Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.28 (955 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0231126190 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-10-17 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
(Dan Arnold Journal of Religion)This groundbreaking volume will find a primary place on the bookshelf of every serious scholar This exceptional work deserves a wide audience (Frederick M. Wedemeyer History of Religions) . A truly pioneering and wide-ranging workone much to be commended to students of all of the diverse phenomena that Davidson brings within its purview. (Christian K. Smith Religous Studies Newsletter)This work is unmistakably a rich contribution to research in this area
Ian M. Slater said Ian Myles Slater on: A Religion in Crisis. Ronald M. Davidson's book on "Indian Esoteric Buddhism" is not for those unfamiliar with the history of India or with the development of Buddhism, but it does not require advanced knowledge to follow his argument. (I would have found it unintelligible if it did.) It is also not for the devotional reader, or for anyone in search of details of religious practices, Yogic or otherwise. It is especially not for those in pursuit of salacious details of supposed Tantric practices. For those with a serious interest in the history of a g. Joseph G. Walser said For those with a little background, it is a page-turner. While this book may not be so useful to tantric practitioners, for the rest of us it makes this very difficult material much more accessible. Davidson covers a daunting amount of material and does so in an interesting fashion. When I first read it, I couldn't put it down. Since then, I have assigned the book twice to my undergraduate classes. In year-end evaluations, the majority of my students considered it to be invaluable to understanding the rest of the tantric material I assigned. There are a few chapters that offer more de. Well Written Historical Context Recovery Boulder This book is a major contribution to understanding the historical context and evolution of the siddhi tradition within Buddhism. Its research, speculations, and conclusions may not please everyone, but it's of tremendous value in understanding the origin of practices, divinities, and personages. The book is scholarly, loaded with footnotes, and appendices reflecting the author's research. It is very well written. While the book is not designed as an encomium to Buddhist mythology, it serves well those who wish to understand Budd
Davidson is professor of religious studies and director of the program in Asian studies at Fairfield University in Connecticut. Ronald M. Goodman) of Tibetan Buddhism: Reason and Revelation.. He is the coauthor (with Steven D
Despite the rapid spread of Buddhismespecially the esoteric system of Tantra, one of its most popular yet most misunderstood formsthe historical origins of Buddhist thought and practice remain obscure. This groundbreaking work describes the genesis of the Tantric movement in early medieval India, where it developed as a response to, and in some ways an example of, the feudalization of Indian society. Drawing on primary documentsmany translated for the first timefrom Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tibetan, Bengali, and Chinese, Ronald Davidson shows how changes in medieval Indian society, inc