The Buddha and Five After-Centuries

The book is organized into four major parts. Part I, “The Founder,” examines the Buddha as both a historical person and a religious figure, covering the Buddha-concept, Lumbinī as birthplace, the early career of the Buddha, and the end of his life. Part II, “Buddhism in the Making,” analyzes the formation of early Buddhism through the life of wandering ascetics, the development of cult and canon, the problem of religious authority, monastic organization, and the rise of Buddhist sects and schools. Part III, “Buddhism of the Asokan Age,” studies Buddhism during the Mauryan period, especially the interaction between monks and popular religion, Aśoka’s Buddhist kingship, the memorial mound or stūpa, the symbolic meaning of Aśokan art, and the role of bhakti in Buddhist devotion. Part IV, “The Old Cult in Crucible,” discusses later doctrinal tensions, reinterpretations of early legends, the emergence of the Buddha-image, and the development of Mahāyāna as a major transformation in Buddhist religious history.