The three works brought together in this collection explore Buddhism as a rich source of literary legend, an austere ethical guide, and a contemporary philosophy very relevant in the modern world in view of the resurgence of interest in the Buddha and his philosophy.

Matthew T. Kapstein in his Introduction provides a concise historical overview of Buddhism in India and the renewal of interest in the Buddha s teachings and also situates the works in their proper contexts.

Gautama Buddha by Iqbal Singh views the life of the Buddha in the context of the eventful age in which he lived, keeping in mind the significant connection of the personality of Gautama and his understanding of the nature of human experience and destiny, the deeper problems of our age.

The Dhammapada or the path of virtue is the founding text of Buddhist teaching. The verses of the Dhammapada are believed to have been the utterances of Gautama the Buddha himself. Presented here in both Pali and English this classic edition was translated, edited, and annotated by S. Radhakrishnan, one of India s foremost philosophers.

The Philosophy of Religion by Arvind Sharma interrogates key philosophical issues such as the nature of evil, belief or disbelief in God, human destiny, immortality, karma, and reincarnation, from the perspective of Buddhist philosophy and compares them with the tenets of the Western-dominated philosophy of religion .


Introduction by Matthew T Kapstein

Gautama Buddha: Apropos the Second Impression

Preface

Part I: The World of the Buddha

Part II: Biographical

Maya s Dream and the Nativity of the Buddha

The Republic of Kapilavastu

Some Early Events

The Pursuit of Pleasure

The Crisis and Renunciation

After Strange Gods

Enlightenment

VIII Turning the Wheel of Doctrine

IX Growth of the Order

X Years of Wandering and a Day

XI Fools in the Order

XII The Great Decease

XIII Posthumous Postscript

Part III The World of the Buddha: I The Wheel

II The Way

III The Void

Part IV And the Word was made Flesh

Part V The Buddha in a Changing World

Epilogue

Little to Add

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

Index

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S. Radhakrishnan (ed.) The Dhammapada: Preface

List of Abbreviations

Introduction: I. The Dhammapada, II. Gautama the Buddha

Text, Translation, and Notes: I. The Twin-Verses

II. Vigilance

III. Thought

IV. Flowers

V

. The Fool

VI. The Wise Man

VII. The Arhat (The Saint)

VIII. The Thousands

IX. Evil Conduct

X. Punishment

XI. Old Age

XII. The Self

XIII. The World

XIV. The Buddha (The Awakened)

XV. Happiness

XVI. Pleasure

XVII. Anger

XVIII. Impurity

XIX. The Righteous

XX The Path

XXI. Miscellaneous Verses

XXII. The Downward Course (Hell)

XXIII. The Elephant

XXIV. Thirst (or Craving)

XXV. The Mendicant

XXVI. The Brahmin

Selected Bibliography

Pali Index

General Index
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Arvind Sharma, The Philosophy of Religion: Introduction

1. The Concept of God

2. Grounds for Belief in God

3. Grounds for Disbelief in God

4. The Problem of Evil

5. Revelation and Faith

6. Problems of Religious Language

7. The Problem of Verification

8. The Conflicting
Truth Claims of Different Religions

9. Human Destiny: Immortality and Resurrection

10. Human Destiny: Karma and Reincarnation

Notes and References

Index