original Buddhism

India Sri LankaBuddhism in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Southeast Asia

R. Gombrich, "History of Theravada Buddhism in India and Sri Lanka" - "Who Listened to Buddha's Teachings?" a great book that makes us think about the connection between society and Buddhism.

This book is highly recommended for learning the general framework of Sri Lankan Buddhism.

Sri Lanka is a country where Theravada Buddhism, which is different from Mahayana Buddhism in Japan, has taken root, as the title of this book suggests. The main flow of this book is to trace the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka back to the birth of Buddhism in India.

What is unique about this book is its perspective on the "social history of Buddhism. This book looks not only at ideological and historical issues, but also at how Buddhism existed in relation to the society of the time. I am sure you will be surprised by this book. I highly recommend this book.
Birth of BuddhismBuddhism in India

Kan Sasaki, The Birth of Buddhism - A good introduction to Buddhism for beginning students!

This work, "The Birth of Buddhism" is a highly recommended reference book for an introduction to Buddhism. If you ask me, "I am interested in Buddhism, but what should I read? I have recently been recommending this book to people who ask me "What should I read? It is so easy to understand and read. Moreover, it is very practical because you can think about how Buddhism is related to our daily life. This book is not just a book of knowledge, but a book of wisdom for living Buddhism.

I have introduced various Buddhist books on this blog, but this book is the best introductory book. I would highly recommend it as well.
The Life of BuddhaBuddhism in India

Akira Hirakawa, "The Life of the Buddha: Reading the 'Buddha's Praises'" - Recommended introductory book that looks at the life of the superhuman Buddha based on the Chinese translation of the Buddha's biography.

In our previous article, we introduced the Buddhacharita, a Buddhist epic by Ashvaghosa, who was active around the 2nd century.

This "Buddhacharita" was translated into Chinese around A.D. 430 as "Buddhacharita" (仏所行讃) by Cloudy I-Ching. It was introduced to Japan and passed down to Japanese Buddhists. Saicho, Kukai, Honen, and Shinran must have read this Buddhist biography and thought about Buddha.

This book is an introduction to Buddhism in which the life of the Buddha is explained in an easy-to-understand manner while reading a transcript of this Chinese translation of the Buddha's Praises for the Practice of Buddhism.
Buddha CharitaBuddhism in India

The Complete Translation of the Buddhacharita - The great source of Buddhist biography, also known as the "Praise of Buddha's Place of Practice" by Ashvaghosha (Ma-Ming)! An epic of Buddha's life!

The present work, Buddhacharita, is a Buddhist biography by Ashvaghosa (Ma Ming), a Buddhist poet active in India around the 1st and 2nd centuries. In Chinese translation, it was translated as "Buddhacharita" (仏所行讃) by Cloudy I-Ching. Kukai, Saicho, and the founders of Kamakura Buddhism may have read this Buddhist biography to learn about Buddha's life.

Ashvaghosha's Buddhacharita, which was the major source of the life of Buddha as it is told today. It was a very interesting work as a story.
JainismIndian thought, culture and history

Kenji Watanabe, "Jainism: Non-Possession, Non-Violence, Non-Killing: Its Doctrine and Real Life" - A recommended commentary with interesting comparisons to Buddhism!

This book provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the basic tenets of Jainism and the background of its formation.

I especially appreciated the book's detailed knowledge of the Six Master Exoteric Traditions as the background from which Jainism emerged.

The Six Teachers of the Exoteric Tradition are Indian thinkers who were contemporaries of the Buddha from the Buddhist side. One of these would be Mahavira, the founder of Jainism (called Niganta Namaputta in Buddhism).

The thinkers of the Six Masters and the Way of the Buddha are also very important in learning about the period in which the Buddha lived. After all, Buddhism and Jainism were born in the same cultural background at the same time and share many similarities in their formation process.

I highly recommend this book to learn what Jainism is all about along with this historical background.
History of Buddhism in IndiaBuddhism in India

Akira Hirakawa, "History of Buddhism in India" - An immortal classic of Buddhist studies! A masterful book covering the history and doctrines of Buddhism!

Although this book was first published in 1974, it is still highly regarded as one of the most famous Buddhist books of all time. 2011 saw the publication of a new edition, and even today it is a must-read reference book for those who wish to study Buddhism in depth.

It is a marvel that this book has been able to cover so much of the teachings in a single work and to write a history of Buddhism in a single stream.

This is a tremendous book. This is not a book that I would casually recommend to a beginner, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Buddhism.
Indian Sexual CultureBuddhism in India

Sadakata Chen, "Indian Sexual Culture Theory" - Sexuality as taught in Buddhist scriptures. A Reference Book that Truly Inquires into the Relationship between Buddhism and Sexuality.

This book is a straightforward discussion of the relationship between Buddhism and sex, something we are not usually exposed to.

I am now trying to show the back roads of Buddhism. Some Buddhist scholars may not like this. But what can we understand about Buddhism if we avoid the issue of sexuality, which is very important for human beings? In India, sexual love (karma) is one of the three major goals of life. I believe that the significance of Buddhism can be properly understood only when all aspects of human beings are known."

I believe that these words in this book are a very important recommendation.
realism (as opposed to nominalism)Indian thought, culture and history

Kautilya's "Pragmatics" - Ancient Indian Machiavellianism! What a thoroughgoing imperialism that should be compared to "The Theory of Monarchs"!

Machiavelli's "The Theory of the Monarchs" is a rather gruesome treatise on power and intrigue, but this "Theory of Pragmatism" is also quite gruesome.

The commentary also states, "The author of this book describes every possible tactic a monarch should employ in order to protect his own security, increase his national power, and acquire the territory of others. The examples of espionage activities that are developed throughout the book are among the most noteworthy. In the Indian classics, espionage is given great importance, and even in later works of literature, kings who fail to make proper use of spies are condemned. The use of spies is especially carefully explained, as stated in the following passage.

Reading this book, I do not envy you at all for being born in royalty. No matter how extravagant I may be, I would respectfully give back that right. Maybe Buddha felt that way too.
manu codeIndian thought, culture and history

The "Code of Manu" - The cornerstone of Indian Hindu society. Scriptures expounded on a grand scale from the creation of the world to the laws of human reason.

The Code of Manu is more than just a law book. The first thing that surprises you when you start reading "The Code of Manu" is that the scripture suddenly begins with the story of creation. It begins with a magnificent cosmology and worldview centering on the Creator, Brahman, and from there, it tells us how we should live and what should be the norms and rules for our lives.

In reading the Code of Manu, I strongly feel that Hindu practices and ideas are incorporated into every aspect of life. Furthermore, I found that not only that, but also detailed regulations are set forth in the rites of passage from birth to death. I strongly felt that the Hindu view of the world is carried through from birth to death, and even to the afterlife.

The Code of Manu is a very significant scripture in the study of Buddhism.
Hinduism and the EpicIndian thought, culture and history

Hinduism and Epic Poetry, Volume 30 of Gen Nakamura's Selected Works - A masterpiece that also provides insight into the connections with Buddhism and Japan! Experience the depth of Indian thought

Dr. Gen Nakamura does not look at religion merely as an idea or theory, but considers it in conjunction with the social conditions of the time. To understand religion in India, one must also consider India itself in perspective.

Why did Hinduism flourish and Buddhism decline in India? This is what this book looks at. It is not only the ideological aspect, but also a larger social factor that is involved.

The book also provides a detailed look at India's two greatest epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as the book title suggests. It was very interesting to listen to the lectures on Indian mythology as expounded from the unique perspective of Buddhist scholar Dr. Gen Nakamura.