The Belligerent Buddha

The Belligerent Buddha PDF Author: Norma Alford
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing
ISBN: 1480919225
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 146

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Book Description
The Belligerent Buddha by Norma Alford is a delightful work of crime and mystery encircling a quirky detective by the name of J.T. Stretcher, who works for the Jericho Popplar Detective Agency. She is introduced to a chic middle-aged widow by the name of Zelda Morgenstern, who wishes to hire her to find an unusual piece of art that has disappeared from her home. She refers to it as the 'Belligerent Buddha' and describes it as a 500-lb. statue made of green jade, which appears to have a scowl on its face, hence, the name. J.T. endeavors to determine how such a large piece could possibly be removed from a second-floor ballroom without someone noticing. With very little to go on, she dives into the middle of an ever growing pool of deceit and subterfuge, and realizes that someone from an unlikely cast of characters is responsible for the portly icon's disappearance. When one of them is murdered, the investigation takes a turn, requiring Detective Stretcher and her associates to come together, with the assistance of the police, to solve this crime. Through several twists and turns and by the process of elimination, J.T. narrows the search, but can she trick the thieves into tipping their hand? About the Author Norma Alford is a lifelong resident of Texas, currently residing in Austin as the mother of two, with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A graduate of Waco High School and Central City Commercial College in Waco, Texas, she also attended Lamar University in Beaumont. A former legal/executive secretary, she is a retired pilot and has maintained an interest in flying, the arts, sports, and writing. Fifty years ago, the author began writing short stories, novels, poetry, and plays, several of which were produced by a small theater group. Her interest in writing mysteries stems from her curiosity about puzzles and solving them.

The Belligerent Buddha

The Belligerent Buddha PDF Author: Norma Alford
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing
ISBN: 1480919225
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 146

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Belligerent Buddha by Norma Alford is a delightful work of crime and mystery encircling a quirky detective by the name of J.T. Stretcher, who works for the Jericho Popplar Detective Agency. She is introduced to a chic middle-aged widow by the name of Zelda Morgenstern, who wishes to hire her to find an unusual piece of art that has disappeared from her home. She refers to it as the 'Belligerent Buddha' and describes it as a 500-lb. statue made of green jade, which appears to have a scowl on its face, hence, the name. J.T. endeavors to determine how such a large piece could possibly be removed from a second-floor ballroom without someone noticing. With very little to go on, she dives into the middle of an ever growing pool of deceit and subterfuge, and realizes that someone from an unlikely cast of characters is responsible for the portly icon's disappearance. When one of them is murdered, the investigation takes a turn, requiring Detective Stretcher and her associates to come together, with the assistance of the police, to solve this crime. Through several twists and turns and by the process of elimination, J.T. narrows the search, but can she trick the thieves into tipping their hand? About the Author Norma Alford is a lifelong resident of Texas, currently residing in Austin as the mother of two, with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A graduate of Waco High School and Central City Commercial College in Waco, Texas, she also attended Lamar University in Beaumont. A former legal/executive secretary, she is a retired pilot and has maintained an interest in flying, the arts, sports, and writing. Fifty years ago, the author began writing short stories, novels, poetry, and plays, several of which were produced by a small theater group. Her interest in writing mysteries stems from her curiosity about puzzles and solving them.

Indian Esoteric Buddhism

Indian Esoteric Buddhism PDF Author: Ronald M. Davidson
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
ISBN: 9788120819917
Category : Tantric Buddhism
Languages : en
Pages : 502

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Book Description
Despite the rapid spread of Buddhism the historical origins of Buddhsit thought and practice remain obscure.This work describes the genesis of the Tantric movement and in some ways an example of the feudalization of Indian society. Drawing on primary documents from sanskrit, prakrit, tibetan, Bengali, and chinese author shows how changes in medieval Indian society, including economic and patronage crises, a decline in women`s participation and the formation of large monastic orders led to the rise of the esoteric tradition in India.

Buddhism, Knowledge and Liberation

Buddhism, Knowledge and Liberation PDF Author: David Burton
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351954342
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description
Buddhism is essentially a teaching about liberation - from suffering, ignorance, selfishness and continued rebirth. Knowledge of 'the way things really are' is thought by many Buddhists to be vital in bringing about this emancipation. This book is a philosophical study of the notion of liberating knowledge as it occurs in a range of Buddhist sources. Buddhism, Knowledge and Liberation assesses the common Buddhist idea that knowledge of the three characteristics of existence (impermanence, not-self and suffering) is the key to liberation. It argues that this claim must be seen in the context of the Buddhist path and training as a whole. Detailed attention is also given to anti-realist, sceptical and mystical strands within the Buddhist tradition, all of which make distinctive claims about liberating knowledge and the nature of reality. David Burton seeks to uncover various problematic assumptions which underpin the Buddhist worldview. Sensitive to the wide diversity of philosophical perspectives and interpretations that Buddhism has engendered, this book makes a serious contribution to critical and philosophically aware engagement with Buddhist thought. Written in an accessible style, it will be of value to those interested in Buddhist Studies and broader issues in comparative philosophy and religion.

Buddhist Warfare

Buddhist Warfare PDF Author: Michael Jerryson
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0195394836
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
This book offers eight essays examining the dark side of a tradition often regarded as the religion of peace. The authors note the conflict between the Buddhist norms of non-violence and the prohibition of the killing of sentient beings and acts of state violence supported by the Buddhist community (sangha), acts of civil violence in which monks participate, and Buddhist intersectarian violence.

