Buddhism in practice

Name: Buddhism in practice
ISBN: 0691044422

By Donald S. Lopez

Discover the extraordinary diversity of Buddhist practice across twenty-five centuries and nine Asian cultures through this remarkable collection of forty-eight translated texts. Editor Donald S. Lopez presents a tapestry of spiritual voices that reveals how Buddhism has been lived, practiced, and understood by countless individuals throughout history.

This anthology opens doors to rarely seen aspects of Buddhist life through hagiographies of revered teachers, monastic guidelines that shaped daily practice, pilgrimage songs expressing devotional fervor, and didactic tales that conveyed wisdom across generations. Most of these texts appear in English for the first time, offering fresh insights into traditions from India, China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma.

Rather than presenting Buddhism as a monolithic tradition, these sources illuminate the rich contradictions and surprising continuities that emerge when spiritual practice meets diverse cultures and historical moments. What one Buddhist community considers essential, another might find unfamiliar, yet threads of shared understanding weave through these varied expressions of the dharma.

Each text receives careful contextual introduction from its translator, helping readers navigate the cultural and historical landscape that shaped these practices. Together, these voices create a nuanced portrait of how Buddhism has adapted, evolved, and flourished across vastly different societies while maintaining its essential spiritual core.

This collection invites readers to explore Buddhism not as abstract philosophy, but as lived spiritual experience across cultures and centuries.

What You'll Discover