Great world religions Buddhism
(Audiobook on CD)

Compact disc.

Accompanying material may be available as a CD-ROM in case or available online.

Number of discs may vary by copy.

Teaching Co. : 6105.

"Course no. 6105."

Lecturer: Professor Malcolm David Eckel, Boston University.

Twelve lectures delivered by Professor Malcolm David Eckel of Boston University in which he presents a survey of Buddhism from its origins in India to contemporary times in America. The course introduces the vitality and adaptability of Buddhism which has transformed civilizations in Asia and become a lively component of Western culture.

A religion without God? How could that be? And how could it have captured and captivated so many millions of people in so many countries for so many centuries? No doubt you can picture the Buddha -- seated serenely, feet crossed in front of him, hands folded in his lap. But who was the real person behind this image? What did he say about the nature and purpose of life? What were the origins of the concepts of reincarnation, nirvana, karma, and Zen, and what is the Buddhist understanding of them? Buddhism is your opportunity to trace the history, principles, and evolution of a theology that is both familiar and foreign.

In its 2,500-year history, Buddhism has expanded from a tiny religious community in northern India into a movement that now spans the globe. This course is a historical survey of Buddhism from its origin in India in the 6th century B.C.E. to its present status as a major world religion. It is meant to introduce students to the astonishing vitality and adaptability of a tradition that has transformed the civilizations of India, Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan and has now become a lively component in the cultures of Europe, Australia, and the Americas. The study of Buddhism offers great challenges to people who have grown up in the Western world. It does not share many of the central beliefs of Western religions, such as the concept of a single, omnipotent God, or that each human being has a permanent self that began at conception and will continue in an afterlife. Buddhism also has been transformed in many ways as it has swept across the cultures of Asia; it often is difficult to decide what Buddhism actually is and how it should be studied.