Catalog Search Results
1) Buddhism
Author
Series
Publisher
Teaching Co
Pub. Date
c2001
Language
English
Appears on list
Description
Examines Buddhism in a series of 24 lectures (30 min. each).
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
How did the decline of the court and the rise of the warrior class shape the evolution of Buddhist aesthetic, spiritual, and philosophical concepts? Find out in this illuminating episode, which covers the massive growth of Pure Land Buddhism (the dominant form in Japan today) and the two main schools of Zen Buddhism.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 12
Language
English
Description
Continue your study of the Mauryan Empire with Chandragupta's grandson, Emperor Ashoka, who even today is likely the most famous individual from ancient India. After consolidating his territory in a vicious war, Ashoka became a Buddhist and a model benevolent ruler.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 19
Language
English
Description
Take another excursion away from East Asia - this time to explore the Indian origins of Buddhism. Learn about the gods of the Indus civilization, the origins of the caste system, and the emergence of new religions in the 5th and 6th centuries B.C.E. After studying the life of Siddhartha Gautama, you'll survey the key beliefs and practices of Buddhism.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Professor Ravina explains why Buddhism was so appealing in ancient Japan. He reveals three key observations about the religion's earliest form (including its spread with direct support from Japanese rulers) and discusses the two main strands of Japanese Buddhism: the more esoteric tradition of Shingon and the more accessible Pure Land.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 10
Language
English
Description
Continue exploring the importance of the Silk Road, but progress to a discussion of religions spread and practiced along the route. Learn why Nestorian Christianity, Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and above all, Buddhism, were appealing to nomadic populations, and the impact these faiths had on these people and their caravan cities.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 10
Language
English
Description
Along with the rise of Jainism, 500 B.C.E. also saw the adoption of Buddhism as an alternative to the Vedic tradition. Delve into the life of Siddhartha Gautama and the tenets of his philosophy, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path to enlightenment. Then find out how these ideas developed and spread across Asia.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 17
Language
English
Description
Two distinctive forms of Buddhism took root in Japan. Learn first about the Pure Land School, which directs spiritual efforts toward entering a celestial realm where seekers can learn the dharma. Through Zen scriptures and koans (paradoxical sayings used in teaching), contemplate the tradition's direct, experiential approach to enlightenment.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 13
Language
English
Description
This lecture introduces the huge library of Buddhist scriptures. Study the origins and contents of the three major Buddhist canons - the Pali canon, the Chinese canon, and the Tibetan canon. Learn about the devoted efforts through Buddhist history to preserve these texts, and the nature of their significance to Buddhists.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 21
Language
English
Description
In the first half of this lecture, consider how Confucianism moved into the seat of power in China during the four centuries of the Han dynasty and evolved in two very different directions. Then, explore how this new form of "State Confucianism" blended with other Eastern belief systems - especially Buddhism.
Author
Series
Religions of the World - Oh My GOD volume 7
Language
English
Description
With more than 300 million followers worldwide, Buddhists follow a path towards enlightenment in what is as much a religion, as it is a way of life. A Buddhist Monk attempts to quieten host Tevya's mind, but first - a celebration. It's Buddha's birthday and Tevya is in for a food-fight while meeting "The Hungry Ghosts".
Author
Series
Real Zen for Real Life volume 12
Language
English
Description
Take an in-depth look at how Eastern and Western religious beliefs and philosophies can work in tandem as Professor Davis addresses our most entrenched attachment. He focuses namely on our attachment to our egos. Examine how in Zen, as in Christianity, in order to truly live, we must undergo a great spiritual death and rebirth.
13) Cultural Literacy for Religion: Everything the Well-Educated Person Should Know: East Asian Buddhism
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 12
Language
English
Description
Conclude your journey through the Asian traditions with a study of Zen and Pure Land Buddhism. Chinese Buddhism gave rise to the "laughing Buddha," which affirms the joys of the world. Japanese Zen, with its emphasis on "just sitting" and its famous koans, has drawn practitioners from other traditions and given rise to Zen-Christians.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 13
Language
English
Description
Professor Berkson notes that the Buddhist tradition was established, in part, as a response to the realities of sickness and death. The Buddha's response to the experience of dying, as you'll learn, involves seeing past the illusion of self, recognizing the concept of impermanence, and practicing mindfulness.
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 14
Language
English
Description
Continue a look a Buddhist approaches to death, this time focusing on Tibetan Buddhism's deep, extensive teachings on the actual process of death and rebirth. Central to this lecture: the fascinating Bardo Thodol (or the Tibetan Book of the Dead), whose lessons are applicable both to Buddhists and non-Buddhists.
Series
Publisher
Teaching Co
Pub. Date
c2003
Language
English
Appears on list
Description
Provides an overview of Buddhism and describes how Buddhism challenges some of the most important Western ideas about God, human life, and the self. Covers the Buddha's life and the development of Buddhism, explains his teachings, or Dharma, and explores the lives of well-known Buddhists such as the Dalai Lama.