Zen Buddhism: A History, India & China

Heinrich Dumoulin

World Wisdom, Inc, 2005 - Religion - 440 pages

A new edition of Dumoulin's classic two-volume history brings these essential reference works back to students of Zen. This new edition of Volume 1, on the early years of the emergence of Zen through India and China, includes: notes on the new editions by James W. Heisig of the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture; a new introduction by John R. McRae of Indiana University; and the complete original text of Heinrich Dumoulin. New developments in the study of Zen are explored in the provocative new introduction, which adds further significance to the remarkable, comprehensive history given by Dumoulin. Book jacket.

What people are saying

Review: Zen Buddhism: A History, India & China

User Review  - Stephen McDonough - Goodreads

Good Historical Foundation of Zen Buddhism. Scholarly work.

Review: Zen Buddhism: A History, India & China

User Review  - Susan Taylor - Goodreads

Dense read but there's nothing like a challenge in unearthing the history of buddhism.

Contents

• Foreword to the 1988 Edition: ix
• Linguistic Conventions: xv
• Note to the 2005 Edition by James W Heisig: xxv
• Sakyamuni the Enlightened One: 3
• The Yogic Element in Buddhism: 13
• The Essentials of Mahayana: 27
• 4The Mahayana Sutras and Zen: 41
• Preparations in Chinese Buddhism: 63
• The Early Period BodhidharmaHistory and Legend: 85
• The Split between the Northern and Southern Schools: 107
• The Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch: 123
• The Zen Movement after Huineng: 155
• Characteristics of the Five Houses: 211
• A Time of Maturation: 243
• Developments in Culture and Society: 265
• Epilogue: 297
• The Northern School of Chinese Zen: 303
• Abbreviations: 343
• Chinese Characters: 349
• Genealogical Tables: 365

About the author

Heinrich Dumoulin (1905-1995) was one of the world's leading scholars of Zen and the author of several books on Zen and Buddhism, including A History of Zen Buddhism, Buddhism in the Modern World, and Christianity Meets Buddhism. He was for many years Professor of Philosophy and History of Religions at Sophia University in Japan.

James W. Heisig is professor and permanent research fellow at the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture in Nagoya, Japan.

Knitter teaches in the theology department of Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a pioneer in the area of interreligious dialogue.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Zen Buddhism: A History, India & China; Nanzan Studies in Religion and Culture; Treasures of the world's religions; Volume 1 of Zen Buddhism : a History, James W. Heisig
• Author: Heinrich Dumoulin
• Translated by: James W. Heisig, Paul F. Knitter
• Publisher: World Wisdom, Inc, 2005
• ISBN: 0941532895, 9780941532891
• Length: 440 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Buddhism / History; Religion / Buddhism / Zen