Author: Ronald M Davidson
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 475
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8120819918
Description
Despite the rapid spread of Buddhism-especially the esoteric system of Tantra, one of its most popular yet most misunderstood forms-the historical origins of Buddhist though 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 documents- many translated for the first time-from Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tibetan, Bengali, and Chinese, Ronald Davidson shows how changes in medieval Indian society, including economic an patronage crises, a decline in women's participation, and the formation of large monastic orders, led to the rise of the esoteric tradition in India that became the model for Buddhist cultures in China, Tibet, and Japan.
REVIEWS
An exceptional work of stunning research, eloquence, and unusual innovativeness.
-David F Germano, University of Virginia
This extraordinary work advances our knowledge of esoteric Buddhism in India by placing it in broader context of Indian history and culture, drawing on texts, archaeological evidence, and inscriptions. It will no doubt be required reading for all serious students of medieval Indian religion.
-Phyllis Granoff, McMaster University
Ronald M Davidson gives us an original and revelatory contribution to the study of Buddhism and Indian religions, one that will surely provoke animated discussion and debate. Buddhist tantrism, the subject of much mystification in the past and at present, is here clearly examined in its early social and historical context for the first time, Indian Esoteric Buddhism begins the necessary task of theoretically and substantively grounding our approaches to scholarship in this endlessly fascinating and puzzling domain, revealing the all-too-human faces of its sages, wizards, and kings.
-Matthew Kapstein, University of Chicago
Contents
Maps and Illustrations
Preface
Preface to the Revised Edition
Acknowledgments
Pronunciation and Orthographic Guide
Introduction: A Plethora of Premises
Prayers in the Palace, Swords in the Temple: Early Medieval India
The Medieval Buddhist Experience
The Victory of Esoterism and the Imperial Metaphor
Siddhas and the Religious Landscape
Siddhas, Literature, and Language
Siddhas, Monks, and Communities
Conclusion: The Esoteric Conundrum
Appendix: Probable Pasupata Sites
Glossary
Notes
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index