The Original and Developed Doctrines of Indian Buddhism In charts

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From the Jacket

The work is a unique attempt to classify developments and evolution of Buddhist doctrines through simple charts. This makes the whole plethora of sects, concepts, philosophical streams and schools of thought easy to understand, given the complex nature of these tenets which is almost incomprehensible to the beginners.

The book is not solely meant for the beginners since the approach adopted in it is equally useful to the teachers, researchers and write to obtain a clear idea of the principal Buddhist doctrines as promulgated in diverse ways by diverse Buddhist philosophers.

Eight different sets of doctrines summarized here are:(i) The original doctrines of Buddha, (ii) The Sthaviravadin doctrines, (iii) The Mahasanghika doctrines, (iv) The doctrines of Asvaghosa I, (v) Those of Harivarman, (vi) Those of Nagarjuna, (vii) Those of Asanga and Vasubandhu, (viii) Those of Asvghosa II.

Preface

The method to be a adopted in any kind of teaching should be the simplest possible. It should be such as would facilitate a student's understanding a subject. This is required specially for the study of the History and Philosophy of Buddhism as the nature of the Buddhist doctrines is so very complex that it is impossible for beginners to comprehend them easily. The want of a comprehensive manual has made it more difficult for the students of Buddhism to obtain a clear idea of the Buddhist doctrines as promulgated in diverse Buddhist Philosophers.

I have found it essentially necessary that some convenient and at the same time effective method should be adopted to teach students of Buddhism. About the beginning of the last session I prepared some of these charts in order to see whether the students can profit by them in any way and whether I can thus base my lectures on them. My attempt fortunately was quite a successful one and I at once drew to it the attention of the Hon'ble the President Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, Kt., C.S.I., Sarasvati. He was kind enough to appreciate in the method adopted by me and to encourage me to continue it. Since then I have prepared several others. I am, now, at his suggestion, printing the charts so that students may be helped to some extent, in their study of Buddhism. I, however, entertain the hope of developing the subject further in my forthcoming book of the History of Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy.

Some eight different sets of doctrines have been summarized here for the present. They are-(i)The Original doctrines of Buddha, (ii) The Sthaviradin doctrines, (iii) The Mahasanghika doctrines, (iv) The doctrine of Asvaghosa I, (v) Those of Harivarman, (vi) Those of Nagarjuna, (vii) Those of Asanga and Vasubandhu, (viii) Asvaghosa II.

Each set of these doctrines has been dealt with as a separate topic in a separate chart according to the following scheme.

Doctrine- (1) Cosmology- (i) Essentialism
          {(a) Ontology
(ii)Phenomena-rise                    {(b) Phenomenology
(2) Theory of human being
(3) Theory of suffering
(4) Theory of Religious austerities
(5) Different stages of the Religious
(6) Theory of Salvation
(7) Theory of Buddhakaya

There being no proper Sanskrit and Pali technical terms I had to undergo great difficulty in my restorations. This is why I have been compelled to give sometimes Pali terms and sometimes Sanskrit terms as appeared to be suitable.