Buddhism in Five Minutes

Elizabeth Harris is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow within the Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion, University of Birmingham, UK. Before this, she was an Associate Professor at Liverpool Hope University. She specializes in Buddhist Studies and inter-faith studies, and has published widely in both disciplines. Her publications include: What Buddhists Believe (Oneworld, 1998): Theravada Buddhism and the British Encounter: Religious, missionary and colonial experience in nineteenth century Sri Lanka (Routledge, 2006): Buddhism for a Violent World: A Christian Reflection (Epworth, 2010/now published by SCM).

(selected)

Preface Cathy Cantwell, University of Oxford
Introduction Elizabeth J. Harris
Part One: Buddhism as a Religion
Is Buddhism a religion?
Denise Cush, Bath Spa University
What is the role and focus of faith in Buddhism?
Asanga Tilakaratne, University of Colombo
Are relics important to Buddhists?
Kevin Trainor, University of Vermont
What is the place of images of the Buddha in Buddhism?
Sarah Shaw, University of Oxford
What is the role of narrative in Buddhism?
Brian Black, University of Lancaster
Part Two: The Buddha
What do we know of the historical Buddha?
Dhivan Jones, University of Chester
How is the nature of Buddhahood to be understood?
Christopher V. Jones, University of Cambridge
How does one ‘read’ a Buddha-image?
Ronit Wang, SOAS, University of London
Who is the fat Buddha figure?
Pauline Kolata, University of Chester
Part Three: What the Buddha Taught (1)
Can we know what the historical Buddha taught?
Rupert Gethin, University of Bristol
What part does belief in rebirth play in Buddhism?
Peter Harvey, University of Sunderland
Does Buddhism see the mind as separate from the body?
Peter Harvey
To what extent does Buddhism “deny the self”? The non-Self teaching. Christopher V. Jones
Part Four: What the Buddha Taught (2) Meditation
Why do Buddhists meditate?
Sarah Shaw
What is “mindfulness” in Buddhism, and does it differ from modern secular “mindfulness”?
Tse Fu Kuan, Yuan Ze University
What kinds of meditation are there in Buddhism?
Dhivan Jones
What is the role of chanting in Buddhism?
Renru Shi, University of Lancaster
Part Five: Monastics and Lay People in Buddhism
What is the role of monasticism in Buddhism?
Ann Heirman, University of Ghent
What rules do monastics follow?
Alice Collett, South Asia History Project
What is the role of preaching in Buddhism?
Mahinda Deegalle, Bath Spa University
Part Six: The development of Buddhism: Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna Buddhism
What is the ‘Hīnayāna’?
Elizabeth J. Harris
What is Zen Buddhism?
Hiroko Kawanami, University of Lancaster
What is Pure Land Buddhism?
Wendy Dossett, University of Chester
What is the role of the Dalai Lama?
Cathy Cantwell
What is the Bodhisattva vow?
Nick Swann, University of South Wales
Part Seven: Buddhist Art and Material Culture
What are the main buildings and symbols of Buddhism?
Arjuna Ranatunga, Univ of Sunderland
Why do Buddhists make art?
Christian Luczanits, SOAS
How is Buddhism influencing contemporary art?
Tim Stephens, Unif of the Arts, London
Part Eight: Buddhism and Other Religions
How has Buddhism been influenced by other religious traditions? How has Buddhism influenced other religious traditions?
Sophie Barker, Univ of Lancaster
How do Buddhists view other religious traditions and what kind of interreligious encounters are Buddhists involved in now? Elizabeth J. Harris
Part Nine: Buddhism and Ethics
What vows do Buddhists take?
Nick Swann
Are Buddhists pacifists?
Peter Harvey
Are Buddhists vegetarian?
Dhivan Jones
Does Buddhism have rules for marriage and family life?
Alice Collett
Part Ten: Buddhism and Contemporary Issues
What do Buddhists think about sex?
Amy Langenberg, Eckerd College
What do Buddhists think about those who are LGBTQI?
Sal Campbell, Birkbeck College
Are alcohol and drugs ever acceptable to Buddhists?
Wendy Dossett
Are human rights compatible with Buddhism?
Damien Keown, Goldsmiths College
Part Eleven: Emergent Buddhism
What is secular Buddhism?
Tim Stephens
How do Buddhists view Artificial Intelligence?
Ralph Quinlan
Is Western Buddhism a new form of Buddhism?
Sarah Shaw