Author: Mariia Lepneva

In no region of the world Buddhism can be seen as a unified doctrinal system. It rather consists of a multitude of different ideas, practices and behaviours. Geographical, social, political, economic, philosophical, religious, and also linguistic factors all played their role in its development and spread, but this role was different from region to region. Based on up-to-date research, this book aims at unraveling the complex factors that shaped the presence of particular forms of Buddhism in the regions to the north and the east of India. The result is a fascinating view on the mechanisms that allowed or hampered the presence of (certain aspects of) Buddhism in regions such as Central Asia, China, Tibet, Mongolia, or Korea.

Book details:

Ann Heirman and Stephan Peter Bumbacher, eds. The Spread of Buddhism. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 8 Uralic & Central Asian Studies, Volume: 16. Leiden: Brill, 2007.

E-Book (PDF)
ISBN: 978-90-47-42006-4
Publication: 30 Jul 2007

Hardback
ISBN: 978-90-04-15830-6
Publication: 11 May 2007

Paperback
ISBN: 978-90-04-22675-3
Publication: 23 Feb 2012

The purpose of this work is, on the one hand, to give an annotated English translation of the Chinese version of the bhiksunivibhanga of the Dharmaguptakavinaya, and on the other hand to study the life and the career of Buddhist nun as described in the vinaya literature. This vinaya laid the foundation of Chinese monastic life. As the Dharmaguptakavinaya came into being in symbiosis with other vinaya traditions, a comparison is made with these other traditions on important issues.

Given the fact that the Dharmaguptakavinaya is the most important vinaya in China and that it lays the foundation of the monastic life, the author has chosen to translate and to study the discipline for nuns of this vinaya. One should, however, always keep in mind that the Dharmaguptakavinaya came into being in symbiosis with other vinaya traditions, often only transmitted in Chinese. In the Introduction, the place of the Dharmaguptaka tradition, the career of a Buddhist nun and the rules of discipline are discussed. The notes to the English translation provide relevant references to technical terms and to parallel passages from the discipline for monks as well as from other vinaya traditions.

The work is supplemented with indexes, glossaries and a concordance of the rules for nuns and monks of the Dharmaguptaka tradition.

Book details:

Ann Heirman. The Discipline in Four Parts: Rules for Nuns According to the Dharmaguptakavinaya, 3 Vols. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2002.

The present work provides the first complete annotated translation into English of the Chinese version of Dharmatrata’s fourth century is the of a series of expository treatises that summarised the Sarvastivada philosophy as it was prevailing in Bacteria and Gandhara and that were based on Dharmasresthin’s Abhidharmahrdaya. The next work in the series,

Bart Dessein. Samyuktabhidharmahrdaya – Heart of Scholasticism with Miscellaneous Additions. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1998.