Buddhist Scriptures – by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. (2004)

While Buddhism has no central text such as the Bible or the Koran, there is a powerful body of scripture from across Asia that encompasses the dharma, or the teachings of Buddha. This rich anthology brings together works from a broad historical and geographical range, and from languages such as Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese and

The Holy Quran

The Quran (/kʊˈrɑːn/, kor-AHN; Arabic: القرآن‎, romanized: al-Qurʼān, lit. ’the recitation’, Arabic pronunciation: [alqurˈʔaːn]), also romanized Qur’an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God (Allah). It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature. It is organized in 114 chapters (surah (سور‎;

The Old Testament

The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The second division of Christian Bibles is the New Testament, written in the Koine Greek language.

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The New Testament

The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity. The New Testament’s background, the first division of the Christian Bible, is called the Old Testament, which is based primarily upon the Hebrew Bible; together they are

Meaning of Theology and Theological Disciplines

Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the supernatural, but also deals with religious epistemology, asks and seeks to answer the question of revelation. Revelation pertains to the acceptance of God, gods, or deities, as not

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Abraham

Abraham (“Father/Leader of many”, Standard Hebrew Avraham; Arabic Ibrāhīm) is the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. His story is told in the Book of Genesis. All three religions regard him as the ancestor of the Arabs, through Ishmael. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are referred to as the “Abrahamic religions” in reference to their supposed

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Belief Systems

Belief System n A series of ideas organized to project an image of what is ‘Real’. These ideas are often manifested through interaction with others like parents, peers, mentors, educational material or society institutions. A belief system can have profound impact on the way in which one lives one’s life as well as serve as an indicator

Brahmanism

Brahmanism is an early form of Hinduism which developed its worship and philosophy from the Vedas. Over years, the more tolerant and socially mobile system of Hindu society was ppressurisedinto a rigid caste system and the more liberal mystic Vedism was reduced to a complex sacerdotalism. Brahmanism, which is called “proto-Hinduism” by some, soon saw

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Buddha

Buddha (Sanskrit, Pali, others: literally Awakened One, Enlightened One, from the Sanskrit: to awaken) can refer to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived from about 623 BC to 543 BC attaining enlightenment around 588 BCE, or to anyone who has rediscovered enlightenment. Buddhism recognises three types of Buddha, of which the simple term Buddha

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Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, as well as the East Asian countries of China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. Buddhism teaches followers

Mulasarvastivada

The Mūlasarvāstivāda (Sanskrit: मूलसर्वास्तिवाद; traditional Chinese: 根本說一切有部; ; pinyin: Gēnběn Shuō Yīqièyǒu Bù) was one of the early Buddhist schools of India. The origins of the Mūlasarvāstivāda and their relationship to the Sarvāstivāda sect still remain largely unknown, although various theories exist. The continuity of the Mūlasarvāstivāda monastic order remains in Tibetan Buddhism, although until recently, only Mūlasarvāstivādin bhikṣus (monks) existed: the bhikṣuṇī order had never been introduced. History In India

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Theravada or Southern Buddhism

Theravāda (/ˌtɛrəˈvɑːdə/; Pāli, lit. “School of the Elders”)[1][2] is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism‘s oldest existing school.[1][2] The school’s adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of Gautama Buddha’s teaching or Buddha Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over a millennium.[1][2][web 1] The Pāli Canon is the most complete Buddhist canon surviving in a classical Indian language, Pāli, which serves as the school’s sacred language[2] and lingua franca.[3] In contrast

East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana

East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana is a collective term for the schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in East and Southeast Asia and follow the Chinese Buddhist canon. These include the various forms of Chinese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, Korean Buddhism, Singaporean Buddhism and Vietnamese Buddhism.[1][2] Besides being a major religion in these four cultural regions, it is also a significant religion in Malaysia. East Asian Buddhists constitute the numerically largest body

Navayana or Neo-Buddhism or Bhimayāna

Navayana (Devanagari: नवयान, IAST: Navayāna) means “new vehicle” and refers to the re-interpretation of Buddhism by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar;[a] it is also called Neo-Buddhism,[1][2] and Bhimayāna (after Ambedkar’s first name, Bhimrao).[3] Ambedkar was born in a Dalit (untouchable) family during the colonial era of India, studied abroad, became a Mahar Dalit leader, and announced in 1935 his intent to convert from Hinduism to Buddhism.[4] Thereafter Ambedkar studied texts of Buddhism, found several

Mahayana

Mahāyāna (/ˌmɑːhəˈjɑːnə/; “Great Vehicle”) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism (the other being Theravāda).[1] Mahāyāna accepts the main scriptures and teachings of early Buddhism, but also adds various new doctrines and texts such as the Mahāyāna Sūtras and

Vajrayana / Mantrayāna / Tantric Buddhism / Esoteric Buddhism

Vajrayāna (Sanskrit: “thunderbolt vehicle” or “diamond vehicle”) along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Tantric Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism are names referring to Buddhist traditions associated with Tantra and “Secret Mantra”, which developed in the medieval Indian subcontinent and spread to Tibet, East Asia, Mongolia and other Himalayan states. Vajrayāna practices are connected to specific lineages in Buddhism, through the teachings of

Tibetan Buddhism / Indo-Tibetan Buddhism / Himalayan Buddhism / Northern Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It also has adherents in the regions surrounding the Himalayas (such as Ladakh and Sikkim), in much of Central Asia, in the Southern Siberian regions such as Tuva, and in Mongolia. Tibetan Buddhism evolved as a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism stemming from the latest stages of Indian Buddhism (which

Dharmaguptaka

The Dharmaguptaka (Sanskrit; Chinese: 法藏部; pinyin: Fǎzàng bù) are one of the eighteen or twenty early Buddhist schools, depending on the source. They are said to have originated from another sect, the Mahīśāsakas. The Dharmaguptakas had a prominent role in early Central Asian and Chinese Buddhism, and their Prātimokṣa (monastic rules for bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs) are still in effect in East Asian countries to this day, including China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. They are one

Christianity

Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. Although Christians are monotheistic, the one God is thought, by most Christians, to exist in three divine persons (Greek Hypostasis), called the Trinity. Most Christians believe that Jesus is the

Eastern Orthodox theology

Eastern Orthodox theology is the theology particular to the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is characterized by monotheistic Trinitarianism, belief in the Incarnation of the essentially divine Logos or only-begotten Son of God, a balancing of cataphatic theology with apophatic theology, a hermeneutic defined by a polyvalent Sacred Tradition, a concretely catholic ecclesiology, a robust theology of the person, and a principally recapitulative and therapeutic soteriology. Holy Tradition Ecclesiology Icon depicting the Emperor Constantine (centre) and the bishops of the First Council of Nicaea (325)