Thesis--University of London. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Annamalai University, 1946. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1975. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1998. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 511-522).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1984. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 279-287).

The purpose of this thesis is to chart the development and the inter-relationship of the concepts of Heaven and of Man in Chu Hsi's philosophy. As Chu Hsi (1130-1200) is generally regarded as having brought to its completion the unification of the doctrines of his Neo-Confucianist predecessors, it is hoped that this research will throw light both upon the central tenets of his philosophy and upon those of Sung philosophy in general. The method adopted is to use the development of these concepts as a central thread. Chu Hsi's metaphysics and ethics will then be discussed accordingly as they are relevant to this theme, although it has not been feasible to present an independent survey of these branches of his philosophy. The development of these two concepts is discussed in six chapters. In the first chapter, I give a brief account of Buddhist Idealism, to the refutation of which Chu Hsi had dedicated his whole life. In the second chapter, I describe how, in his thirties, he had used the Immanent Vitalism of the earlier Neo-Confucianists to attack the Buddhist view of Emptiness. In the third chapter, I discuss how he struggled, in his forties, to construct his own metaphysics, after becoming disillusioned with the approach to the Way taught by the Immanent Vitalists. In the fourth and fifth chapters, I discuss both the development of the ideas of Principle, Material Force, Nature, Mind, and moral cultivation, and their systematisation in his later metaphysics. In the final chapter, I explain the relation between Heaven and Man within this system, and show the way in which it differs from its Buddhist counterpart.

No description available.

Eschatology and devotionalism are dominant threads in the rich fabric of Chinese Buddhist history. Yet as in countless other areas of modern Buddhist studies, the investigation has barely begun. This paper analyses the dynamic interplay between eschatology and devotionalism in religious history by focussing on Northern China during the fourth to the eighth centuries A.D. when the intensely popular worship of Maitreya Buddha was overtaken by the worship of Amitabha Buddha. The wider implications of this shift include not only the change from an Abhidharma world-view to a Mahayana world-view but from a state of eschatological disappointment or despair to its resolution by salvation through faith. Thus the greatest and most enduring form of Buddhist devotionalism — the Pure Land movement — is rooted in an age permeated with the ethos of the eschaton. This phenomenon in China is set within the context of the overall development of devotionalism and eschatology from their origins in India to their continuity in present-day Japan and South East Asia. While specific textual, biographical, historical and archaeological data is utilized in supporting the main thesis, the various symbols of Buddhist eschatology and devotionalism are presented as variations on the universal themes of cosmic renewal and faith with mythic counterparts in all religious traditions. / Arts, Faculty of / Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, Department of / Graduate

<p>Arya Asanga was one of Indian Buddhism's leading scholars in the middle Mahayana period, fourth - sixth centuries C.E. His encyclopedic Bodhisattvabhumi is considered to be one of Buddhism's foremost expositions of bodhisattva doctrine.</p> <p>The Bodhisattvabhumi contains a systematic description of the bodhisattva path of practice (bodhisattva-siksamarga) that emphasises broad knowledge and general education in the pursuit of enlightenment and liberation. The subjects of that education are the "five sciences" (pancavidyasthanani) which range from Buddhist textual scholarship to the study of non-Buddhist religious literature and secular subjects, including works on grammar, logic, medicine and crafts.</p> <p>The historical accounts of the seventh century Chinese pilgrim travellers HsiianTsang and 1-Tsing confirm that these five sciences were the basis for the curriculum at Nalanda Mahavihara, India's most renowned monastic university. Corroborating information indicates that the Bodhisattvabhumi was studied at Nalanda Mahavihara and that its views and values were influential in Nalanda's approach to education.</p> <p>The inclusion of non-traditional subjects as valid areas of "liberating knowledge" for Buddhists required an innovative philosophy of education. This was achieved in the Bodhisattvabhumi by reformulating certain key Buddhist concepts, most notably dharma ("teachings"), prajna ("wisdom-insight") and bodhi ("enlightenment"). The result was a comprehensive vision of religious education that encouraged a quest for general learning and broadened the range of knowledge deemed necessary for attainment of complete enlightenment (anuttarasamyaksambodhi).</p> <p>To illustrate the importance of education and embody principles of its acquisition and proper application, the Bodhisattvabhumi also developed portrayals of role types. These include the bodhisattva depicted as a novice beginner, teacher, and mentor; and the Tathiigata Buddha portrayed as the personification of "all-knowledge" and defender of the faith. The Chinese travelers' accounts confirm that the students and masters of Nalanda Mahavihara were involved, in their daily lives, in activities that corresponded to these roles.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)