LITERARY HISTORY OF SANSKRIT BUDDHISM (Rare Book)

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About the Book:

Sanskrit Buddhist literature embodies many texts which date from an antiquity as respectable as any of the Pali texts. But through Pali Buddhist is studied vigorously Sanskrit Buddhist literature is looked upon with suspicion. As a result, no systematic history of the Buddhist literature in Sanskrit has appeared. The present book intends to supply the gap in our knowledge of Sanskrit Buddhist literature.

Divided into thirteen chapters, the book elucidates the historical data comprising the works of Asvaghosa, Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Asanga, Vasubandhu and other Buddhist scholars both ancient and mediaeval. Its principal merit consists in a lucid marshalling of every available source, including Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese translations of the Sanskrit texts and their exegetical exposition.

CONTENTS

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FOREWORD. Introductory

CHAPTER I.
The two schools of Buddhism
Essence of Mahayana

CHAPTER II. Sanskrit Buddhist canon

CHAPTER III. Mahavastu
Importance of Mahavastu
Its Jatakas
Mahavastu and Puranas
More Mahayana affinities
Antiquity of Mahavastu
CHAPTER IV. Lalitavistara
Extravagant imagery
Conception and Birth of Buddha
Sin of unbelief
Pali and Sanskrit go back to an older source
The Buddha at School
Acts of the Buddha
Component elements of Lalitavistara
Translation into Chinese and Tibetan
Relation to Buddhist art
No image in primitive Buddhism
General estimate of Lalitavistara

CHAPTER V.
Ashvaghosha and his school
Life of Ashvaghosha
Ashvaghosha's great work: the Buddha's biography
Buddhacarita and Kalidasa
Statecraft, erotic art and warfare
Love and religion
Synthesis of Schools
Sutralankara
Vajrasuci; polemic against caste
Other works of Ashvaghosha
Matriceta
Buddhist poet Shura
Master's selfless Love

CHAPTER VI Literature of Avadanas
Veneration for the Buddha
What is Avadana?
The fixed model
Culture evidences
Maiden disciple: Story 28
Extreme Compassion: Story 34
Disinterested pity: Story 36
Princess devout: Story 54
Guerdon of service to Buddha: Story 100
Avadanashataka and cognate tales
Tibetan and Chinese analogies
Characteristics
Analysis of components
Shardulakarna: love of the untouchable
Ashokavadana
Kunala: Queen mother and step son
Pali parallels
Rupavati's sacrifice
Kalpadrumavadanamala
Unequivocal Mahayanism
Miscellaneous Avadanas
Avadanas in Chinese and Tibetan

CHAPTER VII. Mahayanasutras
Worship of Books in Nepal
Saddharmapundarika
Parable of house on fire
Reclaimed son: a parable
Figurative language
Exaggeration of phrase and figure
In praise of Sutra
Persistence of Puranic influence
Elements of diverse epochs
Age of the Sutra
Karandavyuha: its Theistic tendency
Potency of Avalokiteshvara
His peregrinations
Sukhavativyuha: The Land of Bliss
Manjushri
Kurunapundarika Sutra
Lankavatara
Samadhiraja
Suvarnaprabhase Sutra
Rashtrapala Sutra
Prevision of degeneracy

CHAPTER VIII. Nagarjuna
Vindication of middle doctrine
Other works attributed to Nagarjuna
Nagarjuna's life
Aryadeva
Asanga
More philosopher than poet
Asanga
Buddhist humour
Opponent of Samkhya philosophy
Candragomi
Shantideva
Core of doctrine
Importance of the book
Other virtues
Quotations from previous works
Moral ideal
Books contrasted
The aspirant's obligations
Self and other: the difference
Psychic identity
Philosophical doubt
Reaction

CHAPTER IX. Stotras, Dharanis, Tantras
Hymns: Buddhist and Hindu
Tara and her poet devotees
Dharanis or Necromantic formulae
Sanskrit Dharanis in Japan
Antiquity of Dharanis
The Adikarmapradipa
Varieties of Tantras: Yogi's training
Degrading instructions
Supreme Yogiship
The authorship
Printed Tantra literature
Christianity and Buddhism

CHAPTER X. Are Similarities accidental?
Seydel's hypothesis
"Loans" from Buddhism
American scholar's researches
Parallel texts
Legends
Miracles
Resurrection and Nirvana
Results of comparison
Vitality of Buddhism

CHAPTER XI. Ancient Indian National Literature
Importance and extent of Indian literature
Peculiar traits of Indian genius
Aryan unity of speech
Impact of Indian genius on German thought

CHAPTER XII. Beginnings of Indian Studies in Europe
Great Britain and Brahmanic learning
Early English scholars
Jones and Colebrooke
Sanskrit learning and Germany
Dara Shukoh's Persian Upanishad
Beginnings of Vedic studies
Leader of research in three great religious
Christian Lassen
The Great Dictionary
Histories of literature
Catalogues of Mss.
Encyclopaedia of Sanskrit knowledge

CHAPTER XIII. The Chronology of Indian Literature
A few dated events
Extra-Indian helps
Indian's sense of history

APPENDIX I. Constitution of the Buddhist Canon, by Sylvain Levi

APPENDIX II. Sutralankara
Prefatory
The outraged Pandit
Buddhist and Brahmanic controversy
Chinese Aid
Japanese co-operation
In search of treasure
Life of Ashvaghosha
Chinese reverence for Sanskrit texts
Was he a King?
His method
Authorship established
The personae of the Story Book
The grade of civilisation
The Arts
Vindication of a neglected school
Preserved in China thought lost in India
His renowned predecessors

APPENDIX III Most ancient Buddhist records, by M. Winternitz
The Pali Canon

APPENDIX IV. Buddhist Drama, by M. Winternitz

APPENDIX V. Treasure-Trove of Ancient Literatures

The discovery - Scientific expeditions

New old tongues - Resurrection of dead languages - the last creed of Manes - Pahlavi the religious and secular idiom of mediaeval Iran

Enormous Buddhist Sanskrit literature in original and vernacular versions - Great discovery of the century; Pali not the mother tongue of Buddhism; Pali represents translation from perished vernacular

The hiatus in classical Sanskrit supplied - Buddhist poetry or drama in Sanskrit - Matriceta and Ashvaghosha the forerunners of Kalidasa - Authenticity and verification of Tibetan treasures.

APPENDIX VI. The Inscription of Ara. By Prof. H. Liiders, Ph.D., (Berlin)
Postscript

APPENDIX VII. The Sources of the Divyavadana. Chinese translation of Sanskrit-Buddhist Literature
How Chinese helps Sanskrit

APPENDIX VIII. Inscribed frescos of Turfan, by Ed. Huber King Kanishka and the Mula Sarvastivadis

APPENDIX IX. The Medical Science of the Buddhists

APPENDIX X. The Abhidharma Kosha Vyakhya

APPENDIX XI. Reference to Buddhism in Brahmanical and Jain Writings

APPENDIX XII. Notes on the Divyavadana
Notes
Index

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