The Buddhists: Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, Volume 1 (A–Ch)

The encyclopaedic section begins with entries such as Abhidhamma, Abhidharmakośa Vyākhyā, Abortion, Absolute, Ādibuddha, Admission and Ordination, Advayavāda Buddhism, Ages of the World, Agnosticism and Ājīvikas. These entries often combine doctrinal interpretation, historical background, comparative discussion and bibliographical references. The volume is especially useful as a broad reference source because it incorporates material on Buddhist philosophy, ritual, ethics, monastic discipline, sectarian history, cosmology, Sanskrit and Pāli terminology, Buddhist art and cross-cultural transmission. The entries reflect a synthetic approach, drawing upon canonical literature, secondary scholarship and historical sources. The contents page places the encyclopaedic entries for A–Ch after the introductory and reference sections. The preliminary matter includes: - Introduction - General Abbreviations and Symbols - Abbreviated Titles of Works Referred To - List of Romanized Sanskrit Characters and Their Pronunciation - Note on Names and Technical Terms - Historical Introduction - Encyclopaedic Entries A–Ch