Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices) [Paperback]

Paul Williams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415025370 | ISBN-13: 978-0415025379 | Publication Date: July 26, 1989 | Edition: 1

Originating in India, M 3 h 0 ayana Buddhism spread to Central Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Japan and other countries of East Asia. In Tibet and East Asia, M 3 h 0 yana eventually became the prevalent form of Buddhism. Western interest in M 3 h 0 yana has increased considerably over the last twenty-five years, reflected both in the quantity of scholarly material produced and also in the attraction of Westerners towards Tibetan Buddhism and r augThis book aims to provide in one volume an up-to-date and accurate account of the principles of M 3 h 0 yana Buddhism as they are found in both the Indo-Tibetan and East Asian forms of M 3 h 0 yana. It seeks to introduce and reflect some of the recent scholarly work in the field, and in particular the book is concerned to convey the diversity and richness of M 3 h 0 yana Buddhism, a diversity which prevents any attempt at simple definition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The work is in fact an admirable introduction to the Mahayana traditions, both for the undergraduate student and others who wish to explore the `Great Vehicle.' Such a useful, up-to-date overview fills a real need. Moreover, its thorough references can be used as a basis for further study and research.
–Religious Studies

This will without doubt become a standard textbook on the Mahayana. Argument and assertions are throughout backed up by reference to primary sources and there are citations or quotations from texts on almost every page.
–Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

About the Author

Paul Williams is Professor of Indian and Tibetan Philosophy and Co-director of the Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol. The author of six books and an editor of a further eight, he is a former President of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies. Among his other books for Routledge is Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition (2000).

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (July 26, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415025370
• ISBN-13: 978-0415025379
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,158,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buddhism with a Slight Spin, April 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices) (Paperback)

Mr. Williams has done a fantastic job of clearly and effectively laying down the foundations of the Mahayana movement. This movement, arguably the most colorful of the incarnations of Buddhist thought and theory, has a convoluted past, and Mr. Williams has expertly shown the reader the origins of the Mahayana and the origins of modern Buddhism. The only criticism that would in any way deter the reader from thinking this work to be one of the definitive in the doctrine is William's unfortunate tendency to mix his opinions which are for the most part religiously based, with philosophical quandries. Mr. Williams is the European Secretary for the International Association of Buddhist Studies, and I feel as such his opinion surfaces on several issues, most notably in the chapter on the Saddharmapundarika Sutra. The educated reader, or at least the reader able to assimilate William's position, can, however, easily overcome the minor references to academia based on faith rather than empirical knowledge. All minor biases aside, Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations is a superior work when compared to many mainstream texts used in Buddhist study, which tend to be more esoteric, or treat only specific facets of the huge diaspora that spawned Buddhist practice in so many countries. Mr. Williams has produced a great work of fantastic merit in regards to understanding Mahayana Buddhism, and should be lauded for his work which makes, in my humble opinion, a stupendous read.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must buy for any academic Buddhist library, March 3, 2003

By 

Alan B. Cicco (Fairborn, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices) (Paperback)

I found this book extremely helpful on mutiple levels. Beyond the fact that Mahayana Buddhism suffers from a lack of cohesive literature combined, Williams counters this problem in his gathering of doctrine and his own insight on the history, evolution, and spread of Mahayana. He shows great detail to the evolution of each "school" and how it was affected by the geographic, ethnic, and cultural environments that fomred each branches specifics.

A historical paper trail is fomed for many of the major works attributed to Mahayanist thought, so that we see roots formed. This grants immense clearity to many misunderstanding about certain school ideologies that might appear completely unrelated until all the details are shown within Williams book.

Although there are no actual sutras translated, the book is a perfect starting point for philosophies, history, and a listing of many of the great Mahayana sutras, which one could then find available to start forming an actual library for practice and reference.

As a Priest in the Pure Land tradition and trained in both Mahayana and Theravadin, this book stands apart in my findings of authors that spread knowledge in quanity and quality instead of minute chunks for only lineage lip service.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear writing style - great!, January 1, 2009

By 

Melinda McAdams "Mindy" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices) (Paperback)

After a few years of practicing Buddhism and reading Dharma books, I am reading this as my first scholarly text, and I'm very impressed by it. It certainly is NOT an introduction for beginners, but Williams is careful to include just enough explanation to keep me reading without feeling a need to resort to Wikipedia (heh!).

His footnotes (endnotes) are amazing -- the book proper is only 266 pages, followed by 121 pages of endnotes. I'm skipping most of these, but when I do dip into them, I'm even more impressed by Williams's unusual ability to stick to a central idea and successfully separate out the interesting surrounding ideas (which need not muddy up the main text).

I also appreciate his ability to steer clear of Western philosophy. He is presenting the history, central texts and teachings, and disputes of the Mahayana with well-focused discipline. He does this with clarity, occasional stunning insights, and sometimes even a touch of humor! (I especially like it when he refers to "old and basic" ideas of Buddhism; he seems to have a particularly good sense of his audience for this book.)

It's very nice to get a sense of how certain issues were divisive (or not) without being lost in excessive detail about each and every school's (or lineage's) take on the matter. That is not to say Williams is treating the subject superficially but rather another indication of his clear focus.

Don't consider this book if you know very little about Buddhism at present. But if you are well-grounded in the teachings and have some idea of the "place" of Mahayana, and you want to experience an academic approach to the subject, this book will not disappoint you.

P.S. I'm reading (more than halfway through) the new second edition.