Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism: Creating a Shin Buddhist Theology in a Religiously Plural World

· State University of New York Press
Ebook
267
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

2000CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title

Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism offers proposals for creatively reinterpreting the Pure Land path. Japanese Pure Land thought brought about a major development in Buddhist tradition by evolving a path to enlightenment that is pursued while carrying on life in society. It is rooted in the Mahayana ideal of compassion and in the bodhisattva, or being of wisdom, who vows to ferry all living things to the other shore of awakening.

In this book, three Buddhist scholars utilize hermeneutic thought, process theology, and the mandala contemplation of Buddhism to address issues of modernity and religious values in the world today. In addition, the work proceeds to offer a new model of interreligious dialogue. Gordon D. Kaufman and John B. Cobb, Jr. reflect critically on the Buddhist proposals, drawing on their long experience as religious philosophers facing questions concerning the contemporary applicability of Christian thought.

Contributors include John B. Cobb, Jr., Dennis Hirota, Gordon D. Kaufman, Musashi Tachikawa, and John S. Yokota.

About the author

Dennis Hirota is Professor of Asian Studies at Chikushi Jogakuen University, Dazaifu, Japan. He is the head translator of The Collected Works of Shinran and has published extensively on Pure Land Buddhist thought and Buddhist aesthetics in both English and Japanese. His works include Plain Words on the Pure Land Way: Sayings of the Wandering Monks of Medieval Japan; Shinran: An Introduction to His Thought; No Abode: The Record of Ippen; and Wind in the Pines: Classic Writings of the Way of Tea as a Buddhist Path.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.