Buddhism : origins, traditions and contemporary life / edited by Jana Igunma and San San May.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Igunma, Jana, editor.

Camʻʺ Camʻʺ Me, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gautama Buddha--Exhibitions.

Gautama Buddha.

Buddhism.

Buddhism--History.

History.

Genre:

Exhibition catalogs.

Physical Description:

221 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 29 cm

Place of Publication:

London : The British Library, 2019.

Summary:

"Accompanying a major British Library exhibition, this book features stunning colour imagery from the pages of rare manuscripts from across Asia. It explores Buddhism's history, philosophy, geographical spread and practices, and looks at the contemporary relevance of the religion today. Today, Buddhism is one of the major world religions, with approximately 500 million followers worldwide and nearly 200,000 in the UK. Beginning with Buddha's Enlightenment in north India in the 5th century, Buddhism was adopted across Asia through the three large schools of Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana. Buddhism is well known and widely practised in the West today, and many people embrace a Buddhist lifestyle or certain practices, such as meditation. Accompanying the largest ever display of the British Library's Buddhist treasures, Buddhism follows the key concepts of the exhibition in four main chapters: the life of the historical Buddha, Buddhist philosophy, the spread of Buddhism and Buddhist practice. These chapters are interspersed with short entries explaining the significance of specific items. Astonishing colour and beauty emanate from the scrolls, manuscripts and printed books that are reproduced throughout, while the idea of the 'Middle Path' - promoting mindfulness, compassion, tolerance and non-violence - is presented with a renewed relevance for a 21st-century audience."--from Publisher

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. The Life of the Budhha

Knox Lalitavistara

The Lotus Sutra

2. Wheel of Life: Philosophy and Ethics

Tengu no dairi

The Patimokkha of the Bhikku and Bhikkhuni

An Abhidhamma Commentary in Shan Language

3. The Book: Manifestations of Knowledge and Cultural Exchange

From the Translator's Workhop

Bhutan's Sacred Texts

Searching for Surviving Buddhist Manuscripts in Siberia

The Qianlong Emperor's Anthology of Dharanis in Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan

4. Buddhist Practice: Mindfulness and Compassion

Illustrated Manuscript of the Guanyin Sutra

The Bhaja Stupas: Henry Cousens' View

A Khmer Meditation Manual.

Notes:

Includes bibliograhical references and index.

ISBN:

9780712352345

0712352341

9780712352390

0712352392

OCLC:

1129252144