South Asian Buddhism

Contents

Acknowledgments x Map of South Asian Buddhist sites xii

Formations: the Buddha and his Dharma 1 The world of the Buddha 1 The renunciants of Ancient India 4 The Buddha and his Dharma 6 After the Buddha's Awakening 8 The Noble Eightfold Path 10 The Four Noble Truths 11 The Establishment of the Sangha 13 The Buddha's early rivals 16 Remembering and representing the Buddha 21 Biographies of the Buddha 22 Symbols and images of the Buddha 27 Foundations: Mainstream Buddhist texts and communities 33 The development of the Sangha 33 Elaborations on the Vinaya 35 Founding the Bhiksupl order 38 Buddhist councils 42 First Council of Rajagrha 43 Second Council of VaisalT 44 Later Buddhist councils 44 Buddhist canons and texts 46 Writing canonical texts 48 Mainstream Buddhist schools 51 Mahasarnghika and related schools 52 Sthavira Schools I: Pudgalavada 53 Sthavira Schools II: Sarvastivada 55 Sthavira Schools III: Vibhajyavada and Theravada 58 Sthavira Schools IV: Sautrantika 60 Abhidharma speculation 61

Furcations: origins and development of the Mahayana 68 Lay Buddhism in Ancient India 68 The origins of the Mahayana 71 Mahayana texts 75 The Bodhisattva path 81 Philosophical systems of the Mahayana 86 Madhyamaka 87 Yogacara 92 viii Contents

Tathagatagarbha thought 96 The Mahayana pantheon 97 Heavenly Buddhas 97 Heavenly Bodhisattvas 101 4 Consolidations: medieval systems of thought and practice 104 Buddhist scholasticism 104 Vasubandhu (4th-5th c. CE ) 108 Buddhaghosa (5th c. CE ) 113 DharmakTrti (ca. 600-670 CE ) 117 Santideva (ca. 685-763 CE ) 121 Buddhist Tantra and the Vajrayana 125 Tantric Buddhist texts 128 Tantric Buddhist rituals 130 Legacies of Buddhist Tantra 137 5 Reappraisals: later developments in the South Asian Buddhist world 139 Buddhism in Sri Lanka 142 Monastic institutions 142 Buddhist rituals in Sri Lanka 148 Sinhala Buddhist literature 153 Buddhism in Nepal 156 Buddhist literature in Nepal 160 Buddhism in Bhutan 163 Colonialism and Christianity 165 Buddhist responses to Christian missions 167 Colonial-era scholarship on Buddhism 169 Reinterpreting Buddhism in Nepal and India 170 6 Revivals: Buddhism and modernity in South Asia 172 Modern Buddhist revivals 174 Buddhist nationalism in Sri Lanka 174 The Buddhist revival in Nepal 181 The Buddhist revival in Bangladesh 184 Buddhist nuns 185 The revival of the Bhikkhunl order in Sri Lanka 185 The revival of Buddhist nuns in Nepal 190 Buddhist activism 192 Ambedkar Buddhism 192 Buddhist development in Sri Lanka 196 Tibetan Buddhism in South Asia 199 Lay Buddhist practice 202 Appendix 206 Glossary 217 Bibliography 224 Index 235