Asian religions : an illustrated introduction / Bradley K. Hawkins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hawkins, Bradley K., 1950-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Asia--Religion.

Asia.

Religion.

Physical Description:

xi, 356 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Pearson Longman, [2004]

Summary:

Exploring all the major religions of South and Southeast Asia, China, and Northeast Asia, Bradley K. Hawkins looks at Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, the newer religious movements, and the very important pan-Asian religion of Islam. Numerous full-color photos and art -- both historical and contemporary -- provide insight into the artistic expressions, sacred architecture, and people of the various traditions. Photographs of contemporary rituals and practices give a feel for each tradition as a living religion and maps provide valuable geographical and historical context.

Contents:

Part 1 The Religions of South and Southeast Asia 1

1 The Foundations of the Study of Religion in Asia 2

Asia: The Geographical Setting 4

Asia: The Historical Setting 5

The Archaic Roots of Asian Religion 6

The Selection and Training of Shamans 7

The Spirits in Shamanism 9

Shamanic Religion in the Social Context 10

2 The Beginnings of South Asian Religion 12

The Problem of Defining "Hinduism" 12

Geographical and Cultural Divergence in the Indic Cultural Region 13

The Core Components of the Hindu Tradition 14

The Indus Valley Culture and its Religion 15

The Vedas: The Earliest Religious Literature of India 21

The Gods of the Aryans 23

The Foundations of the Traditional Hindu Social Order 25

The Structure of the Vedic Sacrifice 26

3 The Emergence of the Hindu Wisdom Tradition 29

The Upanishads 29

Samsara and Karma: The Foundations of the Wisdom Tradition 30

Brahman and Atman: The Immortal Constituents of Reality 32

Tapas, Asceticism, and Liberation 33

Meditation: Liberation through Knowledge of Reality 35

Samnyasa and the Hindu Stages of Life 36

4 The Six Schools of Indian Philosophy 38

Samkhya and Yoga 38

Nyaya and Vaisheshika 43

Mimamsa and Vedanta 45

5 Hindu Devotionalism 49

The Worship of Shiva 49

Shaivite Philosophy and Religious Groups 51

Devi, the Great Goddess 53

The Worship of Vishnu and his Avataras 55

Vaishnavaite Philosophy and Devotion 62

6 Islam and its Influence on Medieval South Asian Religion 65

The Basic Tenets of Islam 66

The Bhakti Tradition and Hindu-Muslim Syncretism 74

7 Sikhism 77

Guru Nanak's Successors 79

Muslim Opposition and the Development of the Khalsa 81

The Sikhs and the British 84

Sikhism in Post-Independence India 86

8 Hinduism's Changing Relationship with the West 88

The Beginnings of the Hindu Reform Movement 91

Vivekananda and the Euro-American Reappraisal of Hinduism 94

Mahatma Gandhi and the Politicization of Hinduism 95

Hinduism in the Twenty-first Century 99

9 Jainism: The First of the Nastika Traditions 101

Mahavira and the Rise of Jainism 102

The Principal Tenets of Jainism 103

The "Three Jewels" of Jainism: Knowledge, Faith, and Conduct 105

10 Early Buddhism in India 109

The Life of the Buddha 109

The Three Marks of Existence and the Four Noble Truths 113

Interdependent Arising and the Eightfold Path 114

Theravada Buddhism and the Formation of the Pali Canon 116

11 Later Developments in Indian Buddhism 121

The Rise of Mahayana Buddhism 121

Madhyamika and Yogacara 125

Tibet and the Development of Vajrayana Buddhism 128

Vajrayana: The Way of Ritual Mysticism 130

The Decline of Buddhism in India 133

12 Buddhism in the Modern World Context 137

The Spread of Buddhism in Europe and the United States 137

Buddhism in the Twenty-First Century 142

13 Religion in Southeast Asia 145

Prehistoric Religion in Southeast Asia 147

The Beginnings of Indian Influences in Eastern Mainland Southeast Asia 148

Religion in the Period of the Great Empires (800-1300 C.E.) 151

Vietnam and the Adaptation of the Chinese Worldview 154

The Spread of Sri Lankan Buddhism in Mainland Southeast Asia 156

14 Islam in South and Southeast Asia 162

The Roots of South Asian Islam 162

The Coming of Islam to Island Southeast Asia 165

Islam in British Colonial India 167

Islam under Dutch Colonial Rule in Indonesia 168

Islam in Modern South and Southeast Asia 169

South and Southeast Asian Religions Timeline 172

Part 2 The Religions of China 175

15 The Archaic Foundations of Chinese Religion 176

The Chinese Family: The Social Basis of Chinese Religion 179

The Local Religious Matrix 181

Chinese Religion in Pre- and Proto-History 183

16 Philosophical Daoism 190

Lao zi and the Daodejing 190

Zhuangzi 195

17 Daoist Religion 198

Early Daoist Traditions in Qin and Han Religion 198

The Celestial Masters 199

The Development of Daoism in South China 200

Daoism in Northern China 204

18 Confucius and the Origins of Confucianism 207

Chinese History from Zhou to Qin 207

Confucius: The Life of a Cultural Prototype 208

The Texts and Doctrines of Early Confucianism 210

19 Early Confucianism and its Rivals 217

Mencius 217

Xun Zi 222

Mo Zi and Mohism 223

The Legalists 225

20 Neo-Confucianism 227

Zhou Dunyi and the Rise of Neo-Confucianism 228

Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, and the Elaboration of Neo-Confucian Thought 230

Zhu Xi and the Flowering of the Neo-Confucian Tradition 232

Wang Yangming and the Refutation of Zhu Xi's Synthesis 234

21 The Chinese Transformation of Buddhism 237

The Origins of Chinese Buddhism 237

Post-Han Developments in Early Chinese Buddhism 241

Buddhism in Northern China from the Fall of the Han to the Rise of the Sui 244

22 The Consolidation and Expansion of Chinese Buddhism 249

The Tiantai School 250

The Huayan School 254

The Persecution of Buddhism in the Later Tang 255

Pure Land Buddhism 256

Chan Buddhism 259

Chinese Religions Timeline 264

Part 3 The Religions of Northeast Asia 267

23 Religion in Korea 268

The Indigenous Religious Traditions of Korea 268

The Early Development of Confucianism and Daoism in Korea 271

Buddhism in Early Korea 272

Buddhism in Later Silla and Koryo 276

Confucianism in Later Korean History 279

24 Early Japanese Religion and the Development of Shinto 281

The Geographical Setting of Japanese Religion 281

The Early Cultures of Japan 282

Early Japanese Myths and Religion 285

Ealry Japanese Religion as Shown in the Chinese Records 286

Shinto: A Brief Overview of the National Religion of Japan 288

The Rites and Rituals of Shinto 290

Shinto and the Japanese Imperial Family 293

25 Japanese Buddhism to about 1200 C.E. 295

The Ritsuryo Government: Buddhism as an Appendage of the State 298

The Six Schools of Nara Buddhism 300

Saicho and the Establishment of Tendai Buddhism 302

Kukai and the Development of Esoteric Buddhism in Japan 304

26 Pure Land and Nichiren Buddhism 306

The Rise of Pure Land Buddhism 306

Honen and the Growth of Pure Land Buddhism 308

Shinran and the Jodo Shin School 311

Nichiren 314

27 Zen Buddhism in Japan 317

Eisai and the Founding of the Rinzai School of Zen 317

Rinzai Zen 320

Dogen and the Establishment of the Soto School of Zen 322

28 East Asian Religions and the Challenge of the Modern World 326

Maoism 326

Cao Dai 329

Christianity in Korea 330

The New Religions in Japan 334

Northeast Asian Religions Timeline 337.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [344]-349) and index.

ISBN:

0321172884

OCLC:

51886440