Theravada Buddhism – Continuity, Diversity, and Identity

Kate Crosby is a Seiyu Kiriyama Reader in Buddhist Studies in the Department of the Study of Religions at SOAS, University of London, and is also a member of the Centre of South East Asian Studies and the Centre of Buddhist Studies. She is the author or editor of a number of books, including Santideva s Bodhicaryavatara: Buddhist Path To Awakening (with Andrew Skilton, 1998), andThe Dead of Night & the Women (2009).

Acknowledgments viii Map xi Introduction 1 Part One Buddha 13 1 The Buddha and Buddhahood 15 2 Buddha Worship 43 Part Two Dhamma 69 3 Literature, Languages, and Conveying the Dhamma 71 4 The Jataka 99 5 The Good Buddhist 112 6 Meditation 138 7 Abhidhamma 174 Part Three Sangha and Society 195 8 Monks, Monasteries, and their Position in Society 197 9 Women in Monasticism 218 10 Women in Theravada Literature and Society 238 11 Feminist Readings of Gender-Related Symbols 250 12 Nonharming, Politics, and Violence 262 Glossary 283 Index 290