in a simple and easy to understand language summarizing the most important aspects of creative research and writing related to the specific topic. Each article entry ends with significant bibliography and suggested sources for additional information. "The Encyclopaedia of Buddhism is the first publication to satisfy the need for a vast introductory and a truly international work of reference. The wide range of matter dealt with in these volumes present the panoramic view of the civilization and culture of the Buddhists in its different facets and in different periods of history.
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