Introduction to the Origin and Development of Buddhist Studies in India

Author: Lü Zheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: This manuscript is the lecture notes used by the author when teaching in a five-year Buddhist Studies class initiated by the former Institute of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1961. The Buddhist philosophy of India began to flourish in the 5th century BC and gradually expanded and developed until the decline of Mahayana Buddhism in India in the 10th century AD, spanning a period of 1,500 years. During this long period, the doctrines of Indian Buddhism also underwent several major transformations: from early Buddhism to new trends in Buddhism, and then evolving into Mahayana and Hinayana. Even within Mahayana, there are distinct phases of early, middle, and late stages. These are quite evident stages. This manuscript divides Indian Buddhism into six phases: Early Buddhism, New Trends in Buddhism, Early Mahayana Buddhism, Hinayana Buddhism, Middle Mahayana Buddhism, and Late Mahayana Buddhism. Based on a large number of Chinese and Tibetan texts, it cross-references the Pali Tripitaka and existing Sanskrit original texts, explaining the characteristics and changes of doctrines in each phase according to the chronological order of their emergence. It provides a clear outline of the general development of Indian Buddhism over its 1,500-year history. According to the compiler, this is the first book in China that thoroughly and authentically narrates the history of Indian Buddhism.