Militant Buddhism

Militant Buddhism PDF Author: Peter Lehr
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030035174
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Against the backdrop of the ongoing Rohingya crisis, this book takes a close and detailed look at the rise of militant Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand, and especially at the issues of ‘why’ and ‘how’ around it. We are well aware of Christian fundamentalism, militant Judaism and Islamist Salafism-Jihadism. Extremist and violent Buddhism however features only rarely in book-length studies on religion and political violence. Somehow, the very idea of Buddhist monks as the archetypical ‘world renouncers’ exhorting frenzied mobs to commit acts of violence against perceived ‘enemies of the religion’ seems to be outright ludicrous. Recent events in Myanmar/Burma, but also in Thailand and Sri Lanka, however indicate that a militant strand of Theravada Buddhism is on the rise. How can this rise be explained, and what role do monks play in that regard? These are the two broad questions that this book explores.

The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha

The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha PDF Author: Mikael S. Adolphson
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824865081
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Japan’s monastic warriors have fared poorly in comparison to the samurai, both in terms of historical reputation and representations in popular culture. Often maligned and criticized for their involvement in politics and other secular matters, they have been seen as figures separate from the larger military class. However, as Mikael Adolphson reveals in his comprehensive and authoritative examination of the social origins of the monastic forces, political conditions, and warfare practices of the Heian (794–1185) and Kamakura (1185–1333) eras, these "monk-warriors"(sôhei) were in reality inseparable from the warrior class. Their negative image, Adolphson argues, is a construct that grew out of artistic sources critical of the established temples from the fourteenth century on. In deconstructing the sôhei image and looking for clues as to the characteristics, role, and meaning of the monastic forces, The Teeth and Claws of the Buddha highlights the importance of historical circumstances; it also points to the fallacies of allowing later, especially modern, notions of religion to exert undue influence on interpretations of the past. It further suggests that, rather than constituting a separate category of violence, religious violence needs to be understood in its political, social, military, and ideological contexts.

Buddhism and International Humanitarian Law

Buddhism and International Humanitarian Law PDF Author: Andrew Bartles-Smith
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 100380330X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 471

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Book Description
What guidance can Buddhism provide to those involved in armed conflict and to belligerents who must perhaps kill or be killed or defend their families, communities or countries from attack? How, moreover, does Buddhism compare with international humanitarian law (IHL) – otherwise known as the law of armed conflict – which protects non-combatants and restricts the means and methods of warfare to limit the suffering it causes? Despite the prevalence of armed conflict in parts of the Buddhist world, few contemporary studies have addressed these questions. While there is a wealth of material on Buddhist conflict prevention and resolution, remarkably little attention has been paid to what Buddhism says about the actual conduct of war. IHL is also still relatively little known in the Buddhist world and might not therefore influence the behaviour of belligerents who self-identify as Buddhists and are perhaps more likely to be guided by Buddhist principles. This ground-breaking volume is part of an International Committee of the Red Cross project which seeks to fill this gap by exploring correspondences between Buddhist and IHL principles, and by identifying Buddhist resources to improve compliance with IHL and equivalent Buddhist or humanitarian norms. This book will be of much interest to students and researchers of International Law, Buddhism, Ethics as well as War and Conflict studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Contemporary Buddhism.

Buddhism and the Dynamics of Transculturality

Buddhism and the Dynamics of Transculturality PDF Author: Birgit Kellner
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110413140
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
For over 2500 years, Buddhism was implicated in processes of cultural interaction that in turn shaped Buddhist doctrines, practices and institutions. While the cultural plurality of Buddhism has often been remarked upon, the transcultural processes that constitute this plurality, and their long-term effects, have scarcely been studied as a topic in their own right. The contributions to this volume present detailed case studies ranging across different time periods, regions and disciplines, and they address methodological challenges as well as theoretical problems. In addition to casting a spotlight on topics as diverse as the role of trade contacts in the early spread of Buddhism, the hybrid nature of religious practices in Japan or Indo-Tibetan relations in Tibetan polemical literature, the individual papers jointly raise the question as to whether there might be something distinct about how Buddhism steers and influences forms of cultural exchange, and is in turn shaped by modalities of cultural interaction throughout Asian, as well as global, history. The volume is intended to demonstrate the need for investigating transcultural dynamics more closely in the study of Buddhism, and to suggest new avenues for Buddhist Studies.

Buddhism In Buryatia 17th – Beginning of the 21st Century

Buddhism In Buryatia 17th – Beginning of the 21st Century PDF Author: Alexandre Andreyev & Irina Garri
Publisher: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
ISBN: 939075285X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Buddhism in Buryatia ALEXANDRE ANDREYEV & IRINA GARRI This book provides a succinct historical account of the flourishing of Buddhism in Buryatia, exploring its roots in the introduction of the Gelug order and the establishment of the first monastery in its heartland. Throughout its prime, numerous prominent Buddhist figures, including Agvan Dorzhiev, had significant dharmic connections with Tibet and Mongolia, spreading Buddhism far and wide across the region. Despite facing several political turmoils, war crises, harsh persecutions, and destruction, the people of Buryatia continued to revere Buddhism, successfully reviving it from the ashes and ruins. The era of World War II marked a monstrous period, yet remarkably, after 1980 and into the new millennium, a new and inspiring revival of Buddhism emerged, which continues to be enjoyed by people today. Embrace this book and immerse yourself in the captivating world of Buddhism in Buryatia, witnessing its enduring journey of resilience and devotion.

The Buddhist Caves at Aurangabad: Transformations in Art and Religion

The Buddhist Caves at Aurangabad: Transformations in Art and Religion PDF Author: Pia Brancaccio
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004185259
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
Drawing on a large corpus of cross-disciplinary evidence, this book sheds light on the life of the Aurangabad caves and offers new interpretations on the development of Buddhist art and practice in the region, from the diffusion of early rock-cut monasteries to the advent of Mahayana and the emergence of esoteric art and rituals.