Early Buddhism and Laity

The introduction presents Buddhism as a religion of humanism, peace, simplicity, and ethical discipline. It discusses the Buddha’s life, the emergence of Buddhist doctrine, the Three Jewels, the Tripiṭaka, the oral transmission of the Buddha’s teachings, the Buddhist councils, the rise of early sectarian divisions, and the transformation from early Buddhism to later Buddhist developments. Chapter I examines the development of early Buddhism and the origin of doctrine. Chapter II discusses the beginning of the Buddha’s mission of conversion, the rise of monasticism, and the foundation of the Buddhist Saṅgha. Chapter III focuses on laities and their contribution to the furtherance of early Buddhism. Chapter IV studies royal and state patrons, while Chapter V provides concluding observations. The appendices include prominent lay household devotees and recluses, salient features of Aśokan edicts, bibliography, illustrations, maps, index, and addenda et corrigenda.