Buddha: His Life, His Doctrine, His Order

India and Buddhism — Situates Buddhism within ancient Indian history, contrasting India and the West, describing the Aryan and Vedic background, the Gangetic world, the Indian people, and the Brahmanical caste structure. Indian Pantheism and Pessimism before Buddha — Explores the religious and philosophical climate before Buddhism, including Vedic sacrifice, the rise of the Absolute, the Ātman-Brahman doctrine, transmigration, pessimism, desire, moral retribution, ignorance, and knowledge. Asceticism and Monastic Orders — Presents the emergence of ascetic and monastic life in ancient India, including non-Buddhist ascetic communities and the broader environment from which Buddhist monasticism developed. Buddha’s Life — Examines the historical value of Buddhist tradition, the relation between legend and biography, the Buddha’s Sakya background, youth, renunciation, enlightenment, first sermon at Benares, early disciples, daily life, patrons, opponents, women, Devadatta, miraculous traditions, and death. The Doctrines of Buddhism — Explains the doctrine of suffering, the origin and extinction of suffering, dependent causation, karma, rebirth, Nirvāṇa, the rejection of speculative metaphysics, and the practical way of salvation. The Path to the Extinction of Suffering — Discusses moral discipline, meditation, wisdom, self-concentration, right conduct, the four stages of holiness, sainthood, and the Buddhist ideal of liberation. The Order of Buddha and His Disciples — Analyzes the formation of the Buddhist Order, its monastic codes, communal discipline, relation to lay society, cultic practices, the Order of nuns, and the spiritual character of the Saṅgha